OCASIO-CORTEZ JOINS 4 GOP LAWMAKERS IN OPPOSING $480 BILLION CORONAVIRUS AID FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, H

[George II]

Source: Newsweek

OCASIO-CORTEZ JOINS 4 GOP LAWMAKERS IN OPPOSING $480 BILLION CORONAVIRUS AID FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, HOSPITALS AND TESTING

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was one of only five members of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote against a nearly half-a-trillion-dollar package to provide another tranche of aid to small businesses struggling to keep their companies afloat and their employees paid amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The other four lawmakers were Republicans: Jody Hice (Ga.), Ken Buck (Colo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.) and Thomas Massie (Ky.).

Despite the opposition, the $484 billion package passed 388-5 with overwhelming bipartisan support. Independent Justin Amash of Michigan voted present. Overall, 35 members did not vote. The legislation was approved by the Senate on Tuesday with unanimous support and will now head to the White House, where President Donald Trump is expected to swiftly sign it into law.

Roughly $380 billion is included for small businesses, $320 billion of which is to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for mostly forgivable loans that ran out of money two weeks ago; $75 billion for hospitals; and $25 billion for expanded virus testing.



Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/ocasio-cortez-joins-4-gop-lawmakers-opposing-480-billion-coronavirus-aid-small-businesses-1499888

---

Sorry for the all-caps, that's how Newsweek does it's headlines.

[SheltieLover]

1. And not a single crumb for American working families or the USPS!🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Fking ridiculous!

[Cetacea]

60. Exactly

And it's reasonable to assume a large part of her constituents have not received their payments yet. And the GOP definition of "small business" is 500 employees or less.

[Hortensis]

76. This is a House bill and DEMOCRATS control the House.

Democrats have not abandoned working families or the USPS so why the noise? As we know, THIS latest bill is to fund loans to help keep the small businesses who employ most Americans afloat.

We all understand that Ocasio-Cortez is struggling to keep what influence she has now that Sanders has aligned with Democrats to defeat the Republicans. She should not be misusing this very important aid bill to grab attention at the Democratic Party's, and thus all Americans', expense.

We now have to get it passed by McConnell and company over in the Republican-controlled senate. Maybe Ocasio would like to go make a little noise over there -- against them.

[mzmolly]

2. Oh man.

[Renew Deal]

3. Is she going to be a Democratic Ron Paul or Ted Cruz?

Just voting against everything?

[question everything]

46. She gets her name in the news, doesn't she?

The old saying that each publicly is good..

[Demsrule86]

71. Lots of small businesses in her district...she is going to lose her primary if she is not careful.

[question everything]

89. Is she challenged?

[Demsrule86]

92. Yes she has a challenger.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/4/9/1935970/-Two-years-after-upset-win-AOC-faces-a-well-funded-primary-challenge-at-home

[question everything]

93. Thanks. I may donate.

[ripcord]

103. I'm amazed she didn't threaten to primary all the democrats in the House

[George II]

109. She's raising money for primary challengers for two or three incumbent NYC area Democrats...

And Justice Democrats is violating their tax-exempt status by promoting them on social media. Here's an example posted just minutes ago on Twitter. Bowman is primarying Eliot Engel.

Link to tweet

[George II]

102. Challenged? Yes. There are a few running in the primary, two of whom are highly credible.

[chowder66]

4. She had her reasons....

I can't copy and paste from the article. The newsweek article also goes into a little bit of her reasoning.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-vote-against-new-stimulus-bill-covid-19-pandemic_n_5e9de4fcc5b63c5b5872da94

[elleng]

7. Yes she did have reasons,

and I copied some of them.

[chowder66]

8. Thanks. I don't know why I couldn't but I appreciate it.

[George II]

15. 230+ Democrats had their reasons, too, to vote for it. This is the second vote this year....

...(not to mention many last year) for which she's been the only Democrat to vote against a particular bill. This was a DEMOCRATIC bill. Regardless of her "reasons", she should have voted for it. This isn't a time for purity.

[chowder66]

19. Yes and she had hers. I'm not advocating one way or the other. She spoke about this before hand

and I remembered I had seen that somewhere. Just posting it for those who want to know why.

