THIS IS ALREADY THE SECOND LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN
U.S. HISTORY.
U.S. HISTORY. IF IT MAKES IT THROUGH IN THE
WEEKEND, THERE IS NO REASON TO
THINK IT WON’T, THIS WILL BE THE
LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
EVER.
EVER. THIS IS A PAINFUL THING FOR THE
U.S. ECONOMY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN THE COUNTRY BUT HAS TO BE A
SPECTACULARLY WEIRD ENVIRONMENT
TO START YOUR NEW JOB IN, IF
YOUR NOW JOB IS YOU’VE JUST BEEN
ELECTED AS A NEW MEMBER OF
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. JOINING US IS ALEXANDRIA CORTEZ.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING E MANY.
>> LET ME START BY GETTING YOUR
TOP LINE REACTION TO THE
PRESIDENT’S SPEECH TONIGHT.
YOU’VE NEVER BEEN A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS WHILE THE GOVERNMENT
WASN’T SHUT DOWN, SO OF YOULSBVI
THIS IS A STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE
TO BE TAKING YOUR FIRST STEPS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I CANNOT TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF
DYSFUNCTION THAT THIS PRESIDENT
IS ADVANCING.
IS ADVANCING. WE NOW HAVE OVER 100 NEW MEMBERS
OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS.
I CANNOT GET EVEN GET LAPTOPS TO
MY CASEWORKERS IN THE BRONX AND
QUEENS TO PROCESS THE NEEDS OF
CONSTITUENTS.MORTGAGE, WE
CONSTITUENTS.MORTGAGE, WE CANNOT GET CASE WORK STARTED
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT DECIDED TO
HOLD THE PAYCHECKS OF EVERYDAY
AMERICANS HOSTAGE SO THAT HE CAN
FULFILL A CAMPAIGN, I CAN’T CALL
IT A CAMPAIGN, A FANTASY.
NOT ONLY THAT IN THE ACTUAL
ADDRESS THERE WAS FALSEHOOD
AFTER FALSEHOOD AND WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE WE GET THE FACTS
STRAIGHT.
STRAIGHT. EVERY DAY IMMIGRANTS COMMIT
CRIMES AT A FAR LOWER RATE THAN
NATIVE-BORN AMERICANS AND NOT
ONLY THAT BUT THE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN ON THE BOARDER SEEKING
REFUGE AND OPPORTUNITY IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WITH
NOTHING BUT THE SHIRT ON THEIR
BACKS ARE ACTING MORE AMERICAN
THAN ANY PERSON WHO SEEKS TO
KEEP THEM OUT EVER WILL BE.
>> ARE YOU AT ALL DISSUADED, NOT
DISSUADED, DISMAYED OR
DISCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SAYING THE
SAME UNTRUE THINGS ABOUT
IMMIGRANT CRIME, ABOUT THE
TERRIBLE COLLAR ACT TER OF I’MHA
AND THE VIOLENT CRIME AND
IMMIGRATION.
IMMIGRATION. WE HEARD HIM TELL FALSEHOODS
CONTHERECON
CONTHERECON CONTRADICTED FROM HIS
ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THE
PIPELINE OF DRUGS, HIS OWN DRUG
ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION HAS
SAID THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF
DRUGS EVEN THOSE COMING FROM THE
SOUTH OF, FROM SOUTH FROM THIS
COUNTRY ARE COMING THROUGH PORTS
F EN
F EN OF ENTRY AND WOULD BE STOPPED BY
A WALL.
A WALL. ARE YOU DISCOURAGED OR WHAT IS
YOUR STRATEGY?
YOUR STRATEGY? >> IT’S NOT SUP PRIEZRPRISING BE
HE HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ANYBODY
THAT’S NONE WHITE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. HE HAD BEEN SUED BY THE NIXON
ADMINISTRATION BACK IN THE DAY
FOR NOT RENTING TO BLACK
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. HE HAS HAD CONTROVERSY AFTER
CONTROVERSY SO THIS IS VERY
CONSISTENT.
CONSISTENT. IT’S NOT JUST THE CONTINUED LIES
THROUGHOUT HIS ADMINISTRATION
BUT FRANKLY, IT’S PART OF A VERY
CONSISTENT PATTERN OF HIS ENTIRE
LIFE
LIFE LIFE.
LIFE. I REPRESENT NEW YORK’S 14th
CONGRESSIONAL.
CONGRESSIONAL. WE HAVE OVER 200 LANGUAGES
SPOKEN IN MY DISTRICT ALONE.
WE ENJOY SOME OF THE HIGHEST
RATES OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND
THE BRONX ITSELF HAD THE HIGHEST
ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NEW YORK CITY
AND DIRECTLY, DIRECTLY
CORRELATED WITH OUR EMBRACE OF
IMMIGRANTS.
IMMIGRANTS. NEW YORK CITY OVERALL IS AN
IMMIGRANT CITY AND WE ENJOY A
VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC
AND CULTURAL PROSPERITY AS A
RESULT.
RESULT. >> THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
SINGING THIS SAME SONG THAT HE
DID A DIFFERENT VERSION OF
TONIGHT IN THE OVAL OFFICE,
SINCE THE VERY, VERY START OF
HIS CAMPAIGN.
HIS CAMPAIGN. HE HAS MADE ANTI IMMIGRANT
RHETORIC AND OFTEN FACTS
DEMONIZING IMMIGRANTS, MORE CORE
TO THE PRESIDENCY THAN ANY FORM
OF HIS RHETORIC.
IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT IS NOT
JUST DIVERSE BUT 50% IMMIGRANT
AND THAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
THE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP THAT
YOU CAN SEE BETWEEN IMMIGRANT
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND THE
OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF YOUR
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. WHAT’S THE CONSEQUENCE OF HAVING
SOMEBODY AS PRESIDENT WHO HAS
MADE THIS CORE TO HIS MESSAGE
AND TO WHAT HE WANTS HIS
PRESIDENCY TO MEAN?
IS THE HARM THAT’S CAUSED BY HIM
TALKING THIS WAY AND USING THIS
SORT OF PLATFORM THE WAY HE HAS
WHEN HE CAN’T GET POLICIES
PASSED?
PASSED? >> I CAN TELL YOU A VERY
PERSONAL STORY AND AS MANY
PEOPLE KNOW, I WAS WORKING IN
RESTAURANTS JUST A YEAR AGO.
AND WHEN THE PRESIDENT FIRST
ASSUMED OFFICE WITH HIS RACIST
AND VIOLENT RHETORIC, PEOPLE
STARTED TO SEND THEMSELVES HOME.
AND AS WE KNOW, IN RESTAURANTS,
HOSPITALITY, EVERY AMERICAN EATS
IF YOU CAN, IF YOU’RE LUCKY
ENOUGH OR WE’RE ABLE TO EAT
THREE TIMES A DAY.
THAT MEANS WE INTERACT WITH THE
PEOPLE THAT REPAIR OUR FOOD
THREE TIMES A DAY.
WHEN THOSE PEOPLE START TO GO
HOME, LOCAL OR RATHER GO BACK TO
THE COUNTRIES WHICH THEY
ORIGINATED FROM BECAUSE MANY OF
THEM CONSIDER THE UNITED STATES
THEIR HOME, THOSE PLACES THEY GO
INTO DYSFUNCTION.
INTO DYSFUNCTION. I REMEMBER ONE OF OUR LEAD COOKS
BROUGHT HIMSELF BACK TO MEXICO
BECAUSE HE WAS SO SCARED OF THE
PRESIDENT’S RHETORIC.
PRESIDENT’S RHETORIC. WE HAD AN INSANE AMOUNT OF
DYSFUNCTION.
DYSFUNCTION. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT LOCAL
RESTAURANTS.
RESTAURANTS. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT LOCAL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SHUTTERING
NEIGHBORHOODS.
NEIGHBORHOODS. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE
FEELING UNSAFE.
FEELING UNSAFE. AND NO ONE SHOULD FEEL UNSAFE IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR AMAZING
AND BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE INK
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND MORE
OVER, THE ONE THING THE
PRESIDENT HAS NOT TALKED ABOUT
IS THE FACT HE HAS
SYSTEMATICALLY ENGAGED IN THE
VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
BORDERS, HUMAN RIGHTS ON OUR
BORDER.
BORDER. HE HAS SEPARATED CHILDREN FROM
THEIR FAMILIES.
THEIR FAMILIES. HE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
THE DAY OF CHRISTMAS ON THE DAY
OF CHRISTMAS, A CHILD DIED IN
I.C.E. CUSTODY.
I.C.E. CUSTODY. THE PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT BE
ASKING FOR MORE MONEY TO AN
AGENCY THAT HAS SYSTEMATICALLY
VIOLATED HUMAN RIGHTS.
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE REALLY
DEFENDING WHY WE ARE FUNDING
SUCH AN AGENCY AT ALL BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS
DEATH.
DEATH. RIGHT NOW WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS
THE VIOLATION OF MUNIHUMAN RIGHT
THESE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ARE
BEING HELD IN BASICALLY FREEZING
BOXES THAT NO PERSON SHOULD BE
MAINTAINED IN.
MAINTAINED IN. FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME LET ALONE
THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY ARE
BEING KEPT ON AND MORE OVER, IF
YOU’RE ANTI IMMIGRANT IN THIS
COUNTRY, THE MAJORITY OF
IMMIGRANT OVER STAYS, THE
MAJORITY OF THE REASON PEOPLE
ARE UNDOCUMENTED IS VISA OVER
STAY.
STAY. IT’S NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
CROSSING A BORDER ILLEGALLY.
IT IS BECAUSE OF VISA OVER STAY
WHICH MIND YOU, HE’S TALKING
ABOUT LEGAL IMMIGRATION AND
TRYING TO RESPECT EVERY FORM OF
LEGAL IMMIGRATION THERE IS NOT
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. HE’S FIGHTING AGAINST FAMILY
REUNIFICATION AND FIGHTING
AGAINST THE DIVERSITY VISA
LOTTERY AND EVER WAY PEOPLE CAN
ACTUALLY LEGALLY ENTER THIS
COUNTRY FORCING THEM TO BECOME
UNDOCUMENTED AND THEN HE’S
TRYING TO ATTACK THEIR
UNDOCUMENTED STATUS.
UNDOCUMENTED STATUS. THIS IS SYSTEMATIC.
IT IS WRONG AND ANTI AMERICAN
AND AGAIN, THOSE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN TRYING TO COME HERE
WITH NOTHING BUT THE SHIRTS ON
THEIR BACK TO CREATE AN
OPPORTUNITY AND PROVIDE FOR THIS
NATION ARE ACTING MORE IN AN
AMERICAN TRADITION THAN THIS
PRESIDENT IS RIGHT NOW.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ OF NEW YORK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME BEING ON
THE SHOW AND YOU HAVE BEEN ONE
OF THE HIGHEST PROFILE MEMBERS
OF THIS NEW CONGRESS AND YOU’VE
GOT A LOT OF PRESSURES ON YOUR