Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn't tormenting party leaders — she's working with them
In Queens, she’s a storm-the-barricades political outsider. But back in Washington, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is working the system.
“We continued to hold out, and all of a sudden, what we were told was not possible was suddenly possible in order to secure these votes,” Ocasio Cortez said of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ ability to change the bill. The progressive star has indeed begun to exert power — but subtly and not the way most people expected. Despite many predictions to the contrary, she hasn’t opted to torment leadership as the conservative Freedom Caucus once did to GOP leaders. Instead, she’s working with party elders.
Some Democratic sources said that any role Ocasio-Cortez had in the border negotiations was minimal, noting that she did not personally secure policy wins and that Democratic leaders never counted on her to vote for the bill. It was a direct challenge to the party favorite — Melinda Katz — who was championed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and House Democrats like Rep. Gregory Meeks, who was tapped to be chairman of the Queens Democratic Party after Crowley was defeated last year.
“The jury is still out,” said Meeks, when asked about Ocasio-Cortez’s influence in Washington and Queens. “It will be interesting to see — because you’ve got to try to get along here — whether she decides, with colleagues that she’s worked with every day, whether she’s supporting them or not supporting them.”
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