[George II]

25. She's also the one who voted against a bill last year to keep the government open...

....because it contained funding for ICE, even though it didn't. If that bill had failed it would have hurt hundreds of small businesses in her District as well as the largest employer in her District.

[cstanleytech]

27. Still more help for the average person would have been nice to have. For example a halt on rent and

mortgage payments for those paying under 3k a month for 6 months would have been nice.
They then could have made it so the property owners and or mortgage holders could be compensated by taking it as a gradual tax credit for the next 5 to 20 years so as to not cause a tax revenue shortage.

[Demsrule86]

72. This is why folks must vote...if we had the Senate, we would have gotten more even with Trump.

But we have one branch of government, the House. And it is like the story of King Solomon and the two women who claimed a baby was theirs...on mother said cut the baby in half the other said give it to the other 'mother' but don't kill the baby... the GOP doesn't give two shits about small business so our options are limited. The GOP is and always was happy to 'cut the baby' in half IE destroy the economy, kill people etc. We saw that clearly in 08 and in subsequent years as well. As an aside, I don't live in AOC's district but if I did, I would vote for one of her primary opponents. If you are a Democrat, and in a safe district than you vote with the Democrats period especially in the middle of a national emergency with a madman as a president. It is called party loyalty.

[George II]

80. That's all well and good, but if that can't be had this time around is it smart to reject....

....everything else that was in the bill because it didn't have everything?

[cstanleytech]

104. No I didn't say it should have been rejected rather I'm just saying I'm disappointed

that it did not include anymore help for the average person.

[George II]

119. As I pointed out either here or elsewhere on DU, Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders....

....were already working on the next bill as AOC was voting against this one.

I still don't see any logical reason for any Democrat, or republican for that matter, voting against that bill yesterday.

[cstanleytech]

120. Yes I am aware of that but without the stick of businesses pushing the Republicans for more help

getting the Republicans on board to actually do something to help the American people out will be more difficult.

[PatSeg]

33. It gets her attention

She seems to thrive on that or she doesn't really understand how governing works.

[Me.]

5. So THe Good Is The Enemy Of The Perfect?

"But one of the chamber's most liberal members chose not to support the bipartisan deal, saying it failed to go far enough and provide individual economic relief for Americans."

[NurseJackie]

67. As always. Same as it ever was.

Any moment now you'll hear a rousing chorus begin to swell-up with the familiar verse of "Her Vote Didn't Matter" followed by that long-time favorite "It Was Going to Pass Anyway".

[Me.]

95. The Vote That Will Matter

is that of her constituents...NYers...who are having a really tough time of it already.

[George II]

70. Yes, it's like "I want to drive to Chicago but I can't get there in one day....

....so I guess I won't do it at all."

There was no logical reason to vote against that bill. Congress isn't a game.

[NurseJackie]

105. Great analogy.

I'd also heard (read?) this type of behavior compared to house-cleaning. "I can't finish it this weekend, so why even bother to do ANYTHING at all?"

Ugh.

[elleng]

6. 'But one of the chamber's most liberal members chose not to support the bipartisan deal,

saying it failed to go far enough and provide individual economic relief for Americans. Ocasio-Cortez threatened to oppose the legislation days ago and told Newsweek in the hours leading up to the vote that she remained undecided.

"It is a joke when Republicans say they have urgency around this bill. The only folks they have urgency around are folks like Ruth's Chris Steak House and Shake Shack. You are not trying to fix this bill for mom and pop," Ocasio-Cortez said in a floor speech. "We have to fight to fund hospitals, fighting to fund testing. That is what we're fighting for in this bill. It is unconscionable. If you had urgency, you would legislate like rent was due on May 1 and make sure we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents."

She wasn't the only progressive who disliked the legislation. Several members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus voiced concerns about it this week. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the caucus, had similar gripes with the bill. She's proposed for Congress to assist companies in paying their employees 100 percent of their salary for up to three months. However, Jayapal voted for the measure.

"We have to do better, we have to deliver real relief. This is not it," Jayapal told Newsweek. "We took a bad, insufficient Republican package that was proposed, and we made it better, so that's good. But in a couple of days, we will reach the same number of American lives lost that we had in Vietnam."'

