Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Why Democrats' 'Talking Points Are Not Enough'

Astead W. Herndon / The New York Times

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, "I actually don't direct this critique directly at the White House. I think, in general, the party doesn't quite fully grasp what is happening in deep blue communities." (photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/The New York Times)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Why Democrats' 'Talking Points Are Not Enough'

Astead W. Herndon / The New York Times

21 november 21

The House progressive spoke about “demoralizing” congressional negotiations, how she was told to stay away from Virginia’s elections, and what it means to excite the Democratic base.

Last year, after Joseph R. Biden Jr. won the Democratic presidential nomination, a group of progressive lawmakers rallied around him to project party unity at a critical time.

More than a year later, as the president seeks to pass a robust spending package of social policies that represent the bulk of his domestic agenda, many of the same leaders are looking for a return on their political investment.

In an interview with The New York Times, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, one of the country’s most prominent progressives, questioned whether Democratic leaders and the White House understood the scope of the demands coming from the party’s base.