During an appearance at the “Girls Who Code” event on Friday in New York City, AOC defended herself from the avalanche of criticism she has received over her Green New Deal initiative. Please listen to her remarks in the video below. Here is the text:
I don’t care anymore because, again, I’m at least trying and they’re not. So, the power is in the person who’s trying, regardless of the success. If you’re trying, you’ve got all the power, you’re driving the agenda, you’re doing all this stuff. Like, I just introduced the Green New Deal two weeks ago and it’s creating all of this conversation. Why? Because no one else has even tried. Because no one else has even tried…So people are like, ‘Oh it’s unrealistic. Oh it’s vague. Oh it doesn’t address this little minute thing.’ And I’m like, ‘You try. You do it. Cuz you’re not. Cuz you’re not. So, until you do it, I’m the boss. How about that?
I’m 29 and I know that this is going to be the world that we’re going to have to deal with. That we’re going to have to live in. And with all due respect to my colleagues, but especially like in the Republican party, you’re not going to have to live with this problem. I’m sorry.
Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on the widespread criticism of her Green New Deal: "I’m like, you try. … Until you do it, I’m the boss! How about that?!" pic.twitter.com/vkp15KBttd
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 24, 2019
Following her performance, she tweeted: “Yup. If you don’t like the #GreenNewDeal, then come up with your own ambitious, on-scale proposal to address the global climate crisis. Until then, we’re in charge – and you’re just shouting from the cheap seats.”
Her newfound celebrity has obviously gone to her head. Seems she has forgotten that, not so long ago, she was tending bar.
Memo to AOC:
1. You give yourself too much credit. It’s not as if you invented the lightbulb. You’ve done nothing more than present a socialist wish list.
2. You are not in charge of anything. You were elected by voters to represent them in Congress.
3. This proposal was written by both you and Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) with the assistance of many aides. I have no doubt that you contributed your ideas, but many others were involved in this project.
4. Slow down, read, learn about the economy, and the limits of federal spending. Try reading a copy of the constitution as well. You don’t know how much you don’t know and you have proven that time and again.
We cannot afford to spend $32 trillion to enact your agenda. You argue that this is nothing when we’re talking about an existential threat. First, the US has a GDP of roughly $20 trillion and government debt of over $22 trillion. An expenditure of $32 trillion would bankrupt the country.
Just last week, you thought the $3 billion in tax incentives the state offered to lure Amazon was $3 billion the city had saved when the deal fell through. You celebrated that, and told voters that the city could now spend this money.
You did your damnedest to thwart that deal and by doing so, you’ve done a great disservice to not only the residents of your district, but to the citizens of New York State. Do you understand that?
5. The Green New Deal is nothing more than a thinly veiled power grab by you and others who share your radical views. Though larger numbers of Americans are starting to embrace socialism, a greater majority still oppose it. I would argue that socialism, rather than climate change, is the greatest threat the US currently faces.
6. Finally, stop speaking like a valley girl. You’re in Congress now, not hanging out at the local bar.
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