Progressive darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made the case that the proposed Wuhan coronavirus relief package that's currently floating in Congress shows why progressive ideas and the progressive movement are achievable.
"It's actually a fascinating progressive moment because what it's shown is that all of these issues have never been about how are you going to pay for it. It's never been about whether we have the capacity to do these things or if the logistics have worked out," AOC explained in a video for Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. "All of these excuses that we have been given as to why we cannot treat people humanely have suddenly gone up in smoke and what has been revealed is all of these issues was really about a lack of a political will and who you deemed worthy to be in an emergency or not."
According to the freshman congresswoman, progressives have been pushing for housing to be deemed a right for a "very, very long time."
"Now that we are experiencing everybody who is threatened by the uncertainty of this moment, everyone's realizing, 'Wait. We're all in this together.' That applies to not just economic prosperity but it also applies to issues of criminal justice, of civil rights, of human rights," she explained.
.@AOC "And it's actually a fascinating progressive moment, because what it's shown is that all of these issues have never been about how are you going to pay for it. It's never been about whether we have the capacity to do these things or if the logistics have worked out... pic.twitter.com/kkXaIbn2hq
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) March 22, 2020
In a separate video, Ocasio-Cortez explained that there are illegal aliens currently in ICE detention facilities in New York and New Jersey. She said she waited outside LaGuardia International Airport while six young children were being taken into custody.
"That's when we started to realize that meanwhile, while the Pentagon has paused all domestic travel for the military, while everyone is working from home, while we were then on the brink of issuing a shelter in place policy, you still have ICE that's trafficking children across the country," AOC said. "And not only that but there are immigrants in detention centers that are getting even less attention because the federal government argues that they are entitled to less human rights than the rest of us."
She said that, as a result of ICE's continued enforcement, illegal aliens in detention facilities and prisoners at Rikers are on hunger strikes.
"We see how all of these issues – social, racial and economic – are coming to a head and we can move through this," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And, if we handle this right, if we handle this with bold, moral leadership, we can move through this and make sure that we abolish these systems of injustice. Abolish these systems of class warfare, basically, and we can move to a system that centers people and working-class Americans."
If people, like AOC, want to make the case that progressive ideas are great, fine. So be it. But they should do this after Congress comes to a stimulus agreement and Americans are put back to work.
Better yet, they should do this after the Wuhan coronavirus passes.
Our nation is going through a difficult time. We're in unchartered territory and our leaders are doing their best to maneuver this day-by-day. We've seen bipartisanship, especially from the White House and Democratic Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York. The last thing we need to focus on right now is completely overhauling our way of life, especially in the middle of a national emergency.
Shame on people like AOC who are trying to cash in on the tragedy.
.@AOC explains how all of our issues are connected JUST by what's happened in the past 2 weeks "and if we handle this with bold moral leadership and make sure we abolish these systems of injustice, abolish these systems of class warfare" pic.twitter.com/TnMl2fb3Ny
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) March 22, 2020