Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-04) had plenty to say about why she missed one of the biggest House votes of the year.
Somehow, the explanation ended with a Botox update.
As RedState reported Wednesday, the House narrowly passed the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act, sending the massive defense package to the Senate with President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act attached.
The final vote was 216-212, with Boebert listed among the three members who did not vote.
Boebert blamed unnamed Republican staffers for her absence. In a striking exchange outside the Capitol, she said “a whole bunch of men” tried to pressure her into supporting the bill while she objected to a provision involving defense technology cooperation between the United States and Israel.
New: Lauren Boebert says she missed the NDAA vote after GOP staffers apparently lied to her during negotiations.
— Jacob Wasserman (@jacob_wass) July 23, 2026
She also says she’s recovering from Botox she got a few days ago. pic.twitter.com/ocrleTnyrl
“All these staffers are in there trying to get me to vote for the NDAA. I don’t want to vote for the NDAA. Section 219 is still in there. It’s a big tech swap between us and Israel. We don’t do that with anyone.”
Boebert said constituents on both the left and right had contacted her in opposition to the provision. She also claimed the White House and Sec. Pete Hegseth wanted it removed.
According to Boebert, she remained off the House floor while waiting for a promised call from Hegseth. Someone working below him had allegedly assured her that the final vote would remain open.
It did not.
“I’m in the back waiting for a call from the secretary. I’m told that call is coming. I’m talking to someone underneath him, and I’m told the vote’s going to stay open. They close the vote, and so now I am forced to talk to TMZ.”
That is quite an accusation. Boebert did not identify any of the staffers she claimed misled her, repeatedly saying she did not know their names.
Section 219 would require the Secretary of Defense to designate an official responsible for coordinating defense technology work between the United States and Israel. The actual bill text calls for expanded bilateral research, development, testing, and industrial cooperation.
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The cooperation would cover artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cybersecurity, missile defense, biotechnology, electronic warfare, data fusion and several other sensitive fields.
Boebert described it more bluntly as a “big tech swap.” She compared it to previous American funding for Israel’s Iron Dome system, claiming Israel kept the resulting technology while the United States received nothing in return.
Then the interview took a turn.
"I don't want to be on camera this week, and I've been on camera more than any other week. I'm talking out of the side of my mouth like a damn politician because my Botox hasn't caught up on this side. Maybe in two days this side will catch up to the other side, but here we are."
A missed $1.15 trillion defense vote, an alleged betrayal by Republican staffers, a fight over Israeli military technology, and a frozen half of a congresswoman's face, all in a 77-second interview outside the Capitol.
Boebert may have a legitimate complaint about how Republican staff handled the closing moments of the vote. Leadership should answer whether anyone promised her additional time and then pulled the rug out from under her.
Still, admitting that she did not know the names of the men she accused of deceiving her hardly helped the case. Neither did the sudden Botox detour.
The NDAA passed without her. Her explanation may prove much harder for Republicans to forget.
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