Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced on Twitter Tuesday evening that she will be serving on the House Financial Services Committee led by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a vocal critic of President Trump.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to sit on this committee as a freshman, and look forward to working under the leadership of @RepMaxineWaters!” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Tuesday. “Financial Services is one of just four exclusive committees in the House. It oversees big banks, lending, & the financial sector.”
“Personally, I’m looking forward to digging into the student loan crisis, examining for-profit prisons/ICE detention, and exploring the development of public & postal banking. To start,” she added.
Democratic leaders reportedly tapped Ocasio-Cortez— as well as Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-CA), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)— to be on the committee.
A vote confirming their committee appointments is expected in the coming days.
The 29-year-old self-professed Democratic Socialist— who struggled to explain how to pay for $40 million in government programs in a recent interview— said shortly after her election in November that she wished to serve on the committee which oversees the nation’s financial sector.
Even though freshman lawmakers are rarely afforded the opportunity to serve on the powerful House committee, Ocasio-Cortez lobbied the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee to seat her on the committee.
The financial committee assignment would not only give the freshman Democrat a platform to advance her agenda— which includes policies such as the New Green Deal to abolish fossil fuels and universal Medicaid— but it would also allow her to shift the Democrats’ stance on financial issues further to the left.
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