This month, Rep. Lauren Boebert voted against a bill that the government had to pass to get more money. That bill had more than $20 million for her Colorado district, which she is now leaving.
On Monday night, she still praised the fact that the money was almost here.
In a press release, the congresswoman said, “Can’t wait for the ribbon cuttings and to see these priorities come to fruition.” She then listed 10 projects in the state’s 3rd congressional district that will get money from the federal government.
Five million dollars will be used to build a water tank near Wolf Creek, and millions will be spent to fix and improve highways in western Colorado, among other things.
Boebert was one of 40 Republicans in the House who voted against the so-called “minibus” on March 6, even though their districts had already gotten federal money. The “minibus” funds large parts of the federal government.
At the time, the representative said the bill, which was a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, was a “monstrosity” that “funds the Green New Deal.”
When Business Insider asked Boebert’s office for a reaction on Monday night, they didn’t answer right away.
Criticism, led by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calls this a form of “vote no take the dough.” In the past few years, it’s become particularly common for Republicans to be happy about the flow of federal dollars into their states, even if they were against passing the bills that made it possible.
Congress-directed spending, or “earmarks” as they are sometimes called, is what Boebert did get in this case after consulting with local stakeholders.
A lot of Republicans have always been against earmarks, saying that they cause corruption or make the government spend more money. Republicans in the House put a ten-year ban on the practice, which Democrats lifted in 2021.
In the past, it was thought to be a way to make the government work better by making lawmakers more interested in passing laws that pay the government.
Boebert was against earmark funds during her first term, but she changed her mind last year.
However, the representative says she looks forward to future ribbon-cutting events, but she might not be in office when they happen because projects need time to be built.
There is a tough GOP primary race for Boebert in the area she just moved into, and people are calling her “carpetbagging.” The fact that Rep. Ken Buck is retiring this month has made things even more confusing. There will be a special election on June 25, which is also the day of the GOP primary.
She said she wouldn’t run for that election because it would mean another special election in her current district, which she already represents.
That means that within the next month, Republicans in the area could choose one of her present opponents. This would give them an edge in the primary that is happening on the same day.
People might not like how she seems to want both sides of the government spending problem, even if the local party picks someone who isn’t running for office, which is what she has said she would prefer.
Follow or bookmark Sky21 for more updates.