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Democrat Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is seeking to move up the ladder within the Democrat Party, as she is seeking a top committee role in Congress with a mission to fight against the incoming Trump administration.
Ocasio-Cortez, commonly referred to as simply AOC, is 35 years old, and was first elected to U.S. Congress in 2018. A radical socialist and former bartender, she is part of the progressive ‘Squad’ in Congress.
Fox News announced: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the progressive Democrat from New York, has launched a bid to serve in the top Democratic role on the House committee leading investigation efforts into the federal government.
In a letter to her fellow lawmakers on Friday, AOC announced her candidacy to serve as ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability for the 119th Congress, a position currently held by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
The “Squad” member, in her pitch to colleagues, noted that her focus would be to lead a Democratic effort against the incoming administration under President-elect Trump.
“This is not a position I seek lightly,” the congresswoman wrote in the letter. “The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one. Now, more than ever, we must focus on the Committee’s strong history of both holding administrations accountable and taking on the economic precarity and inequality that is challenging the American way of life.”
AOC has some competition. Raskin, who currently holds the spot, is seeking to hold on to it. Another Democrat, Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, is also running for the role.
UPDATE: Nancy Pelosi trying to ‘tank’ AOC’s House Oversight Committee bid
The New York Post reported early Friday morning: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has reportedly launched a behind-the-scenes effort to thwart Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Pelosi (D-Calif.), 84, would rather see Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) serve as ranking member on the high-profile panel and is “actively working to tank” AOC’s bid, according to Punchbowl News.
The former House speaker has been “making calls” urging Democrats to support Connolly, 74, over Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), 35, the outlet reported Thursday.
“The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee will meet next week and make a recommendation to the full Democratic caucus on who should be elected ranking member on the panel tasked with handling oversight of the incoming Trump administration,” the Post reported.
Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the House Oversight Committee Chairman, has repeatedly clashed with Raskin, and said he would actually prefer to work with AOC in the top Democrat spot, instead of Raskin.
“I’m a big AOC fan.”@RepJamesComer tells me he’s supportive of @RepAOC in her bid for the top Democratic spot on the House Oversight Committee. He went on to say he thinks they would have “a good working relationship.” pic.twitter.com/HnTrBIPbJ3
— Pamela Brown (@PamelaBrownCNN) December 12, 2024
Democrats have evolved into an internal feud, with moderates supporting Connolly and progressives backing AOC.
The race to be top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is splitting the party.
Moderate New Democrat Coalition endorses Connolly.
Progressive Caucus endorses AOC. pic.twitter.com/UmVsHbzZKS
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 13, 2024
Meanwhile, the progressive caucus endorsed Rep. AOC
Just shows how split Dems are over who should take over their top spot on the House Oversight Committee https://t.co/t1Igba4sRo pic.twitter.com/WxxQyDCan8
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) December 13, 2024
2/ After AOC beat Joe Crowley, a member of Pelosi’s leadership team, in a 2018 D primary, she took part in a sit-in at Pelosi’s office that November.
The goal was to get Pelosi to act more urgently on climate change.
Pelosi did NOT appreciate it.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 13, 2024
4/ Then there was this exchange a few months later when Pelosi sat for an interview with Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes”: pic.twitter.com/EXpmCzO6mi
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 13, 2024
6/ So, what, exactly, doesn’t Pelosi like?
My sense is that Pelosi sees herself as an OG liberal — and does not like the insinuation by some of the younger members on the left that she’s not committed enough to the cause.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 13, 2024
8/ Whatever it is — and whatever Pelosi and AOC say publicly — it’s clear that the California Democrat is not interested in seeing her New York colleague advance. And is willing to do whatever she can to stop her.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 13, 2024
Hispanic Caucus endorses AOC for Oversight pic.twitter.com/LtLpSXSYAH
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) December 13, 2024
NEW: The Progressive Caucus is, in turn, endorsing AOC for Oversight.
Another large caucus with nearly 100 members.
Connolly is a New Dem, AOC is a CPC member. This is quickly becoming an ideological – in addition to generational – proxy fight. https://t.co/YZ4QRFbjdG pic.twitter.com/7lidVVx1XP
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) December 13, 2024
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