committee assignments aoc

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Committees and Caucuses

In addition to their other responsibilities, Members of Congress are appointed by the Majority and Minority Leaders to serve on House committees. Committees are small groups of Members, both Democrats and Republicans, who hold committee hearings and debate legislation specific to the focus-area of that committee .

A committee is usually the first stop for a bill. So, for example, if a bill is focused on Wall Street regulation, it will usually first be debated by the Committee on Financial Services – because Wall Street regulation falls within that committee’s ‘jurisdiction.’ If a majority of Members of that Committee vote to support the bill, then it will go to the House floor where all Representatives vote on it.

Although Members can request which committee they serve on, they are not guaranteed a spot. House Leadership will sometimes appoint a Member to a committee because it aligns with their professional expertise or their district’s interest - for example, several Members of the House Armed Services Committee are veterans or represent districts with large military bases. Since committees can dictate which legislation makes it to the floor for a larger vote, there is sometimes intense competition for committee spots, and then seniority or more political considerations dictate who House Leadership chooses for those spots.

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez serves on The Committee of Oversight and Reform , which is the main investigative committee in the House. In January 2023, she was selected as the Vice Ranking Member — the #2 spot for Democrats on the committee. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has used these committee hearings to pressure big pharma into bringing down the price of prescription drugs. Under the Trump administration, she also led President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to state on the record that President Trump was engaging in tax fraud and to name other potential witnesses. And more famously, it was through an Oversight and Reform Hearing, that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez pressured Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook’s failure to fact-check political advertising.

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez also serves as a first-time member on The Committee on Natural Resources and as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources . This committee considers legislation about American energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, irrigation and more. Already, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has used her time on the Natural Resources Committee to propose an amendment requiring the collecting of public health data in response to new drilling on federal lands .

Unlike Committees, Members can usually join a Caucus without being appointed and there’s no limit on the number of members. Caucuses generally serve to build voting coalitions . For example, in 2019, the Congressional Progressive Caucus had enough of their Members willing to withhold their votes from a bill that gave big giveaways to major pharmaceutical companies– that House leadership was forced to alter the bill to protect employer-sponsored health plans from drug spikes, among other changes.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus , the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , the Congressional Progressive Caucus , the LGBT Equality Caucus , Congressional Bangladesh Caucus and the Quiet Skies Caucus   - a caucus in support of reducing aircraft noise pollution. The Congresswoman represents the community surrounding LaGaurdia Airport.

More on Committees and Caucuses

Senior Reporter & Arya Hodjat at The Daily Beast 

The man known as “ Roaring Kitty ,” the YouTube personality who helped spark last month’s  frenzy over GameStop stock

Cory Stieg at CNBC

New York. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared some of her secrets to staying organized and prepared during congressional hearings in an  Instagram story Monday — and they are techniques anyone can use.

Berkeley Lovelace Jr. at CNBC

House Speaker  Nancy Pelosi  has brokered a deal with a key block of Democrats that threatened to derail passage of her sweeping bill overhauling drug prices.

Poppy Noor at The Guardian

It isn’t often that you hear someone rave about a great congressional hearing they’ve seen online. Heck, outside of big national events, I’m going to bet you have never willingly watched C-Span.

Kari Paul at The Guardian

'So you won't take down lies?': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenges Facebook CEO – video

John Haltiwanger at Business Insider

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Thursday confronted a drug company CEO about the high cost of an HIV-prevention drug.

Speaking to Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day, Ocasio-Cortez asked why the drug Truvada for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), which can help reduce the risk of contracting HIV via sex, cost nearly $2,000 per month in the US, versus $8 in Australia. 

Jay Willi s at GQ

Caroline Fredrickson at the New York Times

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez acted like a good prosecutor while questioning Michael Cohen, establishing the factual basis for further committee investigation.Joshua Roberts/Reuters

  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Representative for New York’s 14 th District

pronounced a-luk-ZAN-jree-uh // oh-KAH-see-oh kor-TEZ

Ocasio-Cortez is the representative for New York ’s 14 th congressional district ( view map ) and is a Democrat. She has served since Jan 3, 2019. Ocasio-Cortez is next up for reelection in 2024 and serves until Jan 3, 2025. She is 34 years old.

Misconduct/alleged misconduct

The House Office of Congressional Ethics found "substantial reason to believe" that Ocasio-Cortez accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021, which she paid for after the investigation began. The matter is pending before the House Committee on Ethics.

Ocasio-Cortez was arrested at a protest in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on July, 19 2022. The same month the Committee published a committee report indicating they will pay a $50 fine.

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Not all Members of Congress will accept messages from non-constituents. You can try your luck by visiting Ocasio-Cortez’s website . Otherwise, try contacting your own representative:

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Ocasio-Cortez proposed $21 million in earmarks for fiscal year 2024, including:

• $3.0 million to New York City Housing Authority for “Middletown Plaza Elevator Replacement”
• $3.0 million to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District for “Barge Removal Feasibility Study”
• $3.0 million to GrowNYC for “New York State Regional Food Hub”

View all requests and justifications on Ocasio-Cortez’s website »

View analysis and download spreadsheet from Demand Progress Education Fund »

These are earmark requests which may or may not survive the legislative process to becoming law. Most representatives from both parties requested earmarks for fiscal year 2024. Across representatives who requested earmarks, the median total amount requested for this fiscal year was $39 million.

Earmarks are federal expenditures, tax benefits, or tariff benefits requested by a legislator for a specific entity. Rather than being distributed through a formula or competitive process administered by the executive branch, earmarks may direct spending where it is most needed for the legislator's district. All earmark requests in the House of Representatives are published online for the public to review. We don’t have earmark requests for senators. The fiscal year begins on October 1 of the prior calendar year. Source: Appropriations.house.gov . Background: Earmark Disclosure Rules in the House

Legislative Metrics

Read our 2022 Report Card for Ocasio-Cortez .

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Ocasio-Cortez is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the House of Representatives positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).

The chart is based on the bills Ocasio-Cortez has sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 3, 2019 to Nov 2, 2023. See full analysis methodology .

Committee Membership

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sits on the following committees:

• Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee Ranking Member
• House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Health Care and Financial Services subcommittees

Bills Sponsored

Issue areas.

Ocasio-Cortez sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Environmental Protection (18%) Housing and Community Development (18%) Commerce (12%) Labor and Employment (12%) Finance and Financial Sector (12%) International Affairs (12%) Government Operations and Politics (9%) Crime and Law Enforcement (9%)

Recently Introduced Bills

Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced the following legislation:

• H.R. 5572: Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act
• H.R. 5154: CHARGE Act of 2023
• H.R. 4936: NOW Act
• H.Res. 319: Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
• H.R. 8476 (117th): Housing Inspections Accountability Act
• H.R. 8395 (117th): EPA Regulatory Authority Act of 2022
• H.R. 8394 (117th): Lawrence v. Texas Codification Act of 2022

Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.

