Colorado Congresswoman-Elect May Carry a Pistol in the Capitol
A newly elected Colorado congresswoman-elect has requested that she be allowed to carry a pistol on her person during visits to the Capitol.
The woman, 33-year-old Lauren Boebert has made quite a name for herself and her support of the second amendment. Prior to being elected to congress, Boebert was known as the proprietor of Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colorado, a bar and grill famous for the fact that all of its employees carry firearms while on the job.
Last June, Boebert beat out incumbent Scott Tipton for the Republican nomination and has since been elected to the United States House of Representatives.
While it is illegal for the public to carry firearms in the Capitol, a regulation was put into place back in 1967 that states that no federal laws restricting firearms "shall prohibit any Member of Congress from maintaining firearms within the confines of his office or from transporting within Capitol grounds firearms unloaded and securely wrapped."
Republican house representative Thomas Massie supports the 1967 regulation and has cited a 2017 incident in which four people were injured, including house representative Steve Scalise in Virginia.
Massie has said that "As soon as you leave the Capitol property, you are a target."
Obviously, on the other side of the aisle, there are members of congress who are against lawmakers carrying guns in the Capitol, including democratic California house representative Jared Huffman.
Huffman responded to Boebert's request by pointing out that "Members could have a loaded AK-47 sitting on their desk and no one would ever do anything about it."
It's unclear as to whether or not Boebert's request will be fulfilled when she officially takes office on January 3rd, 2021.