Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) unleashed on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for not voting to change the Senate filibuster to pass sweeping voting rights legislation.
She also criticized President Joe Biden for not pushing back on Manchin hard enough, in her opinion.
During a town hall event on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez ripped into the West Virginia senator as she said, “I’m mad! I’m mad. People say, ‘Don’t be mad.'”
“It’s this idea of if we coddle someone’s ego that they’re gonna say yes. And if it hasn’t worked in two years, why are we gonna continue doing that when there’s an election this November? And honestly, even sooner because primary elections have already started,” she continued.
The lawmaker went on:
“The idea that this one person gets to go on television and provide weak arguments as to why they are blocking the basic civil rights of our Americans. And journalists don’t push back. And our party leadership doesn’t push back. And the president doesn’t push back forcefully. That makes me mad! Because we’re talking about peoples’ citizenship, their personhood under the law is so deeply tied to the right to vote.”
Finally, Ocasio-Cortez said, “One Democratic senator from West Virginia doesn’t think it’s important enough. And that’s unacceptable. I don’t care what party you’re in. It’s not acceptable… We did our job in passing it in the House.”
Watch the video below:
In a fiery speech, @AOC goes after Sen. Manchin (D-WV) on voting rights and BBB:
— The Recount (@therecount) March 25, 2022
"I'm mad … This idea of if we coddle someone's ego then they're gonna … say yes. And if it hasn't worked in 2 years, why are we gonna continue doing that when there’s an election this November?” pic.twitter.com/oXVM4JZWKg
The New York Congresswoman also said she asked Biden to “sidestep” whatever he can with the Senate.
Her comments referenced Manchin’s decision to vote against changing Senate filibuster earlier this year to let Democrats pass a voting rights bill with just 51 votes. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) voted against the change as well.
Manchin also sunk Democrats’ hopes of passing a Build Back Better social spending package.