New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned her critics for brushing off her policies such as universal healthcare and tuition-free college as “free stuff” while supporting defense spending.
House Democrats have been deliberating the National Defense Authorization Act, which appropriates funds to the military, as they decide how much funding to put toward defense. While defense appropriations typically have bipartisan support, some of the left-leaning members of the Democratic Party have opposed the current appropriations plan.
On Thursday morning, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a clip of her fellow Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna of California condemning the steady increase in defense spending that has taken place since President Barack Obama was in office. Khanna called it “Orwellian” to call the authorization “progressive” because the funding was going to defense rather than other liberal goals, including free college.
Ocasio-Cortez agreed with Khanna’s sentiment, tweeting, “Proud to join @RepRoKhanna in voting NO on the NDAA. As Ro says, when Pres Obama left, the US defense budget was $618 BILLION/year. It will now be $120 billion more than that. No pundits ask how we pay for it, or blast it as “free stuff.” We just accept it. Pay attention.”
Proud to join @RepRoKhanna in voting NO on the NDAA.
As Ro says, when Pres Obama left, the US defense budget was $618 BILLION/year.
It will now be $120 billion more than that.
No pundits ask how we pay for it, or blast it as “free stuff.” We just accept it.
Pay attention. https://t.co/MWqCwJ8Sr7
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 12, 2019
The classification of Ocasio-Cortez’s support for universal healthcare, student loan forgiveness, and tuition-free college as wanting to give voters “free stuff” has gotten under the congresswoman’s skin.
During a town hall event in November, Ocasio-Cortez blasted her critics, saying, “These are public goods. They’re public goods. So, I never want to hear the word or the term ‘free stuff’ ever again … because I’m tired of already hearing some of these neoliberal folks who are trying to, like, flip the script on us.”
The current version of the National Defense Authorization Act includes $738 billion in defense spending, along with provisions to change some policies in the armed services. Some of the spending is set to go to a pay raise for service members, paid family leave for military families, and funding to develop Trump’s Space Force branch of the military.
