Republicans called out U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for putting on a show for cameras during a heated House Energy and Commerce panel exchange.
The New York Democrat was arguing about potential budget cuts to Medicaid in the late overnight hours of debate Wednesday when Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) effectively told her to stop hamming it up for cameras.
Reforms to Medicaid requirements being considered in a package the House panel was debating included work requirements. Ocasio-Cortez brought up exemptions for women who have suffered miscarriages.
“I just want to make the point that we’d like for you to address the Republicans, and let’s have a dialogue this way and not to a camera. Mr. Chairman, I yield back,” Weber interjected as she spoke.
.@RepAOC asks if miscarriages are covered as exemptions.
GOP Member: “I’m glad you’re addressing us instead of addressing the camera.”@AOC: “There are 13.7 million Americans on the other side of that screen…they deserve to see what is happening here…I am talking to them.” pic.twitter.com/2gBqigh0OU
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 14, 2025
Panel Chair Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) then reminded AOC that Weber had yielded his time after she tried to continue her comments.
“The gentleman yields, the gentleman yields back,” he said.
“But I’m asking the … what about a miscarriage?” Ocasio-Cortez pressed.
“The gentleman yields back,” Carter responded. “The lady is out of order. The gentleman yields back.”
Shortly after, AOC commented again and mocked the GOP criticism by talking straight to the camera.
“Speaking of where we are addressing and who we are addressing, there are 13.7 million Americans on the other side of that screen right there. Hello! I’m talking to you because I work for you,” the Democrat said, waving to the camera. “And they deserve to see what is happening here. Because there are plenty of districts, including Republican ones, where 25% of your constituents are on Medicaid, 40% of your constituents are on Medicaid. And, yes, I am talking to you.”
She said she would not yield at one point, declaring, “I will not yield because it was a terribly disrespectful comment, and I will not yield to disrespectful men.”
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) later defended her colleague.
“When the gentlelady from New York looks at the screen — if she wants to check her hair, she wants to say anything she wants to that screen — she has the right to do so,” Clarke said. “There’s not a member on this panel that can tell another member where to look, who to look at, and where they want to look.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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