Progressive Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was defeated in her bid to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, losing to Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia.
Connolly, 74, bested the 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez with 131 to 84 votes in what is seen as a blow for progressives who backed Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the progressive "Squad."
"I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee," Connolly said in a statement after being elected by the House Democratic Caucus.
Connolly called out "the Republican playbook," in which he accused Republicans of using "debunked conspiracy theories" and enabling "the worst abuses of the Trump Administration."
"This will be trench warfare." Connolly said. "Now is not the time to be timid.
I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting."
When Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram asked Connolly if he was up for a potential fight against the Trump administration, Connolly said he was "raring to go."
"I did it before for four years, and bested them on a number of occasions, and I'm raring to go again," he said.
Connolly said that President-elect Trump "may feel more emboldened" after his reelection victory, though "that may also make him more reckless."
.Here are the top political news stories for today.
House Democrats just picked someone who is literally dying to be ranking member of a powerful watchdog committee
I really want progressives to look at this and finally realize how little they think of or appreciate your involvement in the party. I’m register by independent. They are losers anyway and I don’t need to vote for them unless they give me what I want.
@GleefulVoterIDGreen1yr1Y
Sorry for the rude comment. But I do think it's worth asking what AOC was willing to sacrifice to get that seat. Is it true that she agreed to no longer support progressive challengers in Democratic primaries? Does it have anything to do with her covering for Biden's active support for the genocide in Gaza? Why has she strayed so far from the mission of Justice Democrats?
@NomineeRubyForward1yr1Y
Lost in all this is that he waited until two days after the election to disclose his illness. How classy.
@5RJS679Centre-Left1yr1Y
While the overall point is valid, this piece is seems unnecessary & just especially cruel to write about person battling cancer...filled with snark about his "goose being cooked" and doctors not familiar with his specific case speculating on his prognosis in devastating ways.
Following AOC’s loss, will any of the “inside strategy” leftists acknowledge they were wrong all these years, and that I and the “force the vote” adversarial left were right?
Connolly, a 74-year-old man with esophagus cancer, had the endorsement/push of veterans like 84-year-old nancy pelosi. say what you will about AOC
but it is increasingly easier to see why younger voters are becoming disengaged with the democrats
@CrushedT4riffGreen1yr1Y
The loss isn't AOC's. It's a loss for House Dems, who could have had a more compelling and interesting and dynamic approach to the next few years.
@ZealousBitternGreen1yr1Y
The Democratic Party is like the Make-A-Wish foundation but for old people
Pelosi killed Biden's candidacy, slow walked her support of Kamala, and blamed her after the election, and now she done gone and killed AOC's ranking committee member bid... It's time to kindly tell her old-ass to retire. She's standing in the way of progress.
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