Outspoken Republican US Rep. Lauren Boebert granted concealed carry permit in DC

After infuriating Democrats by carrying a gun on the job, outspoken freshman U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) was granted a concealed carry permit in Washington, D.C., the Hill reported.

What's the background?

So, why did the 5-foot, 100-pound congresswoman stir up so much angst among her leftist colleagues? Well, the following tweet from Boebert — a staunch Second Amendment supporter — may have been part of it:

The video in the latter tweet shows Boebert appearing to carry a gun around the Capitol — and The Hill said members are allowed to do so.

What did the DC police chief have to say?

While the video suggested the congresswoman was armed, Boebert never has been seen with a gun, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said at a press conference Thursday, the outlet reported. Contee also said after the ad was released that he learned a permit application was "in the works" at the department, The Hill added.

"As we do with all our permits, if citizens are allowed to carry, then we grant them a permit," Contee continued, according to the outlet. "In this case, she was allowed to carry, and she was granted a [concealed carry] permit. And yes, we did reach out to the office."

Anything else?

Boebert had expressed her desire to carry a gun on Capitol grounds well before she was sworn in early last month. In fact, 21 Democrats signed a Dec. 15 letter to House Leadership requesting a "change in House Rules for the 117th Congress to ensure that Members of Congress are held to the same firearm safety rules as the public while they are on Capitol grounds."

"Ultimately, the current regulations create needless risk for Members of Congress, their staff, members of the Capitol Police, and visitors to the Capitol grounds," the Democrats wrote.

In response, Boebert penned her own letter — signed by "83 members and member-elects of Congress in an effort to block a gun grab recently proposed by House Democrats."

"I refuse to give up my Second Amendment rights," Boebert wrote. "I'm a 5-foot tall, 100-pound mom with four children and will be walking to work and serving in one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. I choose to defend my family and my life with all of the force the Constitution provides. I will not let a bunch of gun-grabbing House Democrats take away my Constitutional right to protect myself."

Soon after, new rules for the 117th Congress did not appear to include the Democrats' proposed ban on lawmakers carrying guns inside the U.S. Capitol building — notching a win for Boebert on her first day at work.

But the her path forward still came with its share of bumps.

On the heels of the Capitol riot, a number of GOP members were reportedly "furious" Jan. 12 upon discovering they would need to pass through metal detectors manned by U.S. Capitol Police officers in order to gain entry to the House chamber. Boebert refused to comply with officers searching her bag before entry.

And then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the following day that the House will be considering a new rule that would impose hefty fines on lawmakers who refuse to comply with the added security measures.

Boebert's name first hit the public consciousness in 2014 with stories about her Colorado restaurant "Shooters Grill," where servers exercise their open-carry rights. She made even bigger headlines in 2019 by standing up to then-presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke — who infamously declared, "Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47" — by telling him, "I am here to say: Hell no, you're not."