(IntegrityPress.org) – Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) eventually triumphed in his long-running bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives on Friday, January 6. Despite the fact Republicans have a majority in the chamber, it took 15 rounds of voting to install McCarthy as the Speaker. As it turned out, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and others within the House GOP opposed him. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) spoke out after McCarthy finally prevailed to highlight the difficulties within the GOP and speak about the comparatively productive atmosphere in the Democratic Party.
In an exclusive interview with The Independent, AOC accused the dissenting GOP House members of delaying the speakership determination for tactical reasons. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez noted liberals also get into arguments that can cause delays, but she stated these are generally due to substantive policy issues and not an overall struggle for power within the chamber. Therefore, she claimed some conservatives’ accusations of “progressive unreasonableness” are inaccurate, adding that they make the allegations in “extraordinarily bad faith.”
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No one can trust @aoc to fight for anything anymore… And she's proud of that?!?#AOC #DSA #congress #thesquadhttps://t.co/ERh592YNFo
— Joshua Koritz (@ritz135) January 6, 2023
Most lawmakers regard Rep. Ocasio-Cortez as one of the most progressive lawmakers in Washington, DC. As the de facto leader of The Squad, an alliance of ultra-progressive House lawmakers, she has spoken out in favor of initiatives like Medicare for All, government-sponsored reductions in the costs associated with higher education, the Green New Deal, and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She has also talked about closing prisons and defunding the police on numerous occasions.
The vote to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker saw plenty of drama. At one point, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Matt Gaetz almost came to blows on the chamber floor.
Do you think Ocasio-Cortez’s comments on the speakership election were accurate? What do you think needs to change in the Republican Party to avoid breakdowns of that nature in the future?
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