Voting Record

Ocasio-cortez voted no, ocasio-cortez voted nay, missed votes.

From Jan 2019 to Nov 2023, Ocasio-Cortez missed 20 of 2,550 roll call votes, which is 0.8%. This is better than the median of 1.8% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.

Show the numbers...

Primary Sources

The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:

• unitedstates/congress-legislators , a community project gathering congressional information
• The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
• Office of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez for the photo
• GovInfo.gov , for sponsored bills

Pronunciation Guide

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pronounced:

a-luk-ZAN-jree-uh // oh-KAH-see-oh kor-TEZ

The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:

Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.

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Far more Democrats would be kicked from their committees than would Republicans under the new precedent set with Democrats’ resolution on Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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The Democrats’ House Rules Committee advanced a resolution Wednesday to expel Georgia freshman Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments for the apparent crime of making crazy comments.

More than 61 members endorsed the extreme measure, effectively undermining the electoral integrity of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District while emboldening the conspiracy-leaning congresswoman by reinforcing the convictions of her supporters that she’s the only person they can trust to fight the establishment forces failing them at every turn.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said a full chamber vote on the resolution would come tomorrow over Republican objections to the precedent such expulsion would set, reprimanding a member of Congress for comments made before an election.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who met with Greene this week over the QAnon follower’s past comments peddling 9/11 conspiracies while promoting claims the Parkland High School shooting was a hoax, still condemned the resolution Wednesday.

“Past comments from and endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene on school shootings, political violence, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories do not represent the values or beliefs of the House Republican Conference,” McCarthy said in a statement . “I condemn those comments unequivocally. I condemned them in the past. I continue to condemn them today. This House condemned QAnon last Congress and continues to do so today.”

Yet McCathy also highlighting the double-standard employed by Democrats capitalizing on an extremist member to “distract” Congress from their own radical agenda while setting a precedent of reprimanding representatives for simply making wild comments.

“While Democrats pursue a resolution on Congresswoman Greene, they continue to do nothing about Democrats serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee who have spread antisemitic tropes,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy is referencing Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose antisemitic comments were outlined in an amendment to the Democrats’ resolution to swap Greene’s name with Omar’s filed by Texas Republican Brian Babin.

Yes. If the Democrat Majority wants to go down this road, they should start by dealing with their own members who have been at this before and AFTER their election to Congress. https://t.co/YIRhoNOf8L pic.twitter.com/r0yBN2aGFx — Brian Babin (@RepBrianBabin) February 3, 2021

On 9/11, for example, Omar claimed the Council on American-Islamic Relations was launched after the terrorist attacks “because they recognized that some people did something.”

Omar is far from the only one whose committee assignments ought to be stripped for the sole purpose of being a crazy congressperson.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed last week in a fit of hysteria that Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz tried to kill her in response to an olive branch of bipartisanship offered on Twitter to work together tackling Wall Street abuse amid the GameStop frenzy.

“You almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. Of course, Cruz, did not try to kill the New York congresswoman.

I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out. Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign. https://t.co/4mVREbaqqm — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021

By Democrats’ new standards for what constitutes removal from committees, any elected representative can be stripped of her assignments for holding extreme ideas. Under these new rules, far more Democrats would be kicked from their committees than would Republicans.

• House of Representatives
• House Rules Committee
• Marjorie Taylor Greene
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Dems denounce Republican vote to remove Ilhan Omar from House Foreign Affairs Committee

By C Mandler

February 2, 2023 / 7:12 PM EST / CBS News

After Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was ousted from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs committee Thursday in a party-line vote, she received support from fellow " Squad " member, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor. Omar's removal was in response to previous controversial remarks that invoked antisemitism.

"There is nothing consistent about the Republican party's continued attack except for racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body," said Ocasio-Cortez Thursday, alleging that Omar was removed from the committee because she is Black and Muslim, and not because of the comments she made.

The resolution to remove Omar referenced past tweets of the congresswoman's which were critical of Israel and AIPAC — a pro-Israel lobbying group — and were widely denounced as being antisemitic. She has since apologized.

The vote was down party lines, with 218 Republicans voting in favor and 211 Democrats voting against. One Republican, Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio, voted present.

"I had a member of the Republican caucus threaten my life and you all, and the Republican Caucus, rewarded him with one of the most prestigious committee assignments in this Congress," Ocasio-Cortez said. 

That member in question was Republican Rep.  Paul Gosar  of Arizona, who was stripped of his committee assignments in 2021 following a tweet that depicted animated violence against Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. Gosar was reinstated this year to positions on the Natural Resources Committee and the Oversight Committee.

"Don't tell me this is about a condemnation of antisemitic remarks when you have a member of the Republican caucus who has talked about  Jewish space lasers  and... elevated her to some of the highest committee assignments of this body," Ocasio-Cortez went on, referencing a conspiracy theory by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.  

Greene was appointed to the Oversight and Homeland Security committees last month after being removed from committee assignments by the previous Democratic-controlled House for extremist and racist comments.    

Omar took to Twitter to comment on the vote, writing, "My critique of our foreign policy, Israeli's policy towards Palestinians or that of any foreign nation will not change."

"As a person who suffered the horrors of war and persecution, my advocacy will always be for those that suffer because of the actions of governments," she added.

👋🏽 My critique of our foreign policy, Israeli’s policy towards Palestinians or that of any foreign nation will not change. As a person who suffered the horrors of war and persecution, my advocacy will always be for those that suffer because of the actions of governments. — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 2, 2023

Omar also retweeted John Yarmouth, a former congressman from Kentucky, who wrote in support of her. 

"I served with Ilhan Omar and spoke to her about her attitude about Jews and Israel," Yarmouth said. "As a Jew, I'm convinced she is not anti-Semitic."

Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, a ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also issued a  statement defending Omar and criticizing Republicans, saying the vote was not reflective of Omar herself, but of "the hypocrisy of Republican leadership, which has used its power to exact revenge on their political opponents and, in the case of Omar, punish a member to satisfy the extreme MAGA wing of their party."

• United States Congress
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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C Mandler is a social media producer and trending topics writer for CBS News, focusing on American politics and LGBTQ+ issues.

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Ocasio-Cortez passed over for key committee assignment

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced appointments to several powerful committees on Thursday, most notably the selection of Rep. Kathleen Rice over fellow New Yorker Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The New York lawmakers had been jockeying for a seat on the panel, according to several media reports, and lobbying to colleagues behind the scenes for weeks, Politico reported.

