In an unhinged speech from the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday, Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert called the censure vote of fellow Republican Paul Gosar “a dumb waste of the House’s time.”
“But since the Speaker has designated the floor to discuss members’ inappropriate actions,” she added, “shall we?” Boebert went on to refer to a “Jihad Squad member from Minnesota” who paid her husband more than $1 million in campaign funds.
The congresswoman was referring to a recent report from Fox News that Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar allegedly paid E Street Group LLC, the political consultancy firm owned by husband Tim Mynett, more than $2.8 million during the 2019-2020 election cycle.
While not calling Omar by name, Boebert also said, “This member is allowed on the Foreign Affairs Committee while praising terrorists,” seemingly referring to a tweet in June in which the Democratic lawmaker mentioned “unthinkable atrocities committed by the US, Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.” According to the BBC, Omar clarified her remark days later, saying, “I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.”
In her speech, Boebert also accused California Congresswoman Maxine Waters — also not by name — of inciting violence. She was referring to remarks Waters made outside a Brooklyn Center courtroom during the trial of George Floyd‘s now-convicted killer, former police officer Derek Chauvin.
Boebert accused another California Democrat, Eric Swalwell, of sleeping with a Chinese spy.
In a scathing response to the GOP firebrand on Twitter, Omar shared Boebert’s minute-long speech and commented: “Luckily my dad raised me right, otherwise I might have gone to the floor to talk about this insurrectionist who sleeps with a pervert. I am grateful I was raised to be a decent human and not a deprived person who shamefully defecates & defiles the House of Representatives.”
Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, died in June 2020 from complications of COVID-19.
Boebert’s spouse, Jayson Boebert, was arrested in 2004 for exposing himself to two young women at a Colorado bowling alley, according to The Daily Mail. The then-24-year-old man was sentenced to four days in jail and two years probation.
Lauren Boebert — who was present and 17 at the time — is, like her husband, reportedly no longer welcome at that bowling alley.
Gosar, an Arizona congressman, was censured Wednesday by the House of Representatives for tweeting a doctored anime video depicting him killing New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Guardian is reporting that just minutes after being censured, the Arizona Republican retweeted the same video.
The retweet has since been deleted.
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