Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had agreed to appear before Republicans on Wednesday to face criticism of her “Green New Deal,” but then declined, saying she had to be at the Oversight hearing with President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen.
“We reached out to her … and she initially said ‘yes,'” Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who chaired the Wednesday hearing of the Western Caucus, told the Washington Examiner.
He explained that he and Cortez serve on the same Oversight Committee that spent all day questioning Cohen and he was able to ask his questions early on. “We tried to make every opportunity for her to join, but she wasn’t able to,” he continued.
The Western Caucus forum, entitled the “Green New Deal Pipe Dream,” featured primarily opponents of the progressive climate change agenda, who testified and answered questions from Gosar and other Republicans.
Proponents of Cortez’ deal were also invited and either declined to participate or were unresponsive to invitations, according to a caucus agenda.
Gosar’s staff explained that Cortez had RSVP’d on Monday, but then on Tuesday said it would be impossible for her to attend due to the Oversight hearing with Cohen.
“They RSVP’d of Monday, followed up on Tuesday and said, ‘We’re not going to be able to make it with the Cohen hearing, and leadership has said they want us there the whole time,'” an aide explained.
Gosar said that his office has had multiple conversations with both her and her staff, in which the forum’s agenda was explained to Cortez in detail. So, she knew what to expect.
“We have been very transparent about who was going to be here, and were willing to have some of their witnesses testify,” said a Gosar aide who helped organize the event.
The intent was to have people for and against the Green New Deal testify, and “that’s why she RSVP’d,” the aide said. She welcomed the opportunity, he said.
A release issued by the Western Caucus on Tuesday said Cortez’ staff requested that the policy group New Consensus be allowed to testify in her place.
The group was integral in helping her staff create the Green New Deal resolution and would have the best handle on the specifics of the plan.
Demond Drummer, co-founder and executive director of New Consensus was then invited to testify. Drummer was invited, but not present at the Western Caucus forum.
Other proponents were also invited, such as the environmental group Sierra Club, which the caucus noted “declined” to participate. Others backing the Green New Deal, such as the Sunrise Movement, were marked as invited but did not attend.
Rep. Cortez’ office had not returned requests to comment by press time.
Read more at Washington Examiner
I was watching the Cohen testimony and I thought I saw AO-C. I wondered how she got a seat there and thought she was pushing her 15 minutes of fame. I had no idea that she was hiding out.
Filthy cowards.
This is really the new reality .
Say or propose something ridiculous, the socialist media pumps its tires for a few news cycles then apologize on a ratio of 1000 to 1 or don’t apologize
and plead the racism card .
Al Gore as ambassador for the earth has fever industry is a perfect example . What happened to that ice free arctic pitch and the fact it was complete nonsense ? Nothing because the media are in on it .
Something that DIDN’T happen is not news. We can wait 12 years for AO-C to retract her claim of certain doom. Won’t happen.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her followers wouldn’t be able to answer scientific questions about the predicted disastrous climate change because they have no understanding of science. In addition, there are other questions I’m sure they decided to avoid. How does a nation with a current annual budget of $4.3 trillion afford a program costing a minimum of $54 trillion and more likely $93 trillion? Why is a massive socialist agenda attached to a climate change proposal? Do you know that the technology doesn’t exist to store energy for when renewables are not available? Do you have the slightest idea what the Green New Deal would do the economy?
They know they don’t have the answers so they will avoid the questions.
One would think they would welcome the facts .
How unscientific, but then again it was never about real science
and that is why none of these groups will show up . Once the full extent of the hoax is revealed their cash pipeline is closed .Deny that ?
Chicken Little is now a little chicken.