[truthisfreedom]

14. Let's hope there's another bill that addresses rent and mortgage problems.

We can't have a furious slew of evictions and foreclosures as a result of trying to follow the rules and stay alive.

[ripcord]

32. Of course there are going to be more relief

It is just impossible to include everything in one bill, at least this one included some relief for college students.

[rpannier]

49. Given the track record of Republikkans and comments Mc Connell has made

They will likely derail any attempt at money for the post office and other fixes for workers
Your faith in this is obviously greater than mine.
From my vantage point, the Republicans cannot be trusted.
You get what you can at the beginning
Because the more you give to what they want, the less they'll give later

[Me.]

96. Thye're Trying For Another One Already

But Moscow Mitch is causing problems

[Iliyah]

21. But it is . . .

democracy, ugly as it. We are not pure.

Democracy, voice, thoughts, self, caring.

[stopdiggin]

34. and that's kind of the problem

if you can't suck it up and vote (occasionally anyway) for the lesser of two evils, or the half a loaf compromise .. then perhaps your calling really isn't in politics.

(I have defended AOC in the past .. but this is really disappointing. Grandstanding .. and very little else.)

[rpannier]

50. On this I support her

The cynical reason is, it was going to pass anyway.
Send out warning flares now
Next is, I don't trust republicans.
You get what you can at the beginning because they won't give later
Listen to McConnell talking about state bailouts and other things he has signaled he has problems with

[stopdiggin]

62. so this legislation could have waited for another week or two?

while Pelosi and McConnell got into an allstar pi**ing match .. and AOC gets a bit more of what she wanted? Wonder how that would have played out in your home town? I've got a pretty good idea how it would have gone over here.

[George II]

24. If she kept up with what's going on, Ruth's Chris has rejected their $20M payment, as has...

...Shake Shack.

But regardless, was that a reason for voting against a bill that would have helped countless people who need the assistance?

She needs to keep in touch with what's really going on.

[TomSlick]

9. I understand AOC's concerns. However, she is allowing perfect to be the enemy of good.

Small businesses are failing. The Democrats got the best deal they could quickly enough to try to save what businesses are left.

This is not time for ideological purity. I am disappointed in AOC on this one.

[iluvtennis]

10. "allowing perfect to be the enemy of good". I like that saying...will be using it. Thanks. nt

[pnwmom]

11. I remember Ted Kennedy using those words. nt

[TomSlick]

16. It's hardly original.

I don't recall how many decades ago I first heard the expression. It is one of my favorites - something I have to tell myself editing my writing.

[Jake Stern]

121. And people are facing evictions and foreclosures as these restrictions are lifted

How about Democrats saving US?

[marble falls]

12. I still think she's a future leader, but I think she's wrong about this vote.

[TomSlick]

18. Time will tell.

She desperately needs to out grow her insistence on ideological purity.

[Demsrule86]

73. I don't know about that. She is very smart and could be a future leader but she is not

helping herself...people say she will run for president...well I would not vote for her in a primary based on some of her votes in the house...and where does she go from here? No, way she wins a statewide race even in New York.

[marble falls]

74. Thats exactly my take.

[Demsrule86]

82. Yup, there are almost no states where she could run statewide...and New York is not one

of them. We must work on hearts and minds...win over voters in all 50 states.

[sheshe2]

13. Purity.

All or nothing.

[George II]

17. Bazinga. I just posted that "purity" reason in another post seconds ago...

In 2020, with all that's going on, we don't have time for "purity". We need to help people NOW, not wait for a perfect bill.

[rpannier]

51. Disagree

The bill was going to pass
I see it as sending out signals of what she expects later
If you think that the Democrats will get many of these things -- like money for the USPS, you have more faith in McConnell than I

[sheshe2]

53. Ummhmmm....................nt

[rpannier]

56. If you disagree prove me wrong

Show me in the last twenty years where five of these republikkans sitting in the senate have shown they can be trusted. Show me two.
At the end of the day, you either get it at the beginning or you get nothing
Oh... and please show me where Nancy Pelosi was upset
Leaders of parties often give dissenting members the okay to vote against something when it has zero effect on the passage

[JoeOtterbein]

20. WOW!

Great to see someone is standing up for us. I know I need more cash than anyone I ever worked for. Why do we always settle for so little? Are we ashamed to ask for more? Because I'm very happy AOC is ready to stand up for more "pudding" from the greedy GOP.

