Colorado’s Buck, Beauprez to speak at CPAC panel comparing wall, extreme vetting to heaven

DENVER – Two Colorado politicians will speak this Saturday at a session at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) titled, “If Heaven Has a Gate, A Wall, and Extreme Vetting, Why Can’t America?”

Rep. Ken Buck, Colorado’s Republican CO-4 representative, and former CO-7 Rep. Bob Beauprez, who most recently launched two unsuccessful bids for the governorship, are among five speakers on the panel, which also includes Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, Mike Gonzales of conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, and Helen Krieble of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, who is also a Coloradan.

The panel is one of hundreds at the annual event, which has been under more of a microscope than usual this year after it originally invited Milo Yiannopolous to speak at the event, then rescinded its invitation to the alt-right blogger after he made comments advocating pederasty.

But the panel Buck and Beauprez will speak on has been jeered on social media for various reasons.

The official CPAC website lists Beauprez, who is the moderator of the panel, not as a former representative, but rather as a current one. It also says he represents Colorado’s 10^th Congressional district, which does not exist.

And though Beauprez is Roman Catholic, the Pope even seemingly threw shade at the panel.

Jesus entrusted to Peter the keys to open the entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and not to close it.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 22, 2017

“Jesus entrusted Peter the keys to open the entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and not to close it,” Pope Francis tweeted.

Both Buck and Beauprez wrote on their Facebook pages that they would be speaking at the CPAC panel. Beauprez said he was “honored” to have been asked to participate.

Among other panels at CPAC: Facts, Not Feelings: Snowflakes, Safe Spaces and Trigger Warnings; and When Did WWIII Begin?

C-SPAN is streaming the conference through the weekend.