Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on December 8, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
AOC Blasts Democratic Leaders for Boosting 'Pro-NRA Incumbent' Henry Cuellar
"This was an utter failure of leadership," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said hours after a gunman killed 19 children at a Texas elementary school.
In the wake of the horrific massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted her party's leadership for supporting an incumbent in the state whose record and policy positions earned him an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.
"On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of [the Supreme Court's impending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade], Democratic Party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. Robocalls, fundraisers, all of it," Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in a series of tweets.
"Congress should not be an incumbent protection racket."
The New York Democrat was referring to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), whose campaign for a 10th term in the U.S. House was boosted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).
"Accountability isn't partisan," she added. "This was an utter failure of leadership. Congress should not be an incumbent protection racket and sadly it is treated as such by far too many. The fact is those who fail their communities deserve to lose. They don't need rescuing from powerful leaders who state they fight for gun safety, the right to choose, and more."
The New York Democrat's scathing message came as the results of Cuellar's runoff contest against progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros rolled in late Tuesday. As of this writing, Cuellar leads by fewer than 180 votes and has declared victory while Cisneros--whose campaign had the backing of Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives--noted that the race remains too close to formally call.
Given the razor-thin margins of the runoff, Ocasio-Cortez argued Tuesday that "if Cuellar wins, leadership's decision to go to the mat for a pro-NRA incumbent will be the reason why."
Cuellar and Cisneros both condemned the shooting in Uvalde, where a gunman killed at least 19 children and two teachers in the deadliest school massacre since Sandy Hook. Since that 2012 atrocity, there have been more than 3,500 mass shootings in the U.S. as Congress has repeatedly failed to pass meaningful reforms to the nation's gun laws.
"I am heartbroken over the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School," Cuellar tweeted Tuesday. "Families, the South Texas community, and the entire nation are in mourning. Let us pray for peace. Let us come together for our neighbors that need support. And let us remember the bright lives we lost today."
In response, Cuellar's critics pointed to his past donations from the NRA and favorable rating from the gun lobby, which aggressively fights even the most basic gun-safety regulations. As CNBC reported, Cuellar "has received thousands of dollars in donations from the group since he was elected to Congress over a decade ago."
"Cuellar received $6,950 in donations from the NRA Political Victory Fund during his reelection campaign [in 2018,]" the outlet noted.
In 2019, Cuellar's campaign rebuffed calls to return the NRA donations or give them to charity following mass shootings in Texas and other states that year.
Since Sandy Hook, the nation has experienced more than 3,500 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks gun violence and defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are killed or injured.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
In the wake of the horrific massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted her party's leadership for supporting an incumbent in the state whose record and policy positions earned him an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.
"On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of [the Supreme Court's impending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade], Democratic Party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. Robocalls, fundraisers, all of it," Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in a series of tweets.
"Congress should not be an incumbent protection racket."
The New York Democrat was referring to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), whose campaign for a 10th term in the U.S. House was boosted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).
"Accountability isn't partisan," she added. "This was an utter failure of leadership. Congress should not be an incumbent protection racket and sadly it is treated as such by far too many. The fact is those who fail their communities deserve to lose. They don't need rescuing from powerful leaders who state they fight for gun safety, the right to choose, and more."
The New York Democrat's scathing message came as the results of Cuellar's runoff contest against progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros rolled in late Tuesday. As of this writing, Cuellar leads by fewer than 180 votes and has declared victory while Cisneros--whose campaign had the backing of Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives--noted that the race remains too close to formally call.
Given the razor-thin margins of the runoff, Ocasio-Cortez argued Tuesday that "if Cuellar wins, leadership's decision to go to the mat for a pro-NRA incumbent will be the reason why."
Cuellar and Cisneros both condemned the shooting in Uvalde, where a gunman killed at least 19 children and two teachers in the deadliest school massacre since Sandy Hook. Since that 2012 atrocity, there have been more than 3,500 mass shootings in the U.S. as Congress has repeatedly failed to pass meaningful reforms to the nation's gun laws.
"I am heartbroken over the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School," Cuellar tweeted Tuesday. "Families, the South Texas community, and the entire nation are in mourning. Let us pray for peace. Let us come together for our neighbors that need support. And let us remember the bright lives we lost today."
In response, Cuellar's critics pointed to his past donations from the NRA and favorable rating from the gun lobby, which aggressively fights even the most basic gun-safety regulations. As CNBC reported, Cuellar "has received thousands of dollars in donations from the group since he was elected to Congress over a decade ago."
"Cuellar received $6,950 in donations from the NRA Political Victory Fund during his reelection campaign [in 2018,]" the outlet noted.
In 2019, Cuellar's campaign rebuffed calls to return the NRA donations or give them to charity following mass shootings in Texas and other states that year.
Since Sandy Hook, the nation has experienced more than 3,500 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks gun violence and defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are killed or injured.
In the wake of the horrific massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted her party's leadership for supporting an incumbent in the state whose record and policy positions earned him an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.
"On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of [the Supreme Court's impending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade], Democratic Party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. Robocalls, fundraisers, all of it," Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in a series of tweets.
"Congress should not be an incumbent protection racket."
The New York Democrat was referring to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), whose campaign for a 10th term in the U.S. House was boosted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).
"Accountability isn't partisan," she added. "This was an utter failure of leadership. Congress should not be an incumbent protection racket and sadly it is treated as such by far too many. The fact is those who fail their communities deserve to lose. They don't need rescuing from powerful leaders who state they fight for gun safety, the right to choose, and more."
The New York Democrat's scathing message came as the results of Cuellar's runoff contest against progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros rolled in late Tuesday. As of this writing, Cuellar leads by fewer than 180 votes and has declared victory while Cisneros--whose campaign had the backing of Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives--noted that the race remains too close to formally call.
Given the razor-thin margins of the runoff, Ocasio-Cortez argued Tuesday that "if Cuellar wins, leadership's decision to go to the mat for a pro-NRA incumbent will be the reason why."
Cuellar and Cisneros both condemned the shooting in Uvalde, where a gunman killed at least 19 children and two teachers in the deadliest school massacre since Sandy Hook. Since that 2012 atrocity, there have been more than 3,500 mass shootings in the U.S. as Congress has repeatedly failed to pass meaningful reforms to the nation's gun laws.
"I am heartbroken over the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School," Cuellar tweeted Tuesday. "Families, the South Texas community, and the entire nation are in mourning. Let us pray for peace. Let us come together for our neighbors that need support. And let us remember the bright lives we lost today."
In response, Cuellar's critics pointed to his past donations from the NRA and favorable rating from the gun lobby, which aggressively fights even the most basic gun-safety regulations. As CNBC reported, Cuellar "has received thousands of dollars in donations from the group since he was elected to Congress over a decade ago."
"Cuellar received $6,950 in donations from the NRA Political Victory Fund during his reelection campaign [in 2018,]" the outlet noted.
In 2019, Cuellar's campaign rebuffed calls to return the NRA donations or give them to charity following mass shootings in Texas and other states that year.
Since Sandy Hook, the nation has experienced more than 3,500 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks gun violence and defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are killed or injured.