[sheshe2]

26. Joe.

We have almost 50K dead. Their loved ones are not able to say goodbye due to this virus. They are dying alone. The hospitals don't have the PPE to protect themselves, THEY ARE DYING TOO! The economy has crashed. The food chain broken, starving people waiting hours in line at the food banks that are running out of food.

This is not the time for purity, it is the time to grab everything we can get.

Just stop!

[JoeOtterbein]

30. Thanks for reminding me that people die every day from malnutrition in the USA.

In all the world it's about 30,000 grand a day.

I've worked, and still do, in the food business for over 50 years. Including the last 30 years healthcare foodservice and food safety.

There is no shame in demanding more from our government when lives are at stake.

[sheshe2]

35. We just surpassed 50K dead.

JoeOtterbein
30. Thanks for reminding me that people die every day from malnutrition in the USA.

In all the world it's about 30,000 grand a day.

I've worked, and still do, in the food business for over 50 years. Including the last 30 years healthcare foodservice and food safety.


There is no shame in demanding more from our government when lives are at stake.

Yet you ignore that over 50K have died in a pandemic in EIGHT WEEKS. The numbers are going up.

We are talking US numbers here.

[JoeOtterbein]

38. I'm not ignoring anything. No need to attack me & AOC. We need more of our money to feed and heal...

us real peeps. Not some ambiguous "small business owner" who may or not be so "small". If we gave the money directly to the consumers instead, the markets would actually help everyone by opening up to a more diverse, and geographic, population. Including those in rural areas.

[LiberalLovinLug]

122. Thankyou +1000

[stopdiggin]

37. there is shame in being an ideologue

when the country is crying for relief and practical action.

[JoeOtterbein]

39. Many of us have been crying for decades. I, for one, an tired of it.

No shame at all in wanting more from our country.

[Demsrule86]

75. Americans will literally starve if they don't send help to small business. Attempting to obtain

concessions from those who don't give a damn about small business and won't give you anything ( Republican) is foolish. As I said before they don't care about small business. We had no leverage. AOC should have considered the needs of Americans -some of whom are her constituents and voted for the bill. We are in the middle of a deadly pandemic. This is not the time for purity. She did herself and more importantly those in her district no favors.

[LiberalLovinLug]

124. Its the old "this is not the right time" meme. Over and over.

And its THAT purity test that I'm sick of. Support the status quo, which is corporate relief first, some who don't even pay taxes and also receive taxpayer subsidies, and whatever crumbs are left go to average people. Don't piss of the big donors. Don't be impure. Go along with the majority and don't make a sound. Now that is one tall glass of purity.

[LanternWaste]

127. Wanting more is not predicated on intransigence

Except for extremists...

[sheshe2]

41. thank you.

[rpannier]

52. How, pray tell, did what she do prevent the bill from moving forward?

I support her on this, partially because the bill was going to pass
I think she did it to send a message that she wanted us to focus on things for the poor and marginalized
As I've said in other posts on this thread, as this process continues, if you believe the republikkans will give on these later on, you must know a different republikkan party than I

[stopdiggin]

58. it did not prevent the bill from moving forward

as a result of responsible efforts on the part of other members of congress (coming from both parties). Too bad that AOC couldn't find it within herself ...

That's what happens when your ideological purity trumps the desire to serve.

[rpannier]

59. If you say so

What exactly do you expect the republikkans to do for the poor and marginalized later on?
During the Great Recession, they blamed people who lost everything for their situation -- remember the two homes?
It was going to pass. AOC knew that.
It is more common than you seem to think for representatives to get the okay to vote for/against something from their leadership.
Unless you've heard from or spoken to Speaker Pelosi on this matter and she has said otherwise, I am giving a Democratic member of Congress the benefit of the doubt.

[stopdiggin]

64. but only that ONE (Democratic) member of Congress right?

How does that fit into your theory?