The committee oversees a broad range of issues, including consumer protection, food and drug safety, public health, health care policy and climate issues.

Politico reported that there was a contentious private meeting on Thursday at the Steering and Policy Committee, where there was a secret ballot to vote on the two candidates. The news outlet said the vote was 46-13.

Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a rising star in the party, has been outspoken on many of the issues the committee would tackle. She is currently a member of the powerful House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She also co-chaired a panel advising President-elect Joe Biden on climate policy during his campaign .

Rice is a more moderate member of the party, a former district attorney who represents parts of Long Island. She currently serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security. Rice's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pelosi praised the appointments in a statement.

"House Democrats are united in our mission to Build Back Better, and with these strong voices at the table, we will deliver on that sacred promise to make a real difference for all Americans," she said.

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AOC, Ilhan Omar Call Out Republican Racism in Fiery Floor Speeches

By Ryan Bort

The House of Representatives voted to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday. The final tally was 218-211, with one member voting present. The vote was largely seen as revenge for Democrats electing to strip Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) of their committee assignments for suggesting violent action be taken against their political opponents.

The vote didn’t stop Democrats from going to bat for their colleague, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) pinpointing the real reason for the vote during a fiery speech on the House floor.

“One of the disgusting legacies after 9/11 has been the targeting and racism against Muslim-Americans throughout the United States of America, and this is an extension of that legacy,” she said. “There is nothing consistent with the Republican Party’s continued attacks, except for the racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body.”

"This about targeting women of color!" — AOC's impassioned defense of Ilhan Omar pic.twitter.com/8vqr5tNy6z — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 2, 2023

AOC is referring to Greene, who despite pushing antisemitic tropes — including the idea that a satellite funded by a Jewish family is responsible for the California wildfires — has been embraced by Republican leadership and given plum committee assignments. She also called out the GOP for elevating Gosar, who in 2021 posted a video depicting AOC’s murder.

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Omar also spoke in her own defense on Thursday. “There is an idea that you are a suspect if you are an immigrant or if you are from certain parts of the world or a certain skin tone or a Muslim,” she said. “It is no accident that members of the Republican Party accused the first Black president, Barack Obama, of being a secret Muslim. It is no accident that former President Donald Trump led a birther movement that falsely claimed he was born in Kenya. To them, falsely labeling the first and only [Black] president a Muslim and African immigrant somehow made him less America. Well, I am Muslim. I am an immigrant and, interestingly, from Africa. It anyone surprised that I am being targeted?”

"I will continue to speak up, because representation matters" — Ilhan Omar pic.twitter.com/9d14NBSvYK — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 2, 2023

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The Establishment Strikes Back

Henry Cuellar and centrist Democrats mutiny against progressives in a key committee fight.

by Alexander Sammon

December 18, 2020

Tom Brenner/Pool via AP

AOC in August during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing

Committee assignments are one of the least eye-catching parts of politics, but they’re also one of the most important ways in which actual political power is wielded. Certain committees in the House, like Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, have outsized influence and money power. (They are often called the “money” committees, not just because they’re where the action is but because members can earn lots of money in campaign contributions from industries with business before them.)

Deliberations over the next several days will be extremely important for progressives in the House, as they angle to lock down seats on these powerful committees for their members. To that end, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was expected to secure a prized position on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a seat vacated by outgoing New Yorker Eliot Engel. Among other issues, the committee has jurisdiction over health care and climate change issues, a natural for a congresswoman who has championed Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

Ocasio-Cortez was expected to cruise comfortably to the position. She was the first to raise her hand for the seat, and she won the backing of dean of the New York delegation Rep. Jerry Nadler. But last week, as Politico reported , Long Islander Kathleen Rice made an out-of-nowhere, last-second bid for the seat, interrupting the process. Rep. Rice is a backbencher from the party’s right flank who, in 2018, refused to support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Without the support of Nadler, and with the famous opposition of Steering Committee leader Pelosi, Rice’s attempt didn’t seem to be serious.

More from Alexander Sammon

But in a surprise, last-second Steering Committee meeting on exclusive committee assignments Thursday, which was scheduled at 10 p.m. the night before, centrist Democrats put on a show of support for Rice and against AOC, in what looks to have been a process-defying attempt to keep AOC out of the seat. Fellow New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries came out in support of Rice, contra Nadler, as did Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL).

Most vocal in his opposition to Ocasio-Cortez’s candidacy was Texas’s Henry Cuellar, the caucus’s most conservative member. After Ocasio-Cortez was nominated and seconded, Cuellar opposed, commenting: “I’m taking into account who pays their dues and who doesn’t work against other members whether in primaries or in other contexts,” according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. After Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) called for a vote on the two candidates came an unusual outcome: Rice crushed AOC 46-13.

Many of the representatives that came out most forcefully against Ocasio-Cortez have close ties to oil and gas.

A similar situation existed with the Energy and Commerce Committee seat vacated by incoming New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. That seat was expected to go to progressive Texan Sylvia Garcia, but was contested by her moderate colleague from Texas, Lizzie Fletcher. Garcia, the other priority for progressives in Energy and Commerce, was left off the slate without even a vote. Fletcher, who has a troubling track record on unions, got endorsed by Pelosi. The Texas AFL-CIO famously came out against Fletcher’s candidacy for Congress, and declined to endorse her even against a Republican incumbent.

The result is both a resounding and surprising defeat for progressives, who just days ago had no reason to believe both Ocasio-Cortez and Garcia would be left off the committee, or even that this would be settled this week.

Many of the representatives who came out most forcefully against Ocasio-Cortez have close ties to oil and gas, especially Cuellar. But perhaps more important was Cuellar’s personal opposition to AOC, as evidenced by his statement. Ocasio-Cortez backed Cuellar’s primary challenger, 27-year-old progressive Jessica Cisneros, in March’s primary. Cuellar won narrowly, with backing from the Koch political network and some last-minute campaigning from Speaker Pelosi herself, despite the fact that Cuellar regularly votes against the Democratic caucus and has routinely fundraised for Republicans. According to multiple people familiar with the proceedings, Ocasio-Cortez’s recent interview with The Intercept , where she said Speaker Pelosi needed to go, though there was no one to replace her, loomed over the proceedings.

Rice’s triumph is especially surprising, given that she is not known to be well liked within the caucus. She made powerful enemies of Pelosi and Nadler, and was shut out of a much-desired spot on the House Judiciary Committee just two years ago, because of her refusal to back Pelosi’s speakership in 2018. It’s unclear how her selection might influence her vote this time around. AOC, meanwhile, voted for Pelosi’s speakership.

