In what’s likely to be U. S Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) only live debate with her Democratic opponent Trisha Calvarese, Boebert attacked government spending as reckless and called for large-scale initiatives like minimizing or defunding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Boebert refused to answer if she would debate Calverese on live television, saying she’s been all over Colorado’s 4th Congressional District (CD4) and beyond.
The hour-long discourse occurred today at The Club at Ravenna in Littleton, with Ernest Luning of Colorado Politics as the moderator. The questions focused heavily on economic, fiscal, and industry-specific issues relevant to the district’s constituents.
More recently, initiatives like Project 2025, launched by conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation, are bringing right-wing policy positions back to the forefront, in preparation for a potential Republican president.
“If we’re going to talk about the red tape and the EPA, the real issue to address is the EPA itself, and to minimize that or defund it altogether, because that is the biggest hindrance that our farmers and ranchers, our oil and gas workers, our outfitters, face on a regular basis. It’s regulation of bureaucrats,” Boebert said.
Her stance on defunding or drastically reducing the EPA’s role echoes Project 2025’s outline for the agency’s future.
While defunding the EPA could boost short-term profits for specific industries in Colorado, such as oil and gas, by reducing regulatory costs and restrictions, it would also lead to increased environmental risks, potential health problems, and challenges in maintaining clean air and water standards.
Colorado is a leader in some clean air initiatives that the EPA helps support, and these initiatives have contributed to job creation in the state, particularly in industries focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental monitoring, and green technology.
Boebert also criticized the Inflation Reduction Act’s investment in renewable energy, which she called “extremely unreliable” and an example of the government “propping up one industry over another.” She also denounced spending on bureaucratic positions like “Chief Diversity Officer.”
During the debate, Boebert became increasingly agitated when Calvarese called her out for voting against the PACT Act, legislation that expands healthcare benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service.
“When it comes to our veterans, I do just want to point to your vote that you voted against care for veterans exposed to cancer-causing toxins and burn pits during war,” Calverese said. “So we definitely have different priorities, because I believe you should take care of our veterans always.”
The bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022, had bipartisan support, but Boebert voted against it.
“I’m not voting for something we have 22 hours to read that’s over 2,000 pages,” said Boebert. “When that bill first came up, I was in the minority, and amendments were closed on the House floor. I could not give a Colorado voice to the men and women who served in our military on that legislation.”
Boebert argued she’s supported veterans in other ways and pointed to her track record, which is she said is available on her website.
Calvarese called for leveraging technology and innovation to address the growing Federal budget deficit rather than cutting back or eliminating department spending.
“Getting to cuts, you would look at redundancies, where we are maybe being more efficient. Here’s the other thing, the government is dated. We’re still using things like fax machines. If we can be more innovative with how we use AI and technology, there’s potential spending available around it,” Calvarese said.
Calvarese also said she would be a conduit to connect businesses with federal resources and partnerships to help them grow and emphasized the importance of listening to stakeholders and working in a collaborative, “partnership” approach.
The debate is available to watch on The Denver Gazette YouTube channel.