(like I've said, I've defended AOC in the past .. but this is just plain grandstanding .. and purely self-serving!)
--- ---

[Demsrule86]

77. She is in a perfectly safe blue district...she did not need to vote against this bill. In fact, this

vote will be used against her in a primary. Representatives who are endangered are given permission to vote against a Democratic bill if there are enough votes or if there is no way it passes anyway but AOC is not endangered. She should have voted for the bill and demonstrated party loyalty.

[George II]

79. Okay, let's say she's hungry and goes to a food bank to get some potatoes and carrots....

They only have carrots, no potatoes. Does it make sense to refuse the carrots because she couldn't get everything she wanted?

My mother had an expression for that when I was growing up. But I DID grow up.

[HarlanPepper]

86. Quick question

Is malnutrition contagious? Asking for a friend.

[HarlanPepper]

88. +100000

It amazes me people just don’t seem to get it.

[HarlanPepper]

87. So the other Dems who voted for it, they are not standing up for us in your eyes?

Would LOVE to hear a little more about that.

[sheshe2]

114. +1000.

Excellent point.

[The Mouth]

22. ONE GODAMNED THING AT A TIME

BOTH sides need to stop cramming shit into a bill that has nothing to do with the title and purpose of the bill.

Make the fucking USPS it's own thing; this is about SMALL BUSINESS dammit.

A pure USPS bill would not only pass, but be popular enough to override a veto, even the deepest red states depend on it.

[Iliyah]

28. Eff that . .

They still vote against their interest. But alas, progressives/liberals do care about them.

That said, I wonder.

[rpannier]

54. Make the fucking USPS it's own thing;

And you really believe the Republikkans will vote for that
Show me please, in the last fifteen years where the republikkans have shown they can be trusted. That they will do that
Because all I'm hearing and seeing from Trump and McConnell is that they don't view it as a priority
That is why you place other necessaries in the bill. Because they're needed and they're more likely to cobble together enough Republican votes

[JoeOtterbein]

23. K n R ! Thanks for posting!

George!

(BTW, I forgot to thank you in the above post!)

[gab13by13]

29. I just watched I think the CEO of Starbucks say,

that if we didn't give small businesses 1 trillion dollars that 10 million small businesses will be bankrupt by Labor Day.

Can we trust Republicans to do another bail out? Will they give money to cities and states and public education?

States will have to lay off an awful lot of people and Betsy DeVos is channeling money to charter schools enticing parents to leave public schools.

When will the next bail out be? I thought that McConnell said he was going on a month's vacation and when he comes back he is going to spend his efforts approving right wing judges.

Maybe AOC is voting against supply side trickle down economics that has never worked?

[Demsrule86]

78. At this moment, it is the only game in town.

[OneBro]

31. What's the point in having a vote if she is required to vote along party lines?

She stated her reasons for her vote, and it isn't as though the bill would fail without her support. Besides, given that republicans blatantly abused funding from the last two stimulus bills, I can absolutely understand her concerns. Would anyone here be shocked if 90% of the funding from this bill went to republican "small business" cronies? Would we then ask the same questions as to why Pelosi didn't do more to add safeguards to the bill?

[JoeOtterbein]

36. +1000

We should have gotten an extra $1000 a month to hold us "little" peep over for a year.

Why do we always accept so little, when the Repubs have no shame in enriching themselves at our expense?

[stopdiggin]

40. and that one of the things that pi**es people off

she's standing on the backs of 400+ other congressman that managed to dig deep, hold their noses, and pass a bill that need to be passed. Which allowed little miss "purity" the safety to play "holier than thou."

[JoeOtterbein]

44. I was fired once for not "holding" my nose when I told the corporate chef to put gloves on as...

...he was showing other employees to put RTE food on plates to be served to an elderly and immune compromised population of 350 peeps.

Sometimes we need to be the "stinker" who fights for life for all, instead of just our own.

[stopdiggin]

61. a heartwarming story

that has zero to do with the facts at hand. It is precisely because AOC is placing her own agenda before others .. that she is suffering the thorough trouncing she so richly deserves here.
--- ---

[HarlanPepper]

90. I'll take "Things that have nothing to do with this discussion for $500, Alex."

[sheshe2]

123. So, by your own words.

Sometimes we need to be the "stinker" who fights for life for all, instead of just our own.

