When confronted on Capitol Hill this Thursday about whether she’s being true to her word and not accepting a salary as the ongoing government shutdown continues, newly elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez essentially pleaded the fifth, in that she refused to answer.
“I’ve gotta run!” she reportedly told New York Post reporter Nikki Schwab.
I tried asking @AOC if she planned to take a salary (during the shutdown). “I’ve gotta run!” she said, walking away. In fairness she had to get in line for her photo with @SpeakerPelosi
— Nikki Schwab (@NikkiSchwab) January 3, 2019
“She then scampered down a crowded hallway to get in line for her mock swearing-in with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,” the Post reported early Thursday evening.
Her unwillingness to be forthright suggests she’s continuing to collect her salary, despite having argued last month that congressional salaries should be furloughed during shutdowns.
Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well.
It’s completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision.
Have some integrity. https://t.co/BgueNNjf0f
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 22, 2018
(Spoiler alert: most members of Congress are already wealthy!)
Speaking as a working class member-elect, I think it’s only fair.
It would also cause members who actually depend on their salary to think twice about leadership and take a shutdown vote more seriously. https://t.co/fSAcPAj0Xf
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 22, 2018
While it’s true she specifically referred to future shutdowns, many have argued that if she genuinely meant what she said, then she should start now and refuse to collect her pay.
Some feel similarly about her proposal to impose draconian tax rates as high as 70 percent on the highest-earning Americans so as to fund her widely panned “green new deal.”
The “deal” calls for using government regulations coupled with federal subsidies to eliminate the fossil fuel industry and replace America’s energy production with renewables within 10 years.
During a “60 Minutes” interview set to air Sunday, she called for more Americans to pay “their fair share” in taxes to make sure the deal reaches fruition.
Listen:
But as noted by social media users, the congresswoman has showed no signs that she intends to donate any of her own earnings to fund her “deal.” Couple this with her refusal to be forthright about her current pay situation, and she starts to look hypocritical in the eyes of many.
Look:
Let’s see you practice what you are preaching. Keep only 10% of your entire salary. Give the rest to fake climate change programs, reparations, others that need it more….spread your wealth like you want us to do. Hypocrite. You hate big corporations but use their products.
— ❌American❌ (@America99005647) January 3, 2019
@AOC Why haven’t u announced u hypocrite? #GFY Why don’t u donate your salary to Venezuela? Ocasio-Cortez won’t say if she’s taking a salary during shutdown https://t.co/Pe8QAVBfoV via @nypost
— ATP ?? ? ❌ (@bpol10snyc) January 1, 2019
Are you taking a salary while the government is shut down?
Or are you just another hypocrite?
Asking for a friend.
— Jay @realDonaldTrump (@SeekingTruth76) December 31, 2018
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Suggests Super Wealthy be Taxed Up to 70% to Fund ‘Green New Deal’. https://t.co/kazNSIZv0O
Seriously! How stupid are #NYC #Democrats that they supported this abomination?@AOC how about you start contributing 70% of your Congressional salary now.
— Scott Kellen (@djiboutiscott) January 4, 2019
Why does @politico cover every move @AOC makes but doesn’t write about her hypocrisy of taking pay during #shutdown?
— J Coll (@JCollNY) January 2, 2019
Did you cash that paycheck? Seems you’re pretty quiet on the shutdown while you collect your pay. You’ll fit in nicely with the democ’rat’s. Hypocrisy at it’s finest.
— Nationalism=America First (@leicacormie) January 4, 2019
The writer of the latter tweet may have had a valid point about the congresswoman fitting in among other Democrats. The party in general has a history of broken promises.
This especially applies to the newest House Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez. Though many vowed to block House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from reacquiring the gavel, Ocasio-Cortez ultimately caved.
Watch below as the young congresswoman is booed on the House floor Thursday when she renegades on her word and votes in favor of making Pelosi speaker again:
Though the congresswoman apparently lacks the time to properly answer questions or stick to her word, she did, however, manage to find some time Thursday to take selfies.
Yes, selfies …
Look:
This behavior was not well-received on Twitter.
Look:
As a woman, I’m embarrassed by this. https://t.co/3ZIgiIGnIC
— DC McAllister (@McAllisterDen) January 3, 2019
They think they are at the Kennedy Center and not the Capitol. Hey, ladies…you work for us. This is not a red carpet event for 2 years.
— J.J. Rodrigo (@Jersey_VA) January 4, 2019
Members of any High School Student Council are more serious than this bunch.
— Giovanni Sammartino (@Primo_Levi) January 4, 2019
What a joke?
— T man (@Tman14limited) January 4, 2019
Very embarrassing! But we are paying their paychecks for a complete freak show. We need to prevent people like this from getting in office.
— 3boysmom (@ckfossetta) January 4, 2019
Surprised they aren’t using a Wand of Narcissus pic.twitter.com/XTOVO6mxTV
— David ☕ Dáithí, Dewi, Dawid, Дaвид, Δαυίδ, Davidus (@davidebrady) January 3, 2019
And yes, it’s true, former President Barack Hussein Obama, also a Democrat, loved selfies too.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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