Shortly before the U.S. Capitol was overrun by Trump-supporting terrorists on Wednesday, freshman Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert was among the first Members of Congress to deliver a speech on the House floor about her objection to counting the electoral votes from the State of Arizona.
You can view the entire speech above, but we’ve also transcribed every word so that there can be no confusion about what Boebert was saying. Boebert’s speech was strange and unsettling at the time, and it is even more concerning when you consider what was happening outside of the U.S. Capitol building at the very moment in which she was speaking. Here is the entirety of Boebert’s objection to the counting of electoral votes from Arizona:
BOEBERT: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and to ease everyone’s nerve, I want you to know that I am not here to challenge anyone to a duel like Alexander Hamilton or Aaron Burr.
Madam Speaker, my primary objection to the counting of the Electoral Votes of the State of Arizona is based on the Constitution and the direction of state legislatures through state law as spelled out in the following two clauses: Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2, states in part — and I quote — each state shall appoint in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct a number of electors, AND, the election clause of the Constitution provides state legislatures with explicit authority to prescribe — and I quote — the times, places, and manners of holding elections. End quote.
For more than three decades, Arizona law, set by the state legislature, has required that voter registration end no later than 29 days before an election [Pols note: Boebert is shouting at this point]. This is clear. It is law. Unless amended by the state legislature, this is the way it needs to be carried out. In Arizona the deadline for voter registration for the 2020 Presidential election was October five, 2020.
Using COVID as a reasoning, Democrats filled a…filed a lawsuit to extend this deadline by 18 days. And an injunction was made by an Obama-appointed judge preventing the Arizona Secretary of State from enforcing the constitutional deadline set by the state legislature.
As a result of this frivolous, partisan lawsuit, 10 extra days were added via judicial fiat to allow voter registration…these 10 days were added after voting had already begun. This is completely indefensible. You cannot change the rules of an election while it is underway and expect the American people to trust it [Pols note: Still shouting]. Now, in this 10 day period, at least 30,000 new voters registered to vote in Arizona. All of these votes are unconstitutional. It does not matter if they voted for President Trump, or if they voted for Vice President Biden. They did not register in time for the election.
We’ll stop here for a moment, because this next section deserves its own highlighting:
The law states October fifth. Either we have laws, or we do not. [Pols emphasis]
If we allow state election laws as set forth by the state legislature to be ignored or manipulated…
Boebert is interrupted here by numerous shouts of “Order, order” from other Members of Congress. Boebert pauses for a moment, then abruptly continues.
…partisan lawsuit. Unelected bureaucrats. Un…
Boebert is again drowned out by shouts of “Order, order!” She stops speaking, takes a step back, and looks around in a confused manner. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi uses the gavel and says, “The House will be in order.”
Boebert continues:
If we allow state election laws as set forth by state legislatures to be ignored and manipulated on the whims of partisan lawsuits…unelected bureaucrats, unlawful procedures, and arbitrary rules, then our Constitutional Republic will cease to exist. The oath that I took this past Sunday to defend and support the Constitution makes it necessary for me to object to this travesty. Otherwise the laws passed by the legislative branch merely become suggestions to be accepted, rejected, or manipulated by those who did not pass them.
Here’s another particularly creepy section:
Madam Speaker, I have constituents outside this building right now. I promised my voters to BE…THEIR…VOICE. [Pols emphasis]
Yikes. Boebert almost could have said that she had constituents who were about to be inside the building.
In this branch of government, in which I now serve, it is my separate but equal obligation to weigh in on this election and object. [Pols emphasis]
We have no idea what this means, either.
Are we not a government of, by, and for the people? They know that this election is not right, and as their representative I am sent here to represent them. I will not allow the people to be ignored. [Pols emphasis]
Madam Speaker, it is my duty under the U.S. Constitution to object to the counting of the Electoral Votes of the State of Arizona. [Pols note: Boebert is basically screaming now] The members who stand here today and accept the results of this concentrated, coordinated, partisan effort by Democrats, where every fraudulent vote cancels out the vote of an honest American, has sided with the extremist left. The United States Congress needs to make an informed decision, and that starts with this objection.
I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Brian Mast.
This seems like a good time to point out today’s editorial from The Aurora Sentinel calling for the resignation of Boebert and fellow Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn (who also objected to counting electoral votes in several states)
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“Separate but equal” was the phrase from the old Jim Crow racial segregation laws, where the KKK insisted that blacks be kept out of the all-white facilities and consigned to their separate but equal facilities.
Obviously, “separate but equal” is a phrase near and dear to Q’bert’s alleged heart.
I’ll wager someone we all know has the list… his silence is deafening.
Madam Speaker, the Congresswoman from the 3rd district also has constituents who consider her a traitor against the constitution and who demand that the House vote to expel her in the same way that in 1861 the Congress voted to expel members who were in revolt against the constitution.
I’d rather be unrepresented for the next two years than to have anti-American Q’Anon representing me.
Lucky you, Lurker. I wish it wasn't so, but it looks like you'll have both anti-American QAnon representing you AND no real representation in Congress (nothing effective, anyway).
No fucking way did Qbert write this speech. She is nowhere that literate.
She did tweet "It's 1776". Pure Qbert. Should get her recalled but who knows about those West Slopers.
No recall for federal legislators. Next opportunity for citizen input will either be a special election after vacancy (quits, is ousted, or dies in office), or the primary and general elections of 2022.
She's useless as a member of Congress and dumb enough to be dangerous. And we're stuck with her.
DMB's campaign manager should not be allowed near Democratic politics ever again.
You know it's bad when among the three Colorado Republicans, Ken Buck is the voice of reason.
I notice that when forced to where a mask, Boebert goes for the Fascist Black look.
Nothing angers a Republican like the sight of a citizen voting.
——
I’d make comments on her public speaking style, but who knows, she might hear those comments and improve, then I could be charged with giving aid and support to a violent extremist.
How many insurrectionists did she shoot?
You just know she regrets not being outside with the Trump mob.
Perhaps she helped them get in.
Lucky you, Lurker. I wish it wasn't so, but it looks like you'll have both anti-American QAnon representing you AND no real representation in Congress (nothing effective, anyway).
snarky
partisan
divisive
way overblown
We have a real drama queen on our hands
After watching Boebert’s speech, I think she was shouting for the benefit of the people she knew were about to break in to the chambers. She seems nervous and keyed up, more so than just because she is speaking publicly. She’s used to speaking at open air rallies. She knew exactly what was about to go down from her own Parler presence, and she wanted the Trump mobsters to know that she was on their side.
As for the weird “separate but equal” phrasing, that’s easily explained. Laura Carno was Boebert’s campaign communications manager and still consults with her. Carno’s faux-feminist idea is that women need to carry firearms to make them “equal” to men. Also, citizens are “equal” to government, so government can’t boss citizens around. So, “separate, but equal” – get it?
Well, that's twisted.
Do you think anyone got any action shots or video of her defending her colleagues? Or cowering under her desk? Either way, it would make for some great campaign ads.
So Rep. Boebert wants Congress to rule on whether state courts have interpreted their own laws correctly, is that it?
Fascinating.