AOC calls bipartisanship 'Republican manipulation'
Democrat Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the idea of bipartisan coalitions on Sunday, calling it “Republican manipulation,” and stating that if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is elected as president she will push him further left.
Appearing on CNN with host Jake Tapper, Ocasio-Cortez stated:
“If we have an opportunity, if we work hard enough to elect folks like Jaime Harrison, to make sure that we protect seats like Gary Peters’, and to make sure that we unseat Republicans like Joni Ernst, and we have the unique, frankly, once-in-a-generation opportunity to have the White House, the Senate, and the House majorities Democratically-controlled, then I believe we have an obligation to the American people to show what a Democratic administration can actually accomplish, and that we can govern, and that we can truly have leaps in policy that people can feel in their everyday lives that makes voting Democratic worth—not just worthwhile, but a memorable shift from just a flatline of this idea of bipartisanship, which often just becomes Republican manipulation.”
Later in the interview, Tapper pointed out a recent quote from Biden, who had stated, “I am the Democratic Party right now.”
“He said the party’s platform is his platform,” Tapper noted. “As you just noted, you disagree with him on a range of critical issues, not just fracking, but also health care. And you have made clear, including just a few minutes ago, that you intend to push him if he wins. Do you think that that’s going to be a major part of your role under a potential Biden administration, trying to push him to the left?”
“Well, I don’t want us to start counting our chickens before they hatch,” Ocasio-Cortez responded. “I believe that we need to be focused on winning the White House, period. The fact of the matter is, there are many critical states that are on the line, whether it’s Florida, whether it’s Georgia, Pennsylvania, et cetera. And we need to make sure that we win this White House.”
She continued, “Frankly, I think it would be a privilege and it would be a luxury for us to be talking about what we would lobby the next Democratic—and how we will push the next Democratic administration.”
“But, in terms of my role, I believe that that has been my role. And my role is consistent in making sure that we push the Democratic Party to have a larger vision for our future, to listen to the needs of the working class, of people who are living paycheck to paycheck, young people, people of color, because I believe that is the base of the Democratic Party, and that who—that is who we are … it is our job to make sure that we are serving all people in the United States, and particularly our base,” she added.
“And so, is my job to push the Democratic Party? Absolutely. And that has been my job since—and that has been a part of my role since I have been elected.” She concluded.
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