New York's newly elected congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has officially arrived in Washington, D.C., and has wasted no time in shaking up establishment politics. The democratic socialist made her first visit to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office Tuesday morning to protest Democratic inaction on climate change, and successfully moved the 16-term congresswoman to make a change.
Ocasio-Cortez joined 150 young people at Pelosi’s office to call on Democrats to introduce a Green New Deal climate plan. The plan, inspired by a recent United Nations report, would create a quick switch to 100 percent renewable energy in the United States.
"She was elected as part of the movement. She intends to govern as part of the movement," said Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez’s communications director. "She thinks there is no other priority that we should be focused on and supports the Sunrise movement's call for Democrats to create a plan to transition the economy to a zero carbon economy so we have that ready to go when we take back the presidency in 2020."
The protest lasted about an hour. Ocasio-Cortez’s appearance boosted media visibility, leading Pelosi to release a statement.
“We are inspired by the energy and activism of the many young activists and advocates leading the way on the climate crisis, which threatens the health, economic security and futures of all our communities,” she wrote. “I have recommended to my House Democratic colleagues that we reinstate the select committee to address the climate crisis.”
Pelosi concluded her statement by again encouraging the activists and asking the police to let them protest. “We welcome the presence of these activists, and we strongly urge the Capitol Police to allow them to continue to organize and participate in our democracy,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to Pelosi on Twitter. “Thank you, Nancy Pelosi,” she wrote. “We have 10 years left to plan and implement a Green New Deal before cataclysmic climate disaster. Reinstating the Select Committee is exactly what we need to do.”
Pelosi will likely run for House Speaker when Democrats take control of the governing body in January. She could very well win her campaign. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, however, has not committed to voting for the California representative to retake the House leadership position. “I think she’s a candidate to consider,” she told MSNBC in June. The 29-year-old has not updated her stance since winning office.
Ocasio-Cortez did discuss a phone conversation she had with Pelosi after she beat 10-term congressman Joe Crowley in a Democratic primary last June. “She said she loved working with Joe, but that she’s always wanted younger women in Congress and that men tend to run at younger ages and women tend to run at older ages, and that’s she’s actually very happy to see some new blood,” she said. “And I look forward to meeting her in that chamber.”