Biden throws shade at Lauren Boebert for opposing legislation expected to benefit her district

President Joe Biden needled U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert on Wednesday during a speech at a wind power manufacturing plant in Albuquerque, where he called out the Silt Republican for voting against a bill that could add hundreds of jobs to her district in Colorado.

On a tour of the Southwest to tout his administration's legislative record, Biden attributed new investments in clean energy production at Arcosa Wind Towers to provisions in last year's Democratic-sponsored Inflation Reduction Act, which included nearly $400 billion to address climate change.

"What Arcosa is doing here is part of a much broader clean energy manufacturing (revival)," Biden said. "It's going to happen in big cities and rural communities, as well, like in Colorado, where CS Wind broke ground on what will be the world's largest wind tower manufacturing plant."

That's when Biden got in a dig at Boebert, whose 3rd Congressional District includes Pueblo, where South Korea-based CS Wind took over the Vestas wind tower factory — already the world's largest — two years ago. The company broke ground this spring on an expansion it says will double manufacturing capacity and bring 850 new jobs to the plant by 2026.

“Coincidentally, CS Wind is Congresswoman Lauren Boebert — you know, the very quiet Republican lady? — it’s in her district,” Biden said.

“Who, along with every other Republican, voted against this bill. And it’s making all this possible. And she railed against its passage. But, that’s OK, she’s welcoming it now," Biden added.

Biden: Coincidentally, a congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, the very quiet Republican lady? It is in her district. She railed against the passage. That is ok, she is welcoming it now. pic.twitter.com/YagEsWey4R

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 9, 2023

Biden's facetious description of the outspoken Boebert as a "very quiet Republican lady" — she landed in headlines last year after she heckled Biden during his State of the Union address — drew scattered laughter from the audience in Albuquerque.

While Boebert doesn't appear to have mentioned the Pueblo wind power factory in official communications or on social media, she came under fire earlier this summer for complaining about the country's crumbling infrastructure after voting against the Biden administration's $1.2 trillion infrastructure package in 2021. The second-term lawmaker has also been subject to attacks from political opponents for celebrating federal spending in her district despite voting against legislation that authorized the funds.

Wednesday's jab at Boebert is the latest instance of Biden going after Republican lawmakers for enjoying the benefits of legislation they opposed.

In the same speech, Biden knocked Alabama's Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who earlier this summer lauded federal funding to expand broadband internet access in his state despite having voted against it.

"I thought, wait a minute, didn't he rail against that for a long, long time?" Biden said. "I was inclined to go down and help him celebrate, but I decided not to."

Boebert's campaign didn't respond to a request for comment on Wednesday, but she fired back the next day on social media.

Seizing on Biden's tongue-in-cheek characterization of her as demure, Boebert vowed to keep speaking out.

"Joe Biden said that I'm a 'very quiet Republican lady'," Boebert posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "Wishful thinking, Joe."

She added: "I'm calling you out every single day and I won't be getting more quiet about it anytime soon!"

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Lauren Boebert's response on social media to President Biden's remarks.