According to recent reports, Democrats have rejected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) bid for a key leadership position in the House. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) decisively beat AOC for the vice-ranking position on the House Oversight Committee, reports coming out of Capitol Hill indicated on Tuesday. The progressive “Squad” member had faced opposition from within the establishment wing of her party, which helped thwart her bid for the ranking position.
Connolly was elected as the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee in a vote of 131-84 on the House floor. “I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee,” Connolly said in a statement after winning the position, as reported by Fox News.
Connolly slammed “the Republican playbook” while accusing the GOP of leaning on “debunked conspiracy theories” that promote “the worst abuses of the Trump Administration.” The Virginia Democrat continued, “This will be trench warfare. Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting.”
Interestingly, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) indicated that he was supportive of AOC’s bid for the ranking position. Some have suggested that Comer’s endorsement of AOC was a shot at Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), whom the Kentucky Republican has had a rough working relationship with.
“I did not have a good relationship with Jamie,” Comer explained. “I don’t think that’s any secret. I tell the press when they ask about the race for ranking member: The Democrats have nowhere to go but up after having Jamie you’re asking for the last four years.” He added, “I’m a big AOC fan.”
In comments to CNN, Comer added that he anticipated having a strong relationship with AOC would she win the position. “I certainly look forward to working with the next ranking member, and if it’s AOC, I think we’ll have a good working relationship. We’ll obviously have a lot of differences on policy, but I think she’s a good, well-spoken person for the Democrats to serve that position,” he said.
Furthermore, The American Tribune recently reported on the battle Ocasio-Cortez faced, which involved opposition from powerful Democrats, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reportedly, Pelosi had been using her influence as a veteran deDocrat to publicly support Connolly’s bid. The Tribune reported on the matter prior to AOC losing her bid for the ranking position:
… Nancy Pelosi has publicly supported Virginia Congressman Gerry Connelly over AOC, who is also running for the position. While Pelosi is no longer serving in House Democratic leadership, her status as a seasoned veteran in the party still holds immense power, where she is supposedly making calls on behalf of Connolly for the position on the Oversight Committee.
Watch a clip below from a previous congressional hearing in which AOC was decisively shut down by incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan with facts and logic:
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