Lauren Boebert Admits Biden Victory on Debt Bill: 'A Huge Fail on Our Part'

Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert has hit out at the debt ceiling deal negotiated between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden, describing it as a "gift" to the Democrats.

Boebert, who is one of several Republican figures who have said they will not support the deal in Wednesday's crucial vote, said that the lack of concessions from Biden's "radical" plans means that the president has come out on top in the negotiations.

Speaking to Newsmax's Eric Boiling: The Balance, Boebert said the bill would allow funding for the Inflation Reduction Act, viewed by many across political lines as a revised version of the Green New Deal, which the GOP had strongly opposed. The congresswoman said not enough concessions were made with regard to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to help streamline the approval of projects such as roads and pipelines.

"This is a gift to the Democrats, this is a gift to the Biden administration. It's going to put our presidential nominee in a very bad place come election season, and it's just a huge fail on our part," Boebert said.

"All of Biden's radical policies are still in place. They still have the IRA funds that subsidize the Green New Deal. Now we have some great NEPA reforms in this, but if we still have those massive subsidies to the Green New Deal corporations, then those NEPA regulations will only be fast-tracked to further their radical agenda."

The House is set to vote on the debt ceiling bill on Wednesday after it was cleared by the House Rules Committee on Tuesday night in a 7-6 vote.

Two Republicans on the panel—Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina—voted against the rule, with questions raised as to whether Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie would join them in voting against the bill and tanking the ability for the deal to move to a House vote.

However, Massie voted to move forward with the bill with no amendments, meaning McCarthy must wait to see if he has the 218 votes needed for it to clear the lower chamber.

McCarthy previously told Fox News he believes that he has the support of "95 percent" of House Republicans and the debt ceiling deal will pass.

Boebert is one of a number of hardline GOP members of Congress who have also publicly stated they will not vote in the deal on Wednesday night.

"We got absolutely destroyed in this negotiation. Zero help from the Senate, either. No sensible conservative can vote for this," Boebert tweeted on May 30.

The proposed bill would raise the debt ceiling for two years and hold all spending except for defense and veteran benefits spending for the fiscal year 2024 at roughly current levels before raising it by one percent in 2025.

The deal will end the current pause on student loan repayments and interest accrual 60 days after June 30, but there was no concession to fully strike down Biden's plan to forgive $430 billion in student debt, which the Supreme Court is currently reviewing.

Elsewhere, the deal expands the work requirements for those to be eligible for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, as well as increases the age range for some rules from 50 to 54. Crucially, there was no arrangement for Medicaid work requirements to be increased, despite this being a major part of the GOP's negotiations.

Florida Rep. Byron Donalds was another GOP figure to say he cannot support the debt ceiling deal as it favors Biden too much.

"To my Republican colleagues: DO NOT vote for this deal. Your constituents will ask you why you voted to keep ALL of Biden's policies intact while all you did was raise the debt ceiling," Donalds tweeted.

"They'll ask why you didn't STAND UP & DEMAND renegotiation. Now is the time to weigh in."

South Carolina's Nancy Mace added that the deal shows that Washington D.C. is "broken" as Republicans "got outsmarted by a President who can't find his pants."

"I'm voting NO on the debt ceiling debacle because playing the DC game isn't worth selling out our kids and grandkids," Mace tweeted.

McCarthy's office has been contacted for comment via email.