Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is calling for a stop to “heightened rhetoric” following an interaction between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday evening, Roy demanded Ocasio-Cortez apologize to Cruz for suggesting he almost had her murdered.
“It has come to my attention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet a few hours ago in which she accused Senator Ted Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder,” Roy wrote.
He continued,
“As a member of this body who disagreed with ‘objections’ to the electors and who has expressed publicly my concerns about the events leading to January 6th, it is completely unacceptable behavior for a Member of Congress to make this kind of scurrilous charge against another member in the House or Senate for simply engaging in speech and debate regarding electors as they interpreted the Constitution. I ask you to call on her to immediately apologize and retract her comments.”
“If Representative Ocasio-Cortez does not apologize immediately, we will be forced to find alternative means to condemn this regrettable statement,” Roy wrote.
“It is my sincere hope that we all stop this heightened rhetoric and move forward to actually do the work the American people sent us here to do.”
Cruz said he fully agreed with Ocasio-Cortez after she called it “unacceptable” for stock trading company Robinhood’s “decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit.”
She expressed support for “a hearing if necessary.”
Inquiries into freezes should not be limited solely to Robinhood.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021
This is a serious matter. Committee investigators should examine any retail services freezing stock purchases in the course of potential investigations – especially those allowing sales, but freezing purchases.
Fully agree. 👇 https://t.co/rW38zfLYGh
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 28, 2021
However, Ocasio-Cortez did not seem open to Cruz’s support, as she hit back, “I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out. Happy to work [with] almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed.”
She added, “In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign.”
I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021
Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed.
In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign. https://t.co/4mVREbaqqm
You haven’t even apologized for the serious physical + mental harm you contributed to from Capitol Police & custodial workers to your own fellow members of Congress.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021
In the meantime, you can get off my timeline & stop clout-chasing. Thanks.
Happy to work with other GOP on this.
In response to the Democratic lawmaker, Cruz told reporters, “You know, there’s a lot of partisan anger and rage on the Democratic side. It’s, it’s not healthy for our country, it’s certainly not conducive of healing or unity, but everyone has to decide how they want to interact with others.”
Ocasio-Cortez did not hold back in responding to Cruz’s remarks.
“We need healing + unity, but I will not take any responsibility for my actions, nor will I acknowledge the contributions my lies made to the violence or the harm that it caused, nor do I believe anyone should be held accountable. But if you’re mad at that you’re divisive.” – GOP
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021
“Oh, there’s anger? Now why would there be anger that Cruz amplified known lies about our election that fueled an insurrection that cost [peoples’] lives? What does he think the logical response to his lies should be? A hug? Maybe there’s anger [because] his actions deserve accountability,” she tweeted.