It’s not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has been frozen out of Energy and Commerce. In 2018, she made a play for a vacant seat, only to be turned away on the grounds that it couldn’t go to a freshman. It was given to sophomore Tom Suozzi instead.

Sylvia Garcia, meanwhile, was expected to be a priority for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, given that the seat was once held by Lujan, a Latino. But in a meeting last week, it was Cuellar who again voiced opposition, leading some to believe that the seat would not be filled by a representative from the state at all.

There are plenty of committee assignments left to be announced, and progressives did win a handful of priority appointments on the money committees. New York Rep. Ritchie Torres got a spot on Financial Services, and Adriano Espaillat made it onto Appropriations. But the treatment of AOC and Garcia looks like a shot across the bow that will have progressives on high alert. If other committee assignments go this way, it will become an open question as to whether a newly united progressive bloc will oppose Pelosi’s speakership come January 3.

This story has been updated to clarify the nature of a report on fracking co-authored by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).

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• Main content

AOC to GOP: Don't tell me you're condemning antisemitism when a Republican 'who has talked about Jewish space lasers' gets a plum committee assignment

• AOC unloaded on Republicans for hypocrisy with their vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from her committee.
• She said Republicans have been rewarded with plum committee assignments after doing worse.
• "This is about targeting women of color in the United States of America," she said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unloaded on Republicans for hypocrisy Thursday while defending her fellow "squad" member, Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Republicans voted to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee because of her controversial comments in the past about Israel. Ocasio-Cortez, in a fiery floor speech, said Republicans have been rewarded for doing worse.

"Don't tell me that this is about a condemnation of antisemitic remarks, when you have a member of the Republican caucus who has talked about Jewish space lasers, and also elevated her to some of the highest committee assignments in this body," she said, a reference to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene . "This is about targeting women of color in the United States of America."

Greene in 2018 published false and antisemitic conspiracy theories alleging the "Camp Fire" wildfire in California was orchestrated by politicians and wealthy Jewish bankers.

After being stripped of committee assignments last Congress for her rhetoric, she now sits on prestigious committees on oversight and homeland security.

Ocasio-Cortez further called out Republicans for rewarding Rep. Paul Gosar, without mentioning by name, "with one of the most prestigious committee assignments in this Congress" after she said he threatened her life.

The House voted in 2021 to censure Gosar and remove him from his committee assignments when he tweeted an edited anime video that showed him killing Ocasio-Cortes. His committee assignments this Congress include oversight and natural resources.

"I didn't get a single apology when my life was threatened. Thank you," she said, ending her speech by slamming her book on the lectern.

—Acyn (@Acyn) February 2, 2023

The House voted along party lines to remove Omar from the foreign affairs committee, except for Republican Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio, who voted "present."

Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, said a "disgusting legacy" of the September 11 terrorism attacks has been the targeting of and racism against Muslim Americans. She characterized the vote against Omar, who is Muslim, as "an extension of that legacy."

"There is nothing consistent with the Republican Party's continued attack except for the racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body," she said.

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Alexandria ocasio-cortez.

• Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House New York District 14

U.S. House New York District 14

2019 - Present

Compensation

November 8, 2022

November 5, 2024

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( Democratic Party ) is a member of the U.S. House , representing New York's 14th Congressional District . She assumed office on January 3, 2019. Her current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Ocasio-Cortez ( Democratic Party ) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 14th Congressional District . She declared candidacy for the 2024 election.

Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, was first elected in 2018. That year, she defeated 10-term incumbent and Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) in the Democratic primary . Stark fundraising differences and notable endorsements on both sides fueled debate over which candidate had the most progressive credentials. At the time of her election, Ocasio-Cortez was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. [1]

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America , Ocasio-Cortez worked as an organizer in Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign . She supports policies widely seen as progressive, including Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and canceling student debt. Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and endorsed incumbent President Joe Biden (D) in the 2024 primary.

• 1 Biography
• 2.1 U.S. House
• 3.3.1 Candidate profile
• 3.4.1 Endorsements
• 3.5 Joseph Crowley
• 3.6.1 Campaign finance
• 4.4.1 Campaign website
• 4.4.2 Anti-establishment campaign
• 5 Notable endorsements
• 6.1 Tested positive for coronavirus on January 9, 2022
• 6.2 Netflix documentary about 2018 campaign
• 6.3 Staffing support for Senate challenger
• 7.1 Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
• 7.2 Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress
• 7.3 Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020
• 9 External links
• 10 Footnotes

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez graduated from Boston University College of Arts & Sciences in 2011. She was a volunteer organizer for Sanders' presidential campaign and worked in former Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-Mass.) foreign affairs and immigration office. Ocasio-Cortez founded Brook Avenue Press, a children's book publisher. [2]

Committee assignments

Ocasio-Cortez was assigned to the following committees: [Source]

• Committee on Financial Services
• Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy
• Committee on Oversight and Accountability
• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
• Environment

See also:  New York's 14th Congressional District election, 2024

General election

The general election will occur on November 5, 2024.

General election for U.S. House New York District 14

Incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Patrick Delices , and Tina Forte are running in the general election for U.S. House New York District 14 on November 5, 2024.

See also:  New York's 14th Congressional District election, 2022

Incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Tina Forte and Desi Cuellar in the general election for U.S. House New York District 14 on November 8, 2022.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Hasime Zherka (Independent)
• Jonathan Howe (L)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 14.

• Edgardo Marrero (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for u.s. house new york district 14.

Tina Forte defeated Desi Cuellar in the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 14 on August 23, 2022.

• Pura De Jesus-Coniglio (R)
• Miguel Hernandez (R)

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Desi Cuellar advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 14.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez advanced from the Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 14.

See also:  New York's 14th Congressional District election, 2020

New York's 14th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primary)

New York's 14th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Republican primary)

Incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated John Cummings , Michelle Caruso-Cabrera , and Antoine Tucker in the general election for U.S. House New York District 14 on November 3, 2020.

• Miguel Hernandez (Independent)

Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 14

Incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Michelle Caruso-Cabrera , Badrun Khan , and Sam Sloan in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 14 on June 23, 2020.

• James Dillon (D)
• Jose Velazquez (D)
• Fernando Cabrera (D)

The Republican primary election was canceled. John Cummings advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 14.

• Jineea Butler (R)
• Rey Solano (R)
• Israel Ortega Cruz (R)
• Scherie Murray (R)
• Ruth Papazian (R)

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. John Cummings advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 14.

Independence Party primary election

• Michelle Caruso-Cabrera (Independence Party)

Serve America Movement Party primary election

The Serve America Movement Party primary election was canceled. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera advanced from the Serve America Movement Party primary for U.S. House New York District 14.

