A newly elected congresswoman from Colorado says she’ll carry a handgun on Capitol Hill.

"Even though I now live in one of the most liberal cities in America, I refuse to give up my rights – especially my Second Amendment rights," said Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., in a slickly produced video posted to Twitter Sunday.The video shows Boebert walking down the streets of Washington D.C. with a Glock handgun holstered around her waist. She points out that the city has one of the highest crime rates in the nation and that she wants to protect herself while commuting to work. 

"Being a member of Congress is pretty basic. I don’t go to work in a motorcade or armored car. I don’t get police escorts everywhere I go. I walk to my office every morning by myself," she said in the video, which was posted along with a link to donate to Boebert’s 2022 reelection campaign. 

A 1967 rule from the Capitol Police Board exempts members of congress from local and federal firearm bans in Washington D.C. It allows lawmakers to carry guns in their office and in some parts of Capitol Hill, though they need to leave their weapons behind when entering the U.S. House and Senate chambers and nearby areas. 

Last month, some congressional Democrats lobbied U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi to repeal the 1967 rule but they were unsuccessful. More than 80 Republicans recently signed a letter saying they support lawmakers carrying firearms. 

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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