Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., dismissed detractors of her Green New Deal on Friday, saying to any critic who has yet to offer their own bold environmental ideas: “Until you do it, I’m the boss.”
The freshman congresswoman made the comment at a “Girls Who Code” event in the Queens borough of New York City.
“Like I just introduced the Green New Deal two weeks ago, and it’s creating all of this conversation. Why? Because no one else has even tried. Because no one else has even tried,” she told moderator Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code.
“So people are like, ‘Oh it’s unrealistic. Oh it’s vague. Oh it doesn’t address this little minute thing,'” she added. “And I’m like, ‘You try. You do it. Cuz you’re not. Cuz you’re not. So, until you do it, I’m the boss.’ How about that?'”
[Related: AOC rips Dianne Feinstein after her confrontation with kids over Green New Deal]
Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on the widespread criticism of her Green New Deal: “I’m like, you try. … Until you do it, I’m the boss! How about that?!” pic.twitter.com/vkp15KBttd
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 24, 2019
The comments were met with laughter and cheers.
The resolution was authored by Ocasio-Cortez and longtime climate advocate Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. It is nonbinding but calls for Congress to take the lead in ridding the nation of fossil fuels in the next few decades, among other dramatic environmental and economic changes.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is fast-tracking the resolution through the Senate, enabling a vote as early as next week, in an effort to force Democrats and several of their presidential candidates to go on record as soon as next week on a plan that has attracted ridicule and split the party.
