Fighting Fentanyl, Serving Veterans, and Reducing Energy Prices!
VICTORY FOR VETERANS: THE NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER’S BACKLOG REDUCED AND STAFF BACK TO WORK
It is inexcusable that some of our veterans’ medical treatment was delayed for more than a year and a half because Biden’s bureaucrats at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) were sitting at home on the couch well after the pandemic had ended. I conducted congressional oversight to ensure that these public servants got back to work.
After my colleagues and I wrote a letter demanding answers as to why the staff at the NPRC had not returned to work, the NPRC changed its decision, and its employees are now back in the office and finally addressing the backlog of requests. While this is welcome news, it shouldn’t have taken Members of Congress to get federal employees back to work and to do their jobs. America’s veterans deserve better!
SUPPORTING ARCHULETA COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
I led an effort to improve accessibility at the Archuleta County Veterans Memorial Park. The park has been an important gathering spot for the community to meet for both celebration and reflection.
I was proud to support the efforts of veterans in Southwest Colorado in this worthy endeavor. From improving parking accommodations to accessibility at the memorial itself, it is important that local communities can access this historic landmark and properly pay tribute to America’s heroes.
TAKING ACTION TO REDUCE ENERGY PRICES
Biden has waged an all-out war on American energy, and we are all paying the price for it. Gas prices have hit historic highs and are on the rise yet again. Joe Biden’s only response is to deplete America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I’ve had enough of this nonsense. I led an effort demanding accountability for Biden's failed energy policies and asking what actions this administration plans to take to reduce pain at the pump.
FIGHTING FENTANYL
I’ve been on the front lines fighting against illicit fentanyl, and you can read all about the growing threat of fentanyl and what we should do to combat it in my op-ed published by the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for adults ages 18-45 and killed more than 900 Coloradans just last year.
Law enforcement experts know that the vast majority of fentanyl illegally comes across the southern border. Since Biden took office, enough fentanyl to kill every American 11 times over has been smuggled across our border. I am working to close this loophole by introducing the Secure the Southern Border Act to secure the border, end catch-and-release, restore the “remain in Mexico policy,” and put a stop to the Biden administration’s amnesty madness.
Additionally, I introduced a bill to label fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. This designation would provide additional federal resources and increase interagency coordination between federal agencies and local law enforcement to stop the sale and flow of fentanyl. Treating fentanyl like any other drug has failed, and too many Americans are dead. It is time for fresh thinking!
This week, I met with the Montezuma-Cortez Drug Task Force and discussed my support of their important work combatting deadly drugs like fentanyl. I am working to help them secure a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area designation, which will provide additional assistance to law enforcement.
BLASTING BIDEN’S LAND GRAB
Rather than working on real issues like reducing inflation and improving the economy, Joe Biden came to Colorado to unilaterally lock up hundreds of thousands of acres through the stroke of his pen and prevent Coloradans from using our public lands for activities we want and need.
Shamefully, Biden ignored the concerns and opposition of impacted communities so he could appease Green New Deal extremists. Equally troubling, Biden hid his true motivations and failed to be transparent about the harm that his energy production ban will have on inflation and American national security. With gas prices skyrocketing, OPEC decreasing its oil production, and Americans already struggling to pay their utility bills, this land grab which will prohibit oil and gas production could not have come at a worse time.
I called Biden out for this awful policy. I will always work to make sure that Colorado’s public lands are managed in a way that works for rural communities.
PRESERVING GLENWOOD SPRINGS’ CARDIFF COKE OVENS AND HONORING COLORADO’S HISTORY
I led an effort to help persevere the unique history of the Cardiff Coke Ovens.
Established in the 1880s, the ovens were once used to burn coal to create coke which was then used to make steel used in railroad tracks throughout the country. These coke ovens are a significant part of Colorado’s mining history, and the coke ovens have the potential to be preserved in such a way that will promote safe public access and a unique visitor experience.
KEEPING AMERICANS SAFE
As a result of Biden’s botched Afghanistan surrender that killed 13 American servicemembers last year, Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for terrorists. Equally troubling, these terrorists now have access to more than $7 billion of U.S. supplied weapons, ground vehicles, and aircraft that we left behind. ISIS and al Qaeda are flourishing, have close ties to the Taliban, and now have the capability to attack us on U.S. soil. One of the best ways to protect the American people from these terrorists is to stop the money from flowing by formally designating Afghanistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
As a result of this terrible situation, I introduced a bill to keep Americans safe by designating Afghanistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. This designation would ban arms exports and sales to Afghanistan, prohibit tax dollars from funding the Taliban, and restrict Afghanistan from receiving international financing.
DEFENDING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: CALLING ON BIDEN TO GRANT RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS FOR SERVICEMEMBERS
Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Zach Loesch is an American hero, and he deserves to be treated as such. However, due to Biden’s vaccine mandate, his rescue mission responding to Hurricane Ian may be his last, as he is set to be involuntarily discharged in 30 to 60 days. It is outrageous that Biden called him to thank him for his heroic efforts responding to Hurricane Ian, but he will be fired soon because of Biden’s nonsensical policies.
The Biden administration’s failure to respect medical freedom and allow exemptions is causing the military to lose talented individuals like Petty Officer Loesch. It’s time to end these mandates and support our troops! I am proud to lead congressional oversight calling on Biden to reverse his awful policy firing American heroes.
