Over the past year, newly- elected freshman representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has become one of the most polarizing political figures in American life.
The 29-year-old democratic socialist has become a rising star on the left for her unapologetic progressive views and for touting aggressive policies such as the Green New Deal and a 70% tax on the wealthy.
At the same time, she’s been demonized by conservatives as a socialist who wants to turn the United States into an authoritarian state such as Venezuela or Cuba. A charge which is laughable.
However, on Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez made a speech to the House Oversight and Reform Committee that people of every political stripe should hear. In just five minutes, Ocasio-Cortez shared how the current system encourages and rewards politicians for doing the bidding of corporate masters instead of the American people.
In a series of questions to panel members she tells a story that exposes the influence of dark money, Super PACs and corporate interests and how politicians profit off them.
Her story ends in the Oval Office.
But there is hope. On Friday, February 8, Democrats introduced House bill HR1 the “For The People Act.” This new series of laws would end Citizens United, the SCOTUS decision that allowed unrestricted amounts of money to flow into the political system, and would make dark money public. It also bolsters voting rights and creates more ethics laws for the president and Congress.
Although the bill will most likely die in the Republican-held senate, it shows that at least one of the major U.S. parties is taking steps to end the culture of corruption in Washington and to return government to the people.
Image via Channel 4 News / YouTube.