U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., has come out with a long list of social-media statements justifying a raise for Congress, and suggesting it’s the one way to fight back against “dark money loopholes,” i.e., corruption.
But her online audience isn’t taking it well.
In fact, she’s being accused of, well, not putting the country first.
The anonymous “misinforminimalism” questioned, “So it’s extortion?” That theme was echoed by Stephen L. Hall, who said, “Sounds a bit like extortion.”
The congresswoman, a former bartender, stated, “Yep. Voting against cost of living increases for members of Congress may sound nice, but doing so only increases pressure on them to keep dark money loopholes open.”
Her point being that members of Congress cannot make it on their salary of $174,000 a year, plus vast funds for benefits and other perks.
Of course, individuals such as the House speaker get more.
“This makes campaign finance reform *harder,*” she continued, “ALL workers deserve cost of living increases, incl min wage workers.”
“So if taxpayers don’t give her money she’ll be forced to take dark money and stuff. She really thought this was a good argument?” questioned Twitter news aggregator Twitchy.
Ocasio-Cortez went on to explain that voting against raises for Congress just punishes “members who rely on a straight salary, and rewarda those who rely on money loopholes and other forms of self-dealing. For example, it incentivizes the horrible kinds of legislative looting we saw in the GOP tax scam bill.”
Yep. Voting against cost of living increases for members of Congress may sound nice, but doing so only increases pressure on them to keep dark money loopholes open.
This makes campaign finance reform *harder.*
ALL workers deserve cost of living increases, incl min wage workers. https://t.co/fCdgHKx4G1
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2019
What this does is punish members who rely on a straight salary, and reward those who rely on money loopholes and other forms of self-dealing.
For example, it incentivizes the horrible kinds of legislative looting we saw in the GOP tax scam bill.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2019
Another anonymous respondent, Mel, wrote, “Nah, really I shouldn’t care about their struggles. Would it be ok if I went to HR and said, pay me 5K more or I’ll start embezzling? Nope. Every city in America is expensive, if u can’t figure it out on 175K then no I don’t think u have the life skills to be sitting in Congress.”
Eric Spencer added, “It’s starting. She talks about capping income for us, but doesn’t think twice about calling for pay increases for the government. Kids, just say no to socialism.”
Another, Gianbattista, also anonymous, wrote, ” Wait… what!!!! If you don’t give us more money we’re going to be corrupt? Ahahahahahahahahahahaha.”
Ocasio Cortez says efforts to hike Congressional pay “may not be politically popular to say but honestly this is why there’s so much pressure to turn to lobbying firms and to cash in on member service after people leave because precisely of this issue.”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 11, 2019
When Ocasio-Cortez’ comments demanding raises were revealed, “hella tidy” said, “The problem is greed.”
Michael Skotnicki said, “So AOC is suggesting that being a member of Congress should make you so personally wealthy that you won’t want to earn lots of money lobbying after you lose or retire? Actually, it would make them more accustomed to a lifestyle far removed from the electorate.”
Douglas E. Fresh wrote, “$174,000 for 138 days of ‘work’ sounds more than fair.”
The New York socialist actually has been a nonstop source of outlandish statements.
Investigative reporter Sara Carter has posted online a video of Ocasio-Cortez getting corrected on policy, practice and the law by an FBI agent.
Over and over.
Twitter users immediately jumped on her attempts to “turn white supremacy into domestic terrorism.”
Twitchy wrote, “We could watch AOC getting schooled by an FBI official on domestic terrorism ALL day.”
Ocasio-Cortez recently insisted on subpoenas for certain members of the Trump administration with security clearances because she feared they will be “putting nuclear codes in Instagram DMs.”
.@RepAOC @AOC: “Every day that we go on without getting to the bottom of this matter is a day that we are putting hundreds if not potentially thousands of Americans at risk. I mean, really, what is next, putting nuclear codes in Instagram DMs?!? This is ridiculous.” pic.twitter.com/EkTPWbwIn4
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 2, 2019
She also has trashed prayer, writing after a shooting, “What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?”
Ocasio-Cortez began with:
At 1st I thought of saying, “Imagine being told your house of faith isn’t safe anymore.”
But I couldn’t say “imagine.”
Because of Charleston.
Pittsburgh.
Sutherland Springs.What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?pic.twitter.com/2mSw0azDN8
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 15, 2019
Then she added: “This is a time of great vulnerability for our communities. We must come together, fight for each other, & stand up for neighbors. Isolation, dehumanizing stereotypes, hysterical conspiracy theories, & hatred ultimately lead to the anarch of violence. We cannot stand for it.”
Then came, wrote a blogger on the Twitter news-aggregating site Twitchy, her “doozy.”
She said: “(‘Thoughts and prayers’ is reference to the NRA’s phrase used to deflect conversation away from policy change during tragedies. Not directed to PM Ardern, who I greatly admire.)”
She also, during a congressional hearing, demanded that Wells Fargo CEO Timothy Sloan explain why his company was involved in caging children.
He patiently explained the company wasn’t engaged in any such activity.
She’s also openly wondered whether it’s OK “to still have children” in light of the world “ending in 12 years.”
And she’s under scrutiny for alleged campaign violations involving “dark money” while promoting a “green” plan redistributing trillions of dollars of other people’s money to fund, among other things, people “unwilling” to work.
The congresswoman also was instrumental in convincing Amazon to cancel its plan for a second headquarters, in New York City, that would have created 25,000 jobs.
