John L. Dorman
Sun., November 21, 2021,
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) speaks during an event outside of Union Station in Washington, DC, on June 16, 2021.Win McNamee/Getty Images
AOC said that party leaders will have a tough time corralling votes if reconciliation doesn't pass soon.
The congresswoman told the NYT that the process for passing Build Back Better has been "demoralizing for a lot of folks."
The House voted to advance the reconciliation bill, but it faces uncertainty in the Senate.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview published on Sunday that Democrats need to pass their nearly $2 trillion social-spending bill quickly or progressives may not provide the votes for passage of other pieces of legislation.
Speaking with The New York Times, Ocasio-Cortez, who voted against the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill recently passed by the House, and who was deeply critical of the way in which the legislation was handled, said that a lot is riding on President Joe Biden's reconciliation bill being signed into law.
"I think the stakes are really, really high," the New York Democrat said. "The entire reason that the Progressive Caucus gave their votes [for the infrastructure bill] was based on direct promises from the president, as well as direct promises from more conservative Democratic holdouts. And from House leadership as well."
"So if those promises don't follow through, it's going to be very, very difficult for them to get votes on anything moving forward, because the trust that was already so delicate will have been broken," she told the newspaper.
The House on Friday voted to advance the reconciliation bill, a key win for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, but it still faces a vote in the evenly-split Senate.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has not yet committed to supporting the final bill, has expressed concerns about inflation and paid-leave provisions, which could dampen hopes for swift passage of the legislation.
Ocasio-Cortez, one of the highest-profile progressive lawmakers in Congress, also said if the Build Back Better Act is passed in its final form and is similar to the version advanced by the House, then members "have a shot to go back to our communities and say we delivered."
"But that's not to say that this process has not been demoralizing for a lot of folks, because there were enormous promises made. Not just at the beginning, and not just during the election, but that continued to be made," she said.
"And this is where I have sounded the alarm, because what really dampens turnout is when Democrats make promises that they don't keep," she added.
The congresswoman, who laid out her "trust" issues with the handling of the bipartisan bill earlier this month, said during her interview with The Times that she thinks the party must be attentive to passing substantive legislation.
"With the bipartisan infrastructure plan, there's all of these headlines going around. And I understand the political importance of making a victory lap," she said.
"But I think that the worst and most vulnerable position we could be in is to over-promise and under-deliver," she added.
AOC says progressives' help was not wanted in the Virginia governor race, which the GOP won: 'Not a single person asked me to send an email'
Kelsey Vlamis
Sun., November 21, 2021
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).Mario Tama/Getty Images
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her help wasn't wanted in the high-stakes Virginia governor race.
Republican Glenn Youngkin won the race, which some considered a test of the Democrats' strength.
"I think it's just sad. I think it was a mistake," Ocasio-Cortez told The New York Times.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her help was not enlisted in the high-stakes Virginia gubernatorial race this month, which Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin.
"Before the Virginia elections, it was very clear that our help and our participation was not wanted or asked for, which is fine," the progressive New York congresswoman told The New York Times in an interview published Sunday.
She said some House members with close relationships to their political base are viewed as a "liability," presumably referring to progressive Democrats who centrists have argued actually hurt the party.
"I think it's just sad. I think it was a mistake," she said. "And we saw a big youth turnout collapse. Not a single person asked me to send an email, not even to my own list."
She continued: "And then they turn around and say, 'It's their fault.' When I think it was communicated quite expressly that we were unwelcome to pitch in."
Some centrist Democrats have blamed progressive messaging, such as defunding the police, for electoral losses. Meanwhile, progressives have argued centrists aren't doing enough on-the-ground, grassroots campaigning.
The Virginia governor's race was seen as the biggest test of President Joe Biden and the Democratic party's strength since winning back the White House in November 2020 and the Senate in January.
Ocasio-Cortez also told The Times that trust between progressive and centrist Democrats will be totally broken if the $2 trillion social-spending bill does not pass.
Kelsey Vlamis
Sun., November 21, 2021
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).Mario Tama/Getty Images
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her help wasn't wanted in the high-stakes Virginia governor race.
Republican Glenn Youngkin won the race, which some considered a test of the Democrats' strength.
"I think it's just sad. I think it was a mistake," Ocasio-Cortez told The New York Times.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her help was not enlisted in the high-stakes Virginia gubernatorial race this month, which Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin.
"Before the Virginia elections, it was very clear that our help and our participation was not wanted or asked for, which is fine," the progressive New York congresswoman told The New York Times in an interview published Sunday.
She said some House members with close relationships to their political base are viewed as a "liability," presumably referring to progressive Democrats who centrists have argued actually hurt the party.
"I think it's just sad. I think it was a mistake," she said. "And we saw a big youth turnout collapse. Not a single person asked me to send an email, not even to my own list."
She continued: "And then they turn around and say, 'It's their fault.' When I think it was communicated quite expressly that we were unwelcome to pitch in."
Some centrist Democrats have blamed progressive messaging, such as defunding the police, for electoral losses. Meanwhile, progressives have argued centrists aren't doing enough on-the-ground, grassroots campaigning.
The Virginia governor's race was seen as the biggest test of President Joe Biden and the Democratic party's strength since winning back the White House in November 2020 and the Senate in January.
Ocasio-Cortez also told The Times that trust between progressive and centrist Democrats will be totally broken if the $2 trillion social-spending bill does not pass.
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