Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tears into Trump in First Floor Speech: Eroding ‘American Democracy’

OCASIO CORTEZ Thank you ░░░░░░░░ you Madam Speaker Today ░░░░░░░░ rise to tell the ░░░░░░░░ of one of my ░░░░░░░░ Yahi Obed ph Mr ░░░░░░░░ ph was born in ░░░░░░░░ and came to the ░░░░░░░░ States when he was ░░░░░░░░ years old His childhood ░░░░░░░░ was to become a ░░░░░░░░ and he knew and ░░░░░░░░ that in the United ░░░░░░░░ all things are possible ░░░░░░░░ his dream could come ░░░░░░░░ Mr Obed s dream ░░░░░░░░ come true He s ░░░░░░░░ a federal employee for ░░░░░░░░ years has two children ░░░░░░░░ a mortgage for his ░░░░░░░░ in the Morris Park ░░░░░░░░ of the Bronx He ░░░░░░░░ hard got his pilot ░░░░░░░░ license and he s ░░░░░░░░ an air traffic controller ░░░░░░░░ at John F Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ Airport in New York ░░░░░░░░ I spoke with Mr ░░░░░░░░ ph today over the ░░░░░░░░ He and his air ░░░░░░░░ controllers like him across ░░░░░░░░ country missed their first ░░░░░░░░ this past week He ░░░░░░░░ telling me about how ░░░░░░░░ his job is Every ░░░░░░░░ day air traffic controllers ░░░░░░░░ thousands of people s ░░░░░░░░ in their hands with ░░░░░░░░ changes flight delays staffing ░░░░░░░░ and a myriad of ░░░░░░░░ issues their days almost ░░░░░░░░ go exactly to plan ░░░░░░░░ job is to find ░░░░░░░░ analyze and adapt in ░░░░░░░░ time to keep people ░░░░░░░░ in the busiest air ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ the world And it ░░░░░░░░ terrifying to think that ░░░░░░░░ every single air traffic ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ currently distracted at work ░░░░░░░░ they don t know ░░░░░░░░ their next paycheck are ░░░░░░░░ Federal workers jobs are ░░░░░░░░ enough The rise in ░░░░░░░░ York City s cost ░░░░░░░░ living is stressful enough ░░░░░░░░ fact that Mr Obed ░░░░░░░░ family cannot be reunified ░░░░░░░░ to fears over the ░░░░░░░░ ban is stressful enough ░░░░░░░░ several thousand dollar a ░░░░░░░░ Bronx mortgage is stressful ░░░░░░░░ The anti immigrant sentiment ░░░░░░░░ this administration is stressful ░░░░░░░░ And the truth of ░░░░░░░░ shutdown is that it ░░░░░░░░ not about a wall ░░░░░░░░ is not about the ░░░░░░░░ and it is certainly ░░░░░░░░ about the well being ░░░░░░░░ everyday Americans The truth ░░░░░░░░ this shutdown is about ░░░░░░░░ erosion of American democracy ░░░░░░░░ the subversion of our ░░░░░░░░ basic governmental norms It ░░░░░░░░ not normal to hold ░░░░░░░░ 000 workers paychecks hostage ░░░░░░░░ is not normal to ░░░░░░░░ down the government when ░░░░░░░░ don t get what ░░░░░░░░ want It is not ░░░░░░░░ for public servants to ░░░░░░░░ away and hide from ░░░░░░░░ public that they serve ░░░░░░░░ it is certainly not ░░░░░░░░ to starve the people ░░░░░░░░ serve for a proposal ░░░░░░░░ is wildly unpopular among ░░░░░░░░ American people Each and ░░░░░░░░ member of this body ░░░░░░░░ a responsibility to this ░░░░░░░░ and to everyone in ░░░░░░░░ United States of America ░░░░░░░░ they voted for us ░░░░░░░░ not and this president ░░░░░░░░ in that responsibility as ░░░░░░░░ which means he has ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to my constituent ░░░░░░░░ Obed ph President Trump ░░░░░░░░ a responsibility to all ░░░░░░░░ traffic controllers FDA inspectors ░░░░░░░░ workers and he has ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to maintain the ░░░░░░░░ functioning of the United ░░░░░░░░ government Thank you very ░░░░░░░░ Madam Speaker I yield ░░░░░░░░ time.”