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Working Families Party)

Candidate profile

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office:  

• U.S. House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2019)

Biography:   Ocasio-Cortez received a bachelor's degree in international relations and economics from Boston University in 2011. She worked as an organizer on U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign and with the National Hispanic Institute as an educational director.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here .

"I only work as a representative in service to my community, and I will not stop working until I have brought systemic change to improve the lives of my fellow New Yorkers."

"In my first term serving as your representative in Congress, we have: Won Billions of Dollars for NY-14 Families ... Lowered Prescription Drug Costs ... Fought for Immigrant Families ... Introduced the Green New Deal ... [and] Supported Puerto Rico."

Show sources

Sources: Ocasio-Cortez's 2020 campaign website , "About Our Campaign," accessed June 23, 2020 ;  Patch.com , "NYC Primary Election 2020: Ocasio-Cortez Defends Seat In Congress," June 11, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New York District 14 in 2020.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Anthony Pappas , incumbent Joseph Crowley , and Elizabeth Perri in the general election for U.S. House New York District 14 on November 6, 2018.

• James Dillon (Reform Party)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated incumbent Joseph Crowley in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 14 on June 26, 2018.

Anthony Pappas advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 14 on June 26, 2018.

Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 14

Incumbent Joseph Crowley advanced from the Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 14 on June 26, 2018.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here .

Campaign finance

Campaign finance disclosures through March 31, 2018, showed the following:

• Joseph Crowley had raised almost $2.8 million and had almost $1.6 million in cash on hand.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had raised $126,896 and had $48,524 in cash on hand.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses.

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey .

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 14,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here .

Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info .

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

The following themes were found on Ocasio-Cortez's official campaign website.

Anti-establishment campaign

According to The Independent Voter Network, Ocasio-Cortez's success is partially attributable to her successful anti-establishment campaign against Crowley, a long-time incumbent. [18]

Notable endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Noteworthy events

Tested positive for coronavirus on january 9, 2022.

Ocasio-Cortez announced on January 9, 2022, that she tested positive for COVID-19. She said she was vaccinated at the time she contracted the virus. [19]

Netflix documentary about 2018 campaign

Netflix aired a documentary on May 1, 2019, called "Knock Down the House," which follows the campaigns of four women who ran for Congress in 2018. The women profiled are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and former House candidates Amy Vilela (Nevada) and Cori Bush (Missouri), as well as former Senate candidate Paula Jean Swearengin (West Virginia). The documentary also shows how the political action committees Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress operate when they recruit and help candidates run for office. [20] [21]

Staffing support for Senate challenger

After winning the 2018 Democratic primary , Ocasio-Cortez announced that she would send three members of her campaign staff to assist Kerri Evelyn Harris (D), who was running for U.S. Senate in Delaware against three-term incumbent Thomas Carper (D). An Ocasio-Cortez campaign spokesman said the campaign was sending the staffers as a gesture of thanks to the Harris campaign for its support of Ocasio-Cortez's candidacy. [22] Harris was among a series of candidates aligned with Justice Democrats who Ocasio-Cortez endorsed after unseating Crowley, including Brent Welder of Kansas , Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan , and Julia Salazar of New York . [22] Carper defeated Harris , winning 65% of the vote to Harris' 35%.

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here .

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

2024 elections.

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• ↑ CNBC, "29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes history as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress ," November 7, 2023
• ↑ Boston University , "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," accessed May 31, 2018
• ↑ Facebook , "Joseph Crowley," May 1, 2018
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Crowley for Congress , "Endorsements," accessed May 29, 2018
• ↑ New York State of Politics , "Crowley’s Loss A Seismic Shift For New York," accessed June 26, 2018
• ↑ Crowley for Congress , "Congressman Crowley Endorsed by Women’s Rights Organizations," May 9, 2018
• ↑ Alexandria for NY-14 , "Endorsements," accessed May 30, 2018
• ↑ Twitter , "James J. Zogby," March 16, 2018
• ↑ Wire Service , "Media Release: DSA Endorse Four More Women in California and New York," June 4, 2018
• ↑ Twitter , "MoveOn," June 18, 2018
• ↑ '"Twitter , "Zephyr Teachout," May 31, 2018
• ↑ Our Revolution , "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," accessed June 25, 2018
• ↑ Twitter , "Democracy for America," June 22, 2018
• ↑ Twitter , "Cynthia Nixon," June 25, 2018
• ↑ New York Post , "Queens Democratic club snubs longtime Rep. Joe Crowley," June 15, 2018
• ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
• ↑ Alexandria for NY-14 , "Issues," accessed May 30, 2018
• ↑ Independent Voter Network, "How a Young Socialist Used Closed Primaries to Defeat a 10-Term Incumbent," accessed July 5, 2018
• ↑ Associated Press , "NY Rep. Ocasio-Cortez recovering after positive COVID test," January 9, 2022
• ↑ CNN, "Netflix documentary on campaigns of four Democratic women, including Ocasio-Cortez, set to be released in May," April 24, 2019
• ↑ BuzzFeed News, "This New Documentary Shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Before She Was AOC," May 3, 2019
• ↑ 22.0 22.1 CBS News, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez deploys campaign staff to help another liberal Democrat," July 12, 2018
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3617 - Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1808 - Assault Weapons Ban of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.6 - American Dream and Promise Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.3373 - Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.4346 - Chips and Science Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1996 - SAFE Banking Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5 - Equality Act," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.7688 - Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
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AOC appointed to Oversight Committee + list of all Dem committee assignments, so far

The announcement was posted on Nancy Pelosi’s official House Speaker website, this morning.

www.speaker.gov/...

The powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee, chaired by Elijah Cummings, has a new member, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14).

The appointment will put AOC front and center at the high-visibility hearings and investigations into all things Trump that Chairman Cummings is planning.

I don’t like to get ahead of my snowboard but I already have visions of AOC in a starring role at Trump’s impeachment hearings. Goosebumps!

Here’s a list of all Democratic House committee assignments that have been announced, so far. It’s sorted alphabetically by Rep last name.

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What Matt Gaetz and AOC Talked About During Kevin McCarthy’s Speaker Vote

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Matt Gaetz wanted to know if Democrats would bail out the would-be Republican speaker. Not a chance, she told him.

Opponents of  Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the House speakership are digging in after a tense discussion on the House floor between Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The pair’s conspicuous exchange in the back of the chamber on the first day of the 118th Congress was caught on C-SPAN — and noted by many members in the building. Thanks to Gaetz and his far-right allies, McCarthy, a California Republican, failed to win the speakership on the first round of voting.

Gaetz told Ocasio-Cortez that McCarthy has been telling Republicans that he’ll be able to cut a deal with Democrats to vote present, enabling him to win a majority of those present and voting, according to Ocasio-Cortez. She told Gaetz that wasn’t happening, and also double-checked with Democratic party leadership, confirming there’d be no side deal.

