At a 'Fight Oligarchy' event in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) spoke about former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Arizona congress members voting against a GOP-led CR.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Because let me share with you exactly what I mean.
00:03What these folks want to call radical, I believe, is common sense.
00:12I think that in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, if a person gets sick,
00:19they shouldn't go bankrupt.
00:22I believe that a minimum wage should cover the minimum cost to live.
00:26Common sense.
00:27And Tucson, I believe that homes are not slot machines for investors and big banks to extort
00:36working families out of every last dollar that we have.
00:41Home is sacred, and you deserve a government that fights to help you keep an affordable
00:46roof over your head.
00:50And finally, I believe that our elected officials should take on abuse of corporate power everywhere
00:55that we find it.
00:58We must get big money out of politics and make clear that our country is not for sale.
01:06That's why I don't and never will take money from industry lobbyists or corporations.
01:12And you know, some folks, you know, maybe some local members of Congress out here or
01:23some pundits on television might have you believe that these American values are something
01:32out of the communist manifesto.
01:36And that we believe these things because we went to some fancy school and read them in
01:39a book somewhere.
01:41But I can tell you, we don't believe in healthcare, labor, and human dignity because we're extremists.
01:48And I don't believe these things because I'm an extremist.
01:51I believe these things because I was a waitress, Tucson.
01:55Because I scrubbed toilets with my mom to afford school.
01:59Because I've worked double shifts to keep the lights on.
02:02Because I did lose my dad to cancer as a kid and had to see my mom open the hospital bills
02:08a couple days after.
02:10And I know that we don't have to live like this anymore, Tucson.
02:13I don't want to live like this anymore, and we deserve better than this.
02:19And it's not just about Republicans.
02:22We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us, too.
02:30And that means communities choosing and voting for those Democrats and elected officials
02:36who know how to stand for the working class.
02:41And Arizona, I want to thank you for working so hard to continue to make that happen.
02:48It was Tucson that sent a man like Raul Grijalva to Congress.
02:55And I know that you will continue to make us proud in Congress as well.
03:00In fact, one thing I love about Arizonans is that you all have shown that if a U.S.
03:08senator isn't fighting hard enough for you in the Senate or elsewhere, you're not afraid
03:13to replace her with one who will and win.
03:21And that's how you got Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
03:24And that's not all.
03:28Last week, when other Democrats caved in the Senate, your senator stood strong against
03:34the D.C. pressure and voted no against a Republican spending bill that cuts billions for the working
03:40class.
03:42Arizona stood up.
03:44Arizona had a spine last week, and I thank you.
03:49In fact, all the Democrats who represent a congressional district in Arizona also voted
03:56against the bill.
03:57So I want to shout out Representatives Yasmin Ansari and Gregg Stanton for their courage.
04:03Defend them, Arizona.
04:06But don't stop there.
04:08Because you know who did vote to gut Medicaid and jack up health care costs?
04:14Every single Republican in the state of Arizona, including Representative Schweikert.
04:24So you know what that means.
04:26You know what our mission is here, right?
04:29This whole state needs to come together and give Schweikert the boot and replace him with
04:34a Democrat who fights for the working class.
04:39That's our mission for the next year, and it doesn't stop there.
04:43Every down-ballot race matters.
04:46This fascist administration didn't come from anywhere.
04:49They have planted the seeds for years.
04:52PTAs, bullying people out of school boards, city councils.
04:57It's time to put our glasses on.
04:59We got an Air Force show out here.
05:01We got an air show out here.
05:02There are backups today.
05:07We need to pay attention to every local race on the ballot, Arizona.
05:12We're taking this state over.
05:14We're taking it back.
05:15And we're going to fight, fight, fight for the future that we deserve.
05:20Si se puede.
05:21Vamos a hacerlo.
05:22Lo vamos a lograr.