House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denied a serious rift with liberal freshman star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez following a short meeting Friday morning between the two congresswomen.
“I would never even say there was a hatchet,” Pelosi, a California Democrat, said when asked if the two had some animosity to bury.
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Pelosi complimented Ocasio-Cortez, a representative from New York, as “a very gracious member of Congress,” and said they discussed the importance of an agenda that addresses the diversity of the country.
She called her tiff with Ocasio-Cortez “some personality issues” and called the matter “minor.”
“You’re in a family and in a family you have your differences but you are still a family.” Pelosi said. “In our caucus we have our differences. Respect that, instead of making a big issue out of it.” Pelosi
Pelosi described herself as a weaver at a loom when it comes to unifying a diverse caucus and “just making all of those threads come together in the boldest possible way.”
Ocasio-Cortez and a small group of liberal freshmen have advocated for an agenda far to the left of Pelosi that includes universal healthcare and a Green New Deal that would realign the economy to eliminate carbon emissions.
The group sometimes vote against the agenda because it is not liberal enough and has criticized moderate Democrats and called for primaries against party incumbents.
The tension played out in a public spat between the two women earlier this month.
Pelosi told the New York Times that Ocasio-Cortez and her “squad” of liberal freshmen have large followings on Twitter but little pull in the Democratic caucus.
The comment came after Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff attacked moderates and Pelosi on Twitter.
Ocasio-Cortez then criticized Pelosi for attacking the group, who are comprised of minority women.
Ocasio-Cortez did not speak to reporters following the meeting but Pelosi posted a photo of the two standing side by side and smiling.
A reporter asked Pelosi if after the meeting Ocasio-Cortez “understood the challenges you have to unify your caucus.”
Pelosi had no answer.
“You’d have to ask her.”