What happened here? Can anyone read lips? pic.twitter.com/r7PR3Srcyg — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 3, 2023

“McCarthy was suggesting he could get Dems to walk away to lower his threshold,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept of her conversation with Gaetz on McCarthy’s failed ploy. “And I fact checked and said absolutely not.”

Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York won all 212 of his party’s votes, a show of unity that, if it holds, requires McCarthy to win over all but four of his colleagues.

Gaetz, who has shown a willingness to break with the GOP establishment, said that his crew of McCarthy opponents was dug in and would continue to resist him, adding that McCarthy has been threatening opponents with loss of committee assignments. A private gathering of Republicans ahead of the vote had been heated, multiple sources said. (Gaetz did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

McCarthy and Gaetz presented their positions in dueling press conferences Tuesday morning. McCarthy said that Gaetz and his allies had requested plum committee assignments in exchange for supporting his speaker bid. McCarthy also accused Gaetz of telling Republican members that he was willing to elect Jeffries as speaker rather than accede to McCarthy. Gaetz told reporters that he and his allies didn’t trust McCarthy.

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Ahead of the second round of voting, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who won six votes for speaker in the first round, nominated McCarthy again. Then Gaetz rose and nominated Jordan. All 19 McCarthy opponents voted for Jordan in the second round, leaving McCarthy again at 203 votes — 15 short of what he needed.

Rep. Paul Gosar , R-Ariz. another McCarthy opponent, also huddled with Ocasio-Cortez in the chamber, where they discussed the possibility of adjourning the House. (Gosar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

In the first round, McCarthy won just 203 votes, losing 19 of his colleagues. McCarthy has been insistent on remaining in session, as have his opponents. Adjourning without choosing a speaker would be embarrassing to Republicans but might also give time for McCarthy to break the opposition one by one.

Ocasio-Cortez was noncommittal on the tack, as an adjournment strategy would require party leadership.

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AOC complains about committee assignments: 'Sometimes I wonder if they're trying to keep me busy'

The freshman democrat lashed out at her own party leadership.

Freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suggested last week that Democratic leadership was trying to load up her schedule on purpose, complaining, "Sometimes I wonder if they're trying to keep me busy."

What are the details?

The New York democratic socialist made the accusation during an interview released Tuesday on "The New Yorker Radio Hour," where she said, "I was assigned to some of the busiest committees and four subcommittees. So my hands are full. And sometimes I wonder if they're trying to keep me busy."

Ocasio-Cortez has been a thorn in the side of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ever since taking office — publicly opposing leadership and voting against it on a number of issues — along with a handful of other far-left freshman Democratic congresswomen who call themselves "the squad," including Reps. Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.).

The New York Times reported that Pelosi feels the squad "made themselves irrelevant" after the four voted against a bill providing funds to address the humanitarian crisis at the border. The speaker told the Times, "All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world. But they didn't have any following. They're four people and that's how many votes they got."

Indeed, Ocasio-Cortez enjoys a strong following on social media, which she has used to promote her progressive agenda and become a household name. Last week, she claimed on Twitter that she is able to fundraise more successfully using online platforms than traditional methods.

The freshman tweeted, "I find it strange when members act as though social media isn't important," before boasting, "I haven't dialed for dollars once this year, & have more time to do my actual job."

Ocasio-Cortez holds a number of prominent committee assignments, handed to her by leadership months ago. The Daily Mail noted that the freshman serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Reform — both of which are currently investigating President Donald Trump.

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Something Is Wrong with AOC

Posted: July 14, 2023 | Last updated: September 12, 2023

AOC Needs to GO: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is a Marxist revolutionary masquerading as a “defender” of “our democracy”. 

Of course, AOC’s definition of “democracy” is not inclusive at all. It is highly restrictive. Democracy, according to AOC and her fellow Democrats, is reserved only for the anointed few who believe in the same insanity that she (and her donors) do. 

That is why AOC’s recent tirades against the Supreme Court are so troubling from back in the Spring. 

Up until recently, AOC could be ignored as an ignorant backbencher in Congress who got the perks of having a safe seat in Congress with no real responsibility. Now, however, she has committee assignments. As her stature on the Hill grows, her media profile expands, and her deleterious impact on our society increases. 

AOC is Getting More Powerful

Take her stunning opposition to the recent Supreme Court rulings on abortion a few months ago. Certainly, that is a Congresswoman’s right to express disagreement with members of another coequal branch of government. Although, she has taken it to the extreme. AOC is now demanding that both the Legislative Branch, and more importantly, the Executive Branch as led by President Joe Biden, simply ignore the Supreme Court rulings with which they disagree. 

Of course, AOC has a disturbing double-standard on this issue. When it was former President Donald J. Trump was issuing executive orders limiting immigration, AOC and her gal pals on the Left were insisting that Trump be made to comport both with congressional as well as Supreme Court standards and rulings. 

To be fair, at the time, she was correct. No president may issue executive orders or act outside of the written law. What’s more, presidents—and congress—are required to follow Supreme Court rulings after they’ve been handed down. 

It’s Not Fascism When AOC Does It

Flash forward to three years after Trump is out of office and it’s the Democrats who have the reins of power (at least in the Executive Branch) and AOC is now telling her party to do precisely what she was arguing against the GOP doing when they were in charge. I am not writing this point out the hypocrisy of AOC and the Left. 

That’s a tired old trope on the Right and doesn’t get anyone, anywhere. Everyone fundamentally knows that the road to power is paved by hypocrisy and betrayal. The Democrats—particularly ideological hacks, like AOC—take the cake in the hypocrisy department. 

The issue is that AOC is likely in violation of Congressional standards. Even though a Congresswoman cannot be impeached as a president or even a judge can be, they can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives. 

Making AOC Pay

It is unlikely that the GOP, despite having control over the House, has the votes to push AOC out. But they should still make a big spectacle about her continual violations of Congressional standards. What’s more, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) should immediately remove AOC from any of her committee assignments, relegating her to the backbench where she belongs.

It is not acceptable for elected members of the Legislative Branch to openly call both for her branch as well as the Executive Branch to flout the rulings of the United States Supreme Court, the hallmark of the Judicial Branch. We’ve already struggled with more than a century’s worth of excesses from the Executive Branch and a consistently weak Legislative Branch. 

The last thing we need now is a war upon the third branch, the Judicial, in which Leftist partisans in the other two branches simply cherry-pick which rulings they will follow based on their short-sighted ideological preferences. 

Especially when they will have set a new precedent which the other side will definitely follow and abuse as much as the Left intends to. AOC is proving to be far too dangerous our actual representative democracy by abusing her position to influence people into flouting our Constitutional norms. 

