Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019, representing New York’s 14th congressional district. Since then, she has taken the internet by storm with her straightforward rebuttals across the Congress floor. The congresswoman, often referred to as AOC, is the youngest woman ever to become a member of the United States Congress, having accomplished this at the age of 29.
Cortez studied international relations and economics at Boston University and was raised by a Puerto Rican mother and a second-generation Bronxite father. She began her career in political activism during the 2016 presidential election, working as a volunteer organizer for Bernie Sanders in the South Bronx.
One thing Rep. Cortez is known for is her presence on social media, particularly because of her willingness to speak with complete honesty. For some, it has been refreshing to see a young voice in Congress, and for many, it has sparked their hope in the political system.
Here are some of my favorite spicy AOC moments, and I hope they become yours, too.
- “Oh girl, baby girl… don’t even play.”
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After Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia remarked to Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett about her eyelashes during a congressional hearing, AOC clapped back.
Greene told the Texas Representative, “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.” AOC was quick to defend Crockett, saying, “Absolutely unacceptable, how dare you attack the physical appearance of another person. Move her words down.” Greene then asked AOC, “Are your feelings hurt?” Before AOC ended the conversation, “Oh girl, baby girl…. don’t even play. We are going to move and we’re going to take your words down.”
- “He called me crazy, he called me out of my mind.”
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As Cortez was walking up the steps of the Capitol, former United States senator Ted Yoho verbally shouted explicit names at Cortez. After that interaction, AOC made a speech on the House floor.
“Representative Yoho put his finger in my face, he called me disgusting, he called me crazy, he called me out of my mind, and he called me dangerous. In front of reporters, Representative Yoho called me, and I quote, a ‘f*cking b*tch.’ I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men,” said Cortez.
- “Boots of greed trampling on our way of life”.
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AOC gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in support of former Vice President Kamala Harris in the last primary election.
“Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends. And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life. The truth is, Don — you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business,” said Cortez.
- “less time with their children THAN A DOG.”
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AOC made a logical argument on the House floor about national paid family and medical leave.
“Do you know how long puppies are allowed to stay with their mothers after a dog has given birth? Eight weeks. So, the market has decided that women and people who give birth deserve less time with their children than a dog. And I think that, at its core, has shown that the market has failed to treat people with dignity and with basic respect,” said Cortez.
- “SO no, I’m not going to the inauguration tomorrow.”
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AOC took to her Instagram story after being repeatedly asked by journalists and reporters if she would attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony.
“All these journalists are like, ‘Congresswoman, are you going to the inauguration? Congresswoman, are you going to the inauguration? Are you going to the inauguration?’ Let me make myself clear: I don’t celebrate rapists, so no, I’m not going to the inauguration tomorrow,” said Cortez.
Personally, I find it reinvigorating to have a young female in Congress, and it has been a pleasure to see what she has fought for along the way. Even Trump, our current president, said she has a “spark that is pretty amazing, actually,” despite their disagreements during an interview with Twitch streamer Adin Ross.
In such a difficult political time, it gives me slight hope that there is a woman on the ground fighting for the rights of the minority and targeted communities around our country. I, for one, enjoy the spicy moments AOC has to offer, and I am always rooting for powerful women like her.