Editorial

Congresswoman Boebert's op-ed was originally published in The Hill

Congresswoman Boebert's op-ed was originally published in Colorado Politics

As we near the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, I write in defense of freedom not as a politician seeking applause, but as a Coloradan, a mother, a grandmother, and a fierce defender of the liberties that define this nation. Fixed license plate reader cameras are quietly turning American streets into zones of constant monitoring.

I recently submitted Congressionally Directed Spending requests for constructing the I-70 Cottonwood Pass Blue Hill Project to help prevent lengthy and costly I-70 closures; building Glenwood Springs’ South Bridge Project to provide critical evacuation access; extending Pueblo’s Medal of Honor Boulevard to reduce commuter times and improve public safety; building important water distribution infrastructure for the City of Craig; building Gunnison’s water treatment plant to supply clean water; renovating Silt’s water plant to improve drinking water; increasing water storage in Huerfano County; improving US Highway 160 in Bayfield; building a new interchange on I-70 at 29 Road in Grand Junction to improve mobility and public safety; and increasing water storage and constructing a critical water supply in Moffat County.

The science is clear, the gray wolf is fully recovered. For too long, activist judges and environmentalists have weaponized the Endangered Species Act to lock up our land and regulate private property rights. The gray wolf listing has led to countless killings of livestock and pets. I am working to put people ahead of violent predators. Farmers and ranchers have been left powerless to defend their livestock for too long.

Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability will hold its first hearing on what was, by all accounts, one of the largest scams in American history. We’re meeting to investigate the fraudulent allocation of emergency assistance during the COVID pandemic. Or in layman’s terms — the Feds were scammed out of a boatload of COVID money, and we’re demanding accountability.

I helped lead the negotiations to end business as usual in Washington D.C. Nineteen of my colleagues and I spearheaded rigorous debate about the broken rules and processes in Congress. We were successful and made historic, once in a generation, improvements to this body.