Only the GOP-controlled House can punish her and put her in her place. They cannot abide for the sickening abuses she and her Left-wing colleagues are calling for. Not if we plan to save our democracy. 

A 19FortyFive Senior Editor, Brandon J. Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, as well as at American Greatness and the Asia Times. He is the author of  Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower  (Republic Book Publishers),  Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life  (May 16), and  The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy  (July 23). Weichert can be followed via Twitter  @WeTheBrandon .

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Rep. George Santos survives effort to expel him from the House

The Associated Press

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is shown listening as Republicans try to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., to be the new House speaker, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is shown listening as Republicans try to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., to be the new House speaker, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.

WASHINGTON — Rep. George Santos easily survived a vote Wednesday to expel him from the House as most Republicans and 31 Democrats opted to withhold punishment while both his criminal trial and a House Ethics Committee investigation proceed.

The effort to kick Santos out of the House was led by his fellow New York Republicans, who are anxious to distance themselves from a colleague infamous for fabricating his life story and accused of stealing from donors, lying to Congress and receiving unemployment benefits he did not deserve.

But the resolution failed to gain the required two-thirds vote. Supporters could not even gain a simple majority, with the final vote being 179 for expulsion and 213 against.

Scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to latest charges

To succeed, numerous Republican lawmakers would have had to break ranks with newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson, who has said Santos should get his day in court. Johnson, R-La., also recently told Fox News that if Congress is going to expel members because they are charged with a crime or accused of wrongdoing, "that's a problem."

Some Democrats also voiced concerns about getting ahead of the Ethics Committee, which issued a rare memo the day before, citing the depth of its investigation with some 40 witnesses contacted and the issuance of 37 subpoenas. It also said the next steps of the committee's investigation would be announced by Nov. 17.

"I feel like due process is still alive. I feel like there's enough colleagues on both sides of the aisle here who understand that," Santos said after the vote.

Congress has rarely resorted to the most extreme punishment at its disposal. The House has expelled only five members in its history — three during the Civil War and two after their convictions on public corruption charges. It would be groundbreaking for the House to kick out Santos before his case in federal court is resolved.

Some Republicans, however, said they had seen enough of Santos. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said he believes in due process, but also thinks Santos misrepresented himself to New York voters and they never would have elected him if they had "known the true George Santos."

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George santos and the great american tradition of "self-making".

"We don't need the Santos charade all the way through the 2024 election cycle. I think the Congress needs to take action now," Womack said.

The House floor debate over whether to expel Santos was undertaken strictly by members of the New York congressional delegation. On one side, Republican Reps. Anthony D'Esposito, Nick LaLota and Mike Lawler laid out their case for expelling Santos.

"Mr. Santos is a stain on this institution and not fit to serve his constituents in the House of Representatives," D'Esposito said.

On the other side was Santos, who appealed to lawmakers to hold off on expulsion, saying that passing judgment without due process would engender mistrust.

"I'm fighting tooth and nail to clear my name in front of the entire world," Santos said. "It hasn't been easy, but I'm fighting by God's grace."

The only Democratic lawmaker to speak during the debate was Rep. Dan Goldman. He said Santos should have been expelled in May when Democrats brought an expulsion resolution, and the only reason the New York Republicans were leading the effort now was because Santos "hangs like an albatross around the necks of every single Republican from New York."

"They don't care any more about integrity or morality or the reputation of this institution than they did in May when they voted to protect Mr. Santos," Goldman said. "They just care about their reelection in one year when they know that their support for George Santos is going to be a problem."

The New York Republicans laid out in their expulsion resolution the array of charges Santos is facing in federal court, saying the charges indicated Santos engaged in serious financial fraud throughout his 2022 campaign for the House. The resolution said he deceived voters regarding his biography and is "not fit to serve his constituents as United States Representative."

"Mr. Santos has said expelling him before he is formally charged and found guilty would create a new precedent in this body, one that could have negative consequences for generations," LaLota said. "Respectfully, Mr. Speaker, I disagree. The consequences and precedents of not expelling him for his lies and fraud has the potential to do far more damage to this institution."

In May, Republicans under then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California sidestepped the Democratic-led effort to expel Santos. While 204 Democrats voted against a motion to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee, House Republicans stood unified behind the effort that delayed action on Santos' conduct.

Johnson, who took the speaker's gavel last week, made it clear he would prefer not to oust Santos at this point, despite the many charges against the congressman, as Johnson struggles to control a very slim majority.

"He's only been charged. He hasn't been found guilty of anything. We have due process in America," said GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who opposed the expulsion resolution.

Democrats were also more divided than they were during the previous expulsion effort against Santos.

"Neither the Ethics Committee nor the courts have finished adjudicating this," tweeted Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who voted against expulsion. "In this country, one is presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty. No exceptions."

Rep. Marc Molinaro, a New York Republican who supported the expulsion effort, said the delegation would likely raise it again once the Ethics Committee releases the findings of its investigation.

"I suspect the report is going to come public soon, and it's going to be clear that he should be removed from Congress," he said.

Santos faces 23 charges in federal court. His trial has been scheduled for September next year. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Also on Wednesday evening, the House voted to reject an effort to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Democrats called off an effort to censure Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

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• ethics committee

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Aoc blasts powerhouse pro-israel group aipac as ‘racist and bigoted’, social links for ryan king.

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Far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped into the American Israel Public Affairs Committee late Tuesday, calling it a “racist and bigoted organization.”

The attack by the Bronx and Queens Democrat came in response to AIPAC admonishing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), AOC and her allies in the so-called “Squad” for voting against a House resolution last week affirming US support for the Jewish state and condemning the Hamas terror group.

“AIPAC endorsed scores of Jan 6th insurrectionists. They are no friend to American democracy,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X . “They are one of the more racist and bigoted PACs in Congress as well, who disproportionately target members of color.

“They are an extremist organization that destabilizes US democracy.”

Massie was the sole Republican to vote against the measure last week, joining 15 Democrats who either voted “Nay” or “Present.”

Ocasio-Cortez has previously called for a cease-fire and decried the treatment of Palestinians as Israel works to snuff out the threat posed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. She has also suggested Israel has committed war crimes in the conflict.

“More of the same tired lies & spin,” AIPAC responded Wednesday morning . “@AOC and the Squad summed up: People who disagree with us are racist. AIPAC stands with pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans of all races, genders, and backgrounds who support the US-Israel alliance. And we oppose those who don’t, like you.”