BOEBERT BLAST
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Boebert: Illicit fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction
“I introduced legislation to call fentanyl what it is: a weapon of mass destruction. My bill will deploy sensors to detect fentanyl and use analytical, data-based decision-making to support law enforcement on the ground. This additional support will assist our brave men and women of law enforcement who are on the front lines to interdict deadly fentanyl pouring into our communities.”
Cortez Journal, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert talks defense of Dolores River Corridor
“I’ve been fighting for private water rights for two years now in the Legislature and it’s so important that we continue to protect those private property rights,’ Rep. Boebert said. ‘And that’s exactly what this does. This bill would designate this section of the Dolores River in question as an NCA and eliminate it from the wild (and) scenic river designation that it is currently a candidate for, permanently preserving the river and protecting these private property and water rights….Dolores County Commissioner Floyd Cook said H.R. 8601 is ‘one of the best things we could do for our Dolores River Corridor, protection of water rights (and) grazing rights, we’re protecting the small miners’ rights. It’s just a wonderful thing.’…Lyndreth Wall, Mountain Ute Tribe Councilman said hunting rights and the right to firearms are also important to the tribe, and he looks forward to continue networking and working with neighboring communities to protect his Colorado home.”
“[Boebert will discuss her] companion bill to designate a portion of the Lower Dolores River Canyon as a National Conservation Area, a bipartisan bill that has support from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. The Republican congresswoman also is working closely with the tribe to clarify a Bureau of Indian Affairs decision regarding the Ute Mountain Pincrest Ranch in Gunnison…Later Saturday, Boebert plans to meet with the Montezuma-Cortez Drug Task Force to discuss ways she can support their efforts…The congresswoman also is working toward a possible designation for the area as a ‘high-intensity drug trafficking area.’ The program was created by Congress under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Boebert will inform the drug task force of her work to combat the flow of fentanyl with her legislation to give law enforcement more resources by designating it as a weapon of mass destruction.”
The Daily Signal, GOP Lawmakers Call on Biden Administration to Reverse COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate as ‘American Hero’ Faces Discharge
“Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., along with 16 other congressmen, sent a letter to Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan on Monday regarding the administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. Coast Guard members…Loesch, who reportedly saved a 94-year-old wheelchair-bound woman and her husband by kicking through a wall and then hoisting them into a helicopter, is set to be discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard because he did not get the COVID-19 vaccine. He had sought and was denied a religious exemption.”
Breitbart, Lauren Boebert Urges Biden to Stop Kicking Out Unvaccinated Coast Guard Members
“To date, [the U.S. Coast Guard] has received over 1,200 religious exemption requests and has only accepted 12, amounting to a 99% denial rate. This blanket denial of religious accommodation is a clear violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). While this administration chooses to prioritize the USCG’s new focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is also denying servicemembers their most fundamental First Amendment right: the free exercise of religious belief.”
Campfire Colorado, Boebert: Drill Baby Drill
“We don’t need new spending or subsidies to secure American energy independence. We need the right policies. We need the Trump administration’s policies. Unleashing American energy will decrease gas prices, decrease the unemployment rate, reduce inflation, and protect our national security interests. I introduced the Fueling American Prosperity Act and the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act to nullify and defund Biden’s energy-killing executive orders, restart energy leasing, and get America back on track to energy dominance. It is time to drill, baby, drill!”
“Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is announcing Tuesday legislation that would add Afghanistan to the U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, a little more than a year after the Taliban, a jihadist terrorist organization, took control of the country.”
Campfire Colorado,Boebert torches Biden’s “land grab” ahead of President’s visit to Colorado
“Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert is torching Joe Biden for using his trip to Colorado today as an excuse for a massive land grab that attacks affordable energy…Boebert also gave voice to the local concerns of the PEOPLE and said Biden ignored those concerns to pursue radical Green New Deal policies championed by radical extremists in Congress.”
MOBILE OFFICE HOURS
I have three District offices in Pueblo, Durango, and Grand Junction, and we are also on the road coming to you! My office has hosted hundreds of mobile office hours in every county in Colorado’s Third District.
If you are having issues with a federal agency or want your voice to be heard, please schedule an appointment at one of my District offices or come to one of our mobile office hours. My team has successfully helped constituents who weren’t getting answers from federal agencies, like veterans seeking to get the care they earned from the VA, travelers needing expedited assistance to receive a passport on short notice, taxpayers being harassed by the IRS, senior citizens having issues with the Social Security Administration or Medicare, and more.
My office and I have returned over $1,500,109.81 to constituents—many of whom were veterans having issues with the VA. From helping a veteran who had to wait 14 months for care cut through the bureaucracy, to helping another veteran get immediate open-heart surgery that saved his life, my team and I are always busy helping veterans receive the care they EARNED. If you or a veteran you know are having issues with the VA, please reach out to my office so we can get to work on your behalf.
Upcoming mobile office hours will be held at the following times and locations:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022Rio Blanco County Mobile Office HoursTown Hall, Conference Room209 East Main StreetRangely, CO10:30am-11:30amMoffat County Mobile Office HoursCraig Chamber of Commerce775 Yampa AvenueCraig, CO2:00pm-3:00pmFRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Mobile Office HoursUte Mountain Community Center485 Sunset BoulevardTowaoc, CO11:00am-12:00pm*In partnership with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) will be providing a Veterans' Benefits Workshop from 10:00 to 11:00 am, right before the mobile office hours.*La Plata County Mobile Office HoursIgnacio Community Library470 Goddard AvenueIgnacio, CO3:00pm-4:00 pm