Lauren Boebert blames missed defense vote on GOP staffers and bad Botox
The Colorado congresswoman told TMZ DC she was left out of a key vote while negotiating over a U.S.-Israel technology provision.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Rep. Lauren Boebert says a congressional fight over defense policy ended with her missing a vote, blaming unnamed Republican staffers for allegedly assuring her the roll call would stay open while she was still negotiating.
The Colorado Republican spoke with TMZ DC’s Jacob Wasserman on Wednesday evening after she missed a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy bill. Boebert said she objected to what she described as a “tech swap” between the United States and Israel and wanted that language removed before she voted.
According to Boebert, discussions were still underway while the vote was happening. She said Republican staffers told her they would keep the vote open so she could take part once the issue was addressed. The vote closed anyway, and the bill passed.
Boebert described the episode as a backroom failure by Republican leadership, saying she had been left out after relying on assurances from GOP staffers. TMZ DC reported that she did not name the staffers she accused of misleading her.
The congresswoman also had a more personal explanation for why she looked different during the exchange. Boebert said she had received Botox a few days earlier and that one side of her face had not recovered the same way as the other.
In the video, Boebert joked that she was “talking out of the side of her mouth like a damn politician,” according to TMZ DC. She said she could have used a back entrance at the Capitol to avoid reporters because of how she looked, but chose to speak with the media instead.
Boebert returned to the political dispute after addressing the cosmetic mishap. She accused Republican leadership of “poor leadership” and said the situation did not bode well for the party’s future, according to TMZ DC.
She also said party leaders need to have a “come to Jesus” conversation with members. The comments put Boebert at odds with GOP leadership over both the defense bill process and the handling of her objection to the U.S.-Israel provision.
No response from the unnamed Republican staffers or party leadership was included in TMZ DC’s report.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.