Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) introduced legislation that singles out a senior federal official for retribution.
The Colorado Republican introduced an amendment to a funding bill that would cut the salary of Melissa Schwartz, who works as director of communications in the office of Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, to $1 as punishment for criticizing her, reported Newsweek.
"Melissa Schwartz is yet another horrendous and miserable use of taxpayer dollars," Boebert said on the House floor. "She is a mask-wearing, quadruple-vaxed, Green New Deal extremist and, unfortunately, a liberal troll who has harassed me even in committee hearing rooms. She shouldn't be employed at the Department of [the] Interior. Melissa Schwartz belongs under a bridge."
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"Melissa has the nerve and lack of respect to confront me in the halls of Congress following a Department of Interior meeting," the lawmaker added. "In this hearing, she had the audacity to come and personally attack a member of Congress."
Other GOP lawmakers have tried to slash the salaries of other officials in president Joe Biden's administration, including usuccessful attempts by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to cut the salaries of defense secretary Lloyd Austin and homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to $1.
"This DEI hire made clear she doesn't work for the American people and she is simply another misguided mouthpiece for liberal extremists that hates conservatives and people that disagree with her eccentric views," Boebert said of Schwartz, using a slur favored by conservatives to imply non-white, women or LGBTQ employees weren't hired on merit but to satisfy considerations for diversity, equality, and inclusion.
Boebert expressed her interest last week in becoming interior secretary if Donald Trump wins another term in office.
“I think Lauren Boebert needs to be the secretary of the Interior," she told Native America Calling at the time, referring to herself in third person. "President Trump, I would like to be secretary of the Interior."