You are inferring that Pelosi, Schiff, every Democrat in congress that voted to pass this bill were not fighting for the life of all but selfishly fighting only for their own lives. I am sure you did not mean it that way, yet it is what I am reading. You can't have it both ways.

[LanternWaste]

128. What's the point in having majority in congress if you push against that majority

See? We can both ask petulant questions that do nothing to address the original point.

[Marrah_Goodman]

42. I still get surprised when I see so much venom hurled at people who are "too progressive" here n/t

[JoeOtterbein]

45. Me...

...2.

[Me.]

97. So, No Matter What Someone Does It's OK

if they're deemed 'a true progressive"?

[NurseJackie]

106. Oh, FFS! Stop it. Nobody is doing that.

[Marrah_Goodman]

110. I see it differently

[NurseJackie]

115. Valid criticism is not "venom".

Over the top hyperbole and hypersensitivity really doesn't help your case, and it reveals a position of weakness.

[Marrah_Goodman]

117. I suppose we have a different view of what is valid criticism

[NurseJackie]

125. She's a politician. She's going to be criticized. She's an adult, she can take it.

Can you give an specific example of someone's critical remarks that aren't valid... and which you view as being "venom"?

The reason I ask is because people often dismiss valid criticism by calling it "unfair" or "venomous" or "hatred" (even though it's none of those things) as an easy way to deflect and change the subject, and avoid having to deal with the shortcomings and poor judgement (or inexperienced mistakes) of a beloved politician.

Like I pointed out earlier, the hyperbole does nothing to strengthen your argument and it reveals a position of weakness... however, here's your opportunity to state your case with specific examples of "venom" being spewed at AOC.

[Marrah_Goodman]

129. She isn't a beloved politician to me

I am not foolish enough to put them on a pedestal anymore. This is the last time I am going to respond to this, Life is just to stressful today to argue over this.

[NurseJackie]

130. I'm not the one who's making ridiculous claims about "venomous" attacks on her...

This is the last time I am going to respond to this,

I figured as much. It's very difficult to mount a defense (or justification) when standing on such shaky ground or perching on thin ice. It makes perfect sens to "walk away" rather than to explain the accusations that are being made about one's fellow DU-ers.

Life is just to stressful today to argue over this.

Well, all I'm trying to say is that I'm not the one who's making ridiculous claims about "venomous" attacks on her. You know perfectly well that no such thing is happening.

[George II]

107. Criticism isn't "venom".

[Marrah_Goodman]

111. I am not referring to normal criticism

[George II]

112. Then tell us specifically what you were referring to.

[Marrah_Goodman]

113. Just read through the thread

[George II]

116. I don't see "venom".

[Marrah_Goodman]

118. Then we have very different views on this

[JoeOtterbein]

43. We have been dying unnecessarily for decades in the USA because of the lack of healthcare.

I hope we all now understand the need for universal healthcare in the USA.

Please remember, the right wants to shame us for demanding what they take for granted. There is no shame in demanding more our nation.

[George II]

108. So that justifies voting against a bill that would provide almost a half-billion in aid?

You're right, there's no shame in demanding more, but demanding ALL of it at one time or voting against it makes sense?

Everyone realizes that there will be more bill worked on and passed in the near future. In fact, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats began working on the next round as the bill was being voted upon yesterday. She wasn't out criticizing that one, she was working on more. THAT is leadership. Just because it wasn't everything that's needed she didn't urge her caucus to vote against it.

[OneBro]

47. Y'all remember Barbara Lee's sole vote against the Iraq war, right?

Was she being a purist, or was she standing on principle?

[47of74]

48. And I think if it was close AOC might have voted the other way

Due to the shear amount of support for this bill she decided to take a stand and say no knowing that her vote wouldn't cause the package to fail.

It makes me respect AOC even more that she's willing to state her principles and stand the fuck by them too.

If our party is to survive we need hard, pipe hitting liberals like AOC.

[StevieM]

55. I think you meant to say the War in Afghanistan. (eom)

[OneBro]

57. Good point!

I should have said it was the 2001 War Resolution that she voted against.

