Lauren Boebert Defends Voting for Bill That Enraged MAGA

Representative Lauren Boebert defended voting for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that received fierce criticism from her fellow MAGA Republicans.

Boebert, a Colorado Republican, was among the nearly 150 Republican members of Congress who voted in support of the annual defense authorization bill that will allocate $886 billion in Pentagon funding through the fiscal year. Conservatives aligned with former President Donald Trump opposed the NDAA because it would extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until the middle of April.

Trump in 2018 said the "previous administration and others" used FISA—a measure that allows U.S. intelligence agencies to spy on suspected foreign agents and terrorists without a warrant—to surveil his 2016 presidential campaign. Court documents released this year revealed the FBI had been improperly searching this data for Americans, including individuals suspected of involvement with the January 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol, as well as those participating in Black Lives Matter protests.

Boebert broke from other Trump allies in the House of Representatives with her support for the NDAA. She explained why she voted in favor of the legislation in remarks first reported by Colorado Springs-based news station KRDO-TV.

The NDAA also included Boebert's "Pueblo Jobs Act," a bill that aims to create development at the decommissioned Pueblo Chemical Depot. The bill could contribute to the creation of up to 1,000 jobs at the site, KRDO reported.

Pueblo is a major population center in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, represented by Boebert, that could play a decisive role in her reelection next year. Boebert is viewed as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans after only winning by less than 600 votes, equating to only 0.16 percentage points, in the 2022 midterms. The Cook Political Report classifies the race as a "toss up."

"This is a very large piece of property that won't just be bulldozed over. Now we can put this back to beneficial use and create more jobs in Pueblo and strengthen our economy," she said, the station reported.

Boebert touted the economic boon she believes the legislation will bring to the southeastern Colorado city, home to more than 110,000 residents.

"There are so many people who are suffering from the current economy, from inflation, rising gas prices and energy costs. And this will just be one step in helping create good- paying jobs in Pueblo to boost our economy," she said.

Newsweek reached out to Boebert's office for further comment via email on Monday.

Other congressional Trump allies opposed NDAA over FISA's extension. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, said on X, formerly Twitter, that it was "greatly abused by the FBI and DOJ and used against Americans instead of foreign nationals violating the 4th Amendment," which guarantees freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures by the state.

"While we need the ability to stop terrorism in America, abusing FISA to target political enemies should never happen," she said.

In total, 147 Republicans voted to approve the NDAA, while 73 voted against it. Forty-five Democrats opposed the legislation, and 163 voted in support of it.

Conservatives expressed disapproval with Republican lawmakers who supported the legislation.

"@RepThomasMassie tells me that 147 Republicans voted in favor of the unconstitutional FISA extension because they were told if it didn't pass, the government couldn't spy on terrorists. If you're in Congress, and if you fell into that trap, you're not smart enough to be in DC," wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

"147 Republicans just voted to reauthorize the FISA 702 program that was used to illegally spy on President Trump. Their voters deserve answers," posted conservative commentator Rogan O'Handley.