New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped Republican lawmakers for their “inaction” after an economic relief bill worth nearly half-a-trillion-dollars passed in the Senate on Tuesday.
During a Tuesday night appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at her Republican colleagues in Congress who she accused of refusing to fund hospitals and provide nationwide testing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Democrats fought very, very hard for basic things like testing,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Republicans didn’t want to fund hospitals. They didn’t want to fund mass testing, which is what is actually going to allow us to reopen the economy. So I appreciate the strides they made in that.”
Though members of Congress remain out of session until May 4 because of the coronavirus pandemic, senators passed a new round of federal spending through voice vote that is aimed at helping small businesses and hospitals.
Ocasio-Cortez, who campaigned with independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said the bill does not give enough to first responders, many of whom live in parts of New York City that she represents.
“I think what we really need to realize is that, this small bill, while something may be better than nothing, it’s happening in the context of Congress having gone on recess for a month. We’re going to pass a small potatoes bill, and we’re talking about recessing again until May 4,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “The last time we left, again, we lost over one 9/11ths worth of people.”
Ocasio-Cortez has been critical of many aspects of the federal and local responses to the coronavirus, including attacking Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 1 for his decision not to suspend rent payments in the city.
