AOC Uses 90-Second Convention Speech to Blast 'Unsustainable Brutality' of US Economy and Celebrate Movement Fighting for Justice

Making the most of her 90-second speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday night condemned the "unsustainable brutality" of an economy that allows the very few at the top to hoard obscene wealth at the expense of the many and celebrated nationwide grassroots efforts to advance transformative change.

"Thank you to everyone here today endeavoring toward a better, more just future for our country and our world," said the New York Democrat on the second night of the virtual Democratic convention. "In fidelity and gratitude to a mass people's movement working to establish 21st-century social, economic, and human rights, including guaranteed healthcare, higher education, living wages, and labor rights for all people in the United States."

"In fidelity and gratitude to a mass people's movement working to establish 21st-century social, economic, and human rights, including guaranteed healthcare, higher education, living wages, and labor rights for all."
--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

"A movement," she continued, "striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny, and homophobia. And to propose and rebuild reimagined systems of immigration and foreign policy that turn away from the violence and xenophobia of our past. A movement that realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few, at the expense of long-term stability for the many."

In a nod to Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential bid, which Ocasio-Cortez supported, the New York Democrat applauded those "who organized a historic, grassroots campaign to reclaim our democracy."

"In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep, systemic solutions to our crisis of mass evictions, unemployment, and lack of healthcare--en el espiritu del pueblo, and out of a love for all people, I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America," said Ocasio-Cortez.

Several corporate media outlets immediately depicted Ocasio-Cortez's closing line as a snub of former Vice President Joe Biden, but the New York Democrat's seconding of the nomination of Sanders was standard convention procedure--as she explained on Twitter. Democrats formally nominated Biden Tuesday night.

"Congratulations, Joe Biden, I deeply look forward to fighting for our future together and reclaiming our democracy in November," the New York congresswoman tweeted.

Watch Ocasio-Cortez's full speech:

Below is a transcript of Ocasio-Cortez's remarks:

Good evening, bienvenidos, and thank you to everyone here today endeavoring toward a better, more just future for our country and our world, in fidelity and gratitude to a mass people's movement working to establish 21st-century social, economic and human rights, including guaranteed healthcare, higher education, living wages and labor rights for all people in the United States.

A movement striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia. And to propose and build reimagined systems of immigration and foreign policy that turn away from the violence and xenophobia of our past. A movement that realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few, at the expense of long-term stability for the many. And who organized a historic, grassroots campaign to reclaim our democracy.

In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep systemic solutions to our crisis of mass evictions, unemployment, and lack of healthcare--en el espiritu del pueblo, and out of a love for all people, I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America.