[George II]

68. What does that have to do with this?

[betsuni]

63. "Well, look, sometimes in a large bill you have to vote for things you don't like."

Bernie Sanders. It's the job.

[mr_lebowski]

65. So she voted w/my a-hole Congressman, Andy Biggs? That's ... nice. (nt)

[NurseJackie]

66. Wow! (I'm listening closely for the chorus of "her vote didn't matter" and...

Wow! (I'm listening closely for the chorus of "her vote didn't matter" and "it was going to pass anyway.")

[HarlanPepper]

91. Purity now. Purity forever.

[KG]

69. I lulz'd

[Javaman]

81. a few people slammed AOC on her vote. With her, she actually read the bill

and saw it still screwed the small business and the little guy.

after all is said and done, only the giants will stand. And they will be standing on the corpses of the small.

if any of you wanted A Brave New World as your future, we are diving headlong into it.

[Demsrule86]

83. Plenty of great progressives voted for this bill. It was the only help available...as was said

before, don't make the perfect the enemy of the good and in AOC's district, this bill will help. This could hurt her in the primary.

[George II]

84. When she was speaking on the floor yesterday afternoon, she railed about some things....

....she thought should be in the bill, not realizing that they WERE in the bill!!!

[sheshe2]

126. oopsie...

So much for having read the bill.

[Tom Rinaldo]

85. It's Fine. She could afford to make a statement with this vote

It faced NO DANGER of failing to pass. Now AOC will get interviewed by people asking her why she opposed this bill, and that will give her an opportunity to go over all of its real deficiencies. I have no problem with this scenario.

[gab13by13]

94. Anyone watch governor Cuomo's press conference today?

He said he told Senator's Schumer and Gillebrand to vote no on the bailout bill if it didn't have money for the states because he doesn't trust Republicans to give the money later. He then said it looks like he was right.

When do the anti_Cuomo threads start. C'mon AOC complainers stay consistent. Cuomo took the same position as AOC, fight for the little people, fight for the first responders and school teachers. I find it troublesome the amount of negativity that AOC gets here. Give me 200 AOC's any day. Have a nice day.

[George II]

99. That's not even close to the same situation. Sorry.

[Hotler]

98. It is alway bipartisan when there is a free money handout to the Man.

Notice that there will be no watch dog on this batch of funds because the deals have already been made and they all agreed on who all gets to steal it.

[bonniebgood]

100. AOC bashing thread without knowing or linking the full reason why she voted

against the bill. Im 100% sure her reasons were not the same as the GOP. This is one thing that I never understood about democratic underground community fighting against other democrats especially AOC when she's a real fighter for the PEOPLES.

[George II]

101. The point is each and every other member of the Democratic caucus voted for it....

She is the ONLY Democrat who voted (some couldn't vote at all) that voted no.

Fifteen months on the job and she knows more than the other 200+ Democratic members?

[betsuni]

131. So she said she wasn't voting for it because the money would go to Ruth's Chris Steak House and

Shake Shake, not mom and pop businesses and because there wasn't funding for hospitals and testing.

But the final bill did have funding for hospitals and testing and more for small businesses. Jayapal said she voted for it because they took a bad Republican package and made it better. It's not as if this is the last and only plan, they'll begin drafting the next one next week. And both the Steak House and Shake Shack returned the money. Somebody fought to make that happen.

Her reasons were not good ones in my opinion. Next time she should maybe know what's in the bill before voting.

[George II]

132. This bill didn't have any money for "Ruth's Chris" or "Shake Shack", and they decided before....

....the bill was even up for a vote that they wouldn't accept the money. So that reason for not voting for it was already moot.

Reminds me of early last year when she voted against a bill to keep the government open because it contained funding for ICE, even though the bill she voted against did NOT fund ICE.

As you say, she should maybe know what's in the bill(s) before voting. That's what most members of Congress do.

[betsuni]

133. Oh, thank you.

Then she had everything wrong.

[Hortensis]

134. +1000. I hope her constituents are watching her still

trying to develop a national following by trying to breed disaffection among young people, instead of representing the needs of her district's own residents and small businesses.