OAN Staff Blake Wolf
3:14 PM – Friday, December 13, 2024
Republican House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer surprisingly revealed that he stands behind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (AOC) bid to become a ranking member on the committee for the Democrats.
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“I’m a big AOC fan,” Comer (R-Ky.) stated, using an abbreviation of Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) name. “Obviously, I don’t agree with very much of her policy, but I think she’s a good person, I think she’s very well spoken.”
Comer’s unlikely support follows Ocasio-Cortez’s announcement that she is currently seeking support to replace Marland Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as the Democrat ranking member on the committee, rivaling 74-year-old Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) for the position.
“I did not have [a] good relationship with Jaime Raskin, I don’t think that’s any secret,” Comer stated.
“I tell the press when they ask about the race for ranking member, the Democrats have nowhere to go but up after having Jamie Raskin for the last four years, so, I think AOC would be great, Gerry Connolly would be great. … But I certainly look forward to working with the next ranking member,” he continued.
“If it’s AOC, I think we’ll have a good working relationship. We’ll obviously have a lot of differences on policy, but I think she’s a good, well-spoken person for the Democrats to serve in that position,” Comer added.
Should Ocasio-Cortez succeed in her bid, she would become the youngest-ever member to serve as the ranking member.
“The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one,” she stated when announcing her bid.
“Now, more than ever, we must focus on the Committee’s strong history of both holding administrations accountable and taking on the economic precarity and inequality that is challenging the American way of life,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Connolly has positioned himself as the “veteran choice” for the Democrats, as he has served eight terms in the House.
“I don’t think this election is about generational change or an age gap. I think it’s about capability and seasoning and experience, and that’s what I’m running on. I think I’ve shown my ability, over 16 years in the committee, to take the fight to the other side and to propound and defend and advocate for democratic values,” Connolly stated.
“I’m good with the media. I’m good with the public. I know how to interrogate witnesses, and I know how to manage a committee,” he added, in a CNN interview. “So those are the credentials I’m putting forward to my colleagues, and I’m feeling pretty good about it.”
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