Instead of standing with Israel, @RepThomasMassie voted with @AOC , @RashidaTlaib , @Ilhan , @JamaalBowmanNY , and @SummerForPA . Massie and the Squad: ❌ Opposed supporting Israel. ❌ Opposed condemning Hamas. pic.twitter.com/coNhzgHSyi — AIPAC | Text ISRAEL to 24722 | #StandWithIsrael (@AIPAC) October 30, 2023

Ocasio-Cortez is not the only “Squad” member to unleash on AIPAC.

Back in August, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) ripped the group as a “right-wing super PAC” funded by “dark money” — despite the fact that the group works with members of Congress from both parties.

“THIS IS URGENT,” an Omar campaign ad said. “A right-wing Super PAC funded by millions of dollars in Dark Money spending is working around the clock to unseat Ilhan from Congress in 2024.”

That same month, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) led a delegation of two dozen House Democrats on a trip to Israel sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC.

In 2019, Omar infamously posted “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” on social media in response to a post about then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) moving to punish her over her position on Israel.

She later apologized for her remarks, but still worked in a slam at AIPAC.

“Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” she said.

“At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. It’s gone on too long and we must be willing to address it.”

You know who else hates @AIPAC ? Hamas. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that people like AOC would attack the largest bipartisan pro-Israel group in the US as somehow a threat to our country. The rise of antisemitism by the progressive left is the REAL threat to humanity. https://t.co/LG4EDZu2Y0 — Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) November 1, 2023

That March, then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) addressed AIPAC’s annual conference and proclaimed, in an apparent blast at Omar and other House Democrats: “If you only care about antisemitism coming from your political opponents, you are not fully committed to fighting antisemitism.”

AIPAC has reportedly been working to recruit primary challengers against the “Squad” members, most of whom come from deep-blue districts.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) also slammed Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday over her attack on AIPAC.

“You know who else hates @AIPAC? Hamas. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that people like AOC would attack the largest bipartisan pro-Israel group in the US as somehow a threat to our country,” he wrote. “The rise of antisemitism by the progressive left is the REAL threat to humanity.”

Founded in 1963, AIPAC claims to have more than 100,000 members and 17 regional offices in addition to its Washington, DC, headquarters.

Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel triggered the Jewish state’s first declaration of war in 50 years, the left wing of the Democratic Party has been bitterly divided over the Biden administration’s response — which has largely been one of support for Israel’s drive to eliminate the terror group.

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Senate Democrats launch effort to bypass Tommy Tuberville's hold on military promotions

WASHINGTON — A group of Senate Democrats is aiming to sidestep an Alabama Republican's blockade on hundreds of high-level military promotions by allowing the Senate to vote on all the nominees at once.

A resolution crafted by Democrats and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona would use a Senate tool to bypass Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who for months has prevented a quick vote on more than 300 top-level military promotions in protest of the Defense Department’s abortion travel policy.

The measure — spearheaded by Democratic Sens. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Sinema — is not technically a rules change. Instead, it’s a temporary process change that would only be in effect through the end of next year. It also includes an exception for members of the joint chiefs and combatant commanders, positions which typically involve individual floor votes in the Senate due to their importance.

“This is a suspension of the rules technically,” Reed, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, told NBC News. “We have to move forward," he added, noting that military personnel were being left "in limbo" amid the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The proposed resolution comes as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has pressed to advance a vote on three of President Joe Biden’s nominees, including the Marine Corps’ second-in-command, Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, the chief of naval operations and the Air Force chief of staff.

Schumer called Mahoney's appointment "urgent," after the Marine Corps’ commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, was hospitalized due to a medical emergency over the weekend.

On Wednesday, Schumer told reporters he will call for moving forward with Reed’s resolution.

“What happened with the Marine commandant just showed many people how dangerous what Tuberville is doing is. And so, I will call for a resolution on the floor to allow us to vote on all these people at once,” Schumer said.

The resolution would have to go through the Senate Rules Committee. It would also require 60 votes to pass on the Senate floor. No Senate Republicans have come out and said explicitly that they would support such a move.

“I don’t want to, let’s just put it like that,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told NBC News on Wednesday. “I do not want to, and I think that we need to take every avenue possible to avoid it. And then let’s take every avenue first and then we’ll debate the next move.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told reporters that military personnel were “being punished over policies that they they have no hand in."

Sullivan, a former Marine, added that "even if they got confirmed" they "would have no ability to change" those policies.

“That these guys are woke? It’s bull----. Such bull----,” he said. “These are warriors."

In a notable intraparty escalation, Republicans on Wednesday went to the floor for the first time to try and unanimously approve a group of high-level military promotions, a tactic that Tuberville has objected to. The move mirrors attempts Senate Democrats have made in past months to try and do the same, and marks a significant shift for Tuberville’s Republican colleagues who, until Wednesday, had not publicly rebuffed his holds on the Senate floor.

“One of the things that I can’t understand is if you require our military to be subordinate to the people above them in the civilian world, why would you punish them for something they’ve got nothing to do with,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on the Senate floor before attempting to confirm a promotion for Maj. Gen. Laura Lenderman.

Tuberville objected to the attempt, saying, “If senators want to vote on these nominees one by one, I’m all in. I’m happy to do that. But I will keep my hold in place until the Pentagon follows the law or the Democrats change the law.”

“You’ve just denied this lady a promotion. You did that,” Graham responded.

The floor fight between Tuberville and his GOP colleagues lasted about four-and-a-half hours, with Tuberville objecting to each of the 60 military nominations brought to the floor.

Tuberville, who tried to force a vote on Mahoney , said Republicans voting to circumvent his holds would be “suicide for some of them.”

“They’ve gotta vote for their constituents, they don’t vote for themselves,” Tuberville told NBC News before the floor fight. “See, I don’t understand that. I mean, you’re either pro-life or you're not, and so if they vote against this it’s gonna be suicide for some of them. Let them do it.”

The change to the procedures for the military promotions sought by Senate Democrats would need the support of nine Senate Republicans if all 51 senators who align with Democrats support it. Some Republicans are skittish on changing the rules, even if they support the end result.

“I’m always really circumspect about changing the rules here for a specific situation," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told NBC News.

Murkowski said that a "failure" to process the nominations bears an impact on national security and preparedness.

"I think it impacts morale," she added. “And at a time when we call on our military to do so much, I don’t want to unduly degrade their situation. So I’d like to see a resolve to this.”

Tuberville’s holds do not prohibit the promotions from being taken up for a vote, but it slows down the process significantly for each of the nominees.

Democrats have largely dismissed calls from Republicans to consider the promotions one-by-one, arguing that such a process is untenable and that the Senate should follow what has been a customary process of approving the promotions in batches.

Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the Senate.

Julie Tsirkin is a correspondent covering Capitol Hill.

Kate Santaliz is a researcher for NBC News’ Capitol Hill team.

Zoë Richards is the evening politics reporter for NBC News.