Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), one of the most far-left members of Congress, was overwhelmingly rejected during a
secret ballot vote on Friday in her bid to be seated on a powerful congressional committee.
Democrats overwhelmingly voted to give the seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY) instead of Ocasio-Cortez, in what ended up being
a 46-13 vote.
Politico noted that Ocasio-Cortez was rejected because many in the party view her “far-left policies” as a “threat” in addition to her backing far-left candidates in primary races against incumbent Democrats, and “her refusal to pay party campaign dues.”
One member of Congress told Axios that the vote would have “been very different if it wasn’t secret,” which suggests that Democrats might be ‘afraid’ of AOC.
The Committee, which was established in 1795, has the broadest jurisdiction of any authorizing committee in Congress as it legislates on a wide variety of key, potentially controversial issues. Those include health care, including mental health and substance abuse; health insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid; biomedical research and development; food, drug, device and cosmetic safety; environmental protection; clean air and climate change; safe drinking water; toxic chemicals and hazardous waste; national energy policy; renewable energy and conservation; nuclear facilities; electronic communications and the internet; broadcast and cable television; privacy, cybersecurity and data security; consumer protection and product safety; motor vehicle safety; travel, tourism and sports; and interstate and foreign commerce.
The Committee also oversees multiple key federal departments and agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services; National Institutes of Health; Food and Drug Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Indian Health Service; Environmental Protection Agency; Department of Energy; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Federal Communications Commission; Federal Trade Commission; Consumer Product Safety Commission; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Department of Commerce; Department of Transportation; and the Department of Homeland Security.
The blowout vote against Ocasio-Cortez comes after she complained during an interview this week about the leadership in the Democrat Party.
(Daily Wire).
