RIFLE, Colo.—Today, U.S. Congresswoman-Elect Lauren Boebert (CO-03) released the following statement after leading 83 Members and Member-Elects of Congress in an effort to block a gun grab recently proposed by House Democrats: 

“I refuse to give up my Second Amendment rights. I’m a 5-foot tall, 100-pound mom with four children and will be walking to work and serving in one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. I choose to defend my family and my life with all of the force the Constitution provides. I will not let a bunch of gun-grabbing House Democrats take away my Constitutional right to protect myself.”

Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt stated, “Millions of Americans go to work every day while carrying firearms for self-defense. So why shouldn’t Members of Congress or their staff be able to do the same? Criminals won’t follow the laws, and they will always manage to get their hands on weapons, regardless of the restrictions in place.”

In their letter, the 83 Members and Member-Elects stated: “If Members can’t carry on Capitol grounds, they can’t protect themselves in D.C. while making their way to and from their offices to perform their official duties. The ‘last-mile’ transition of self-protection is critical. The current regulations provide transitional coverage once the Member is physically on campus. Changing the current regulations could create new problems and uncertainty for lawful carrying Members in terms of what to do with a firearm once the Member arrives at the Congressional Complex. 

“Moreover, and most importantly, Members need to be able to protect themselves once the Member is in the public space/street and out of the protective care of the Capitol Police. If the current regulations are changed, the Member will be at risk of physical assault and real danger, especially after voicing views of his or her constituents that may not be held by others physically present in Washington D.C.”

Background: 

Congresswoman-Elect Lauren Boebert (CO-03) is a tireless defender of the Second Amendment. In the 117th Congress, the Congresswoman-Elect will Co-Chair the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus with U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie. 

Currently, Members of Congress are allowed to carry firearms within the U.S. Capitol Complex as a result of U.S. Capitol Police Board’s regulations and 40 U.S.C. § 5104. The current regulations allowing Members of Congress to carry have helped protect these Members and their Second Amendment rights since 1967.

Recently, 21 Democratic Members of Congress sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking them to include “a provision in the Rules package directing the Capitol Police Board to ensure that Member of Congress may not possess firearms on Capitol grounds.”

The House of Representatives is expected to take up the House Rules Package during the week of January 4, 2021.

In response to the House Democrats proposed gun grab, Congresswoman-Elect Lauren Boebert wrote and led a letter signed by 83 current Members and Member-Elects of Congress slamming this dangerous and short-sighted proposal and advocating for the current regulations that allow Members of Congress to carry in the Capitol Complex and protect themselves to remain in place.

The 83 Members and Member-Elects of Congress that signed Congresswoman-Elect Boebert’s letter include: Ralph Abraham, M.D., Kelly Armstrong, Brian Babin, James R. Baird, Jim Banks, Cliff Bentz, Jack Bergman, Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Mo Brooks, Ken Buck, Tedd Budd, Tim Burchett, Michael C. Burgess, M.D., Kat Cammack, Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, Madison Cawthorn, Ben Cline, Michael Cloud, Andrew S. Clyde, James Comer, Dan Crenshaw, Scott DesJarlais, Byron Donalds, Jeff Duncan, Neal Dunn, Pat Fallon, Randy Feenstra, Michelle Fischbach, Scott Franklin, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Bob Good, Lance Gooden, Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S., Marjorie Greene, Mark E. Green, M.D., H. Morgan Griffith, Andy Harris, M.D., Diana Harshbarger, Yvette Herrell, Jody Hice, Richard Hudson, Ronny Jackson, Bill Johnson, Dusty Johnson, Jim Jordan, Fred Keller, Steve King, Doug LaMalfa, Doug Lamborn, Robert E. Latta, Billy Long, Nancy Mace, Thomas Massie, Brian Mast, Lisa C. McClain, Mary Miller, Alex Mooney, Barry Moore, Markwayne Mullin, Gregory F. Murphy, M.D., Dan Newhouse, Ralph Norman, Jay Obernolte, Burgess Owens, August Pfluger, Scott Perry, Bill Posey, Guy Reschenthaler, Matt Rosendale, Chip Roy, John H. Rutherford, Austin Scott, Adrian Smith, Jason Smith, Victoria Spartz, W. Gregory Steube, Thomas P. Tiffany, Tim Walberg, Randy Weber, Don Young.  

Gun Owners of America, the National Rifle Association and the Conservative Partnership Institute all support Congresswoman-Elect Boebert’s letter. 

On July 24, 1998, a gunman entered through a Member and employee entrance on the Eastside of the Capitol with a six-shot revolver. When the metal detector alarm went off, the gunman shot a Capitol Police Officer in the back of the head and then fled to a corridor filled with several House leadership offices while engaging in a shootout. The gunman was shot and apprehended after entering the office of then Majority Whip Tom DeLay. Tragically, two Capitol Police Officers died during the 1998 shooting.

On June 14, 2017, at a practice session attended by 24 Members of Congress at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, a gunman opened fire on the Members and engaged in a ten-minute shootout with officers from the Capitol Police. Thanks to the quick actions of the officers that day the only causality was the gunman. However, then U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was critically injured and nearly lost his life. The three Capitol Police officers present at the practice were assigned to protect Whip Scalise who, due to his House leadership position, had a full-time security detail. Had these heroes not been there, the 24 Members of Congress present at the practice would have been unguarded and it’s likely several more would have been critically injured or even killed.

Members of Congress are public figures often in the national spotlight. Accordingly, they can fall target to random and senseless act of violence. Given the current political environment and previous attacks on Members of Congress, now is not the time to disarm them and make changes to existing regulations that have helped protect them for more than 50 years.