AOC Slams GOP Hearing On ‘Wokeness’ In Government, Calls For Probe Into Ohio Derailment: ‘There Are Actual Crises Happening’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tore into House GOP leadership’s “priorities” on Thursday, declaring there are “actual crises” happening in the U.S. while Republicans in Congress call for hearings on “wokeness” in the federal workforce.

“I can’t help but communicate that I find frustrating is that there are actual crises happening in this country. Couple of weeks ago there was a devastating, devastating derailment in East Palestine, Ohio,” Ocasio-Cortez began, referencing the early February train derailment and subsequent release of toxic chemicals that grabbed the nation’s attention last month.

“And yesterday, I was just lucky enough to wrap up a hearing early and I was going back to my office. It was not scheduled. It wrapped up early and there were people from East Palestine at my door. Because they weren’t getting a response in in their own other levels of government,” she continued, adding:

And so they were just roaming around waiting for anybody to open their door to them, to talk to any member of Congress, to talk to them. And so we sat down and they explained what’s going on. And, this committee needs to hold a hearing on what is, on the derailment in East Palestine. This is not just a disaster site. It is a potential crime scene.

Ocasio-Cortez also used some of her speaking time to defend “woke” policies related to the federal workforce, which was the topic of Thursday’s Oversight Committee hearing with the director of the Office of Personnel Management.

“We have about, what is it, seven, eight hearings just in this committee and subcommittee slated this week and which is as you know, a very high number and. I have no qualms with this committee working hard. I have no qualms with this committee doing everything that they can. But I think we need to have a conversation about priorities here,” Ocasio-Cortez said, adding:

We’re having a hearing right now and it’s about what the that the federal government is too woke. I mean, that’s seriously what we’re hearing.

And then there’s no definition of what woke is. But on paper, what’s actually being criticized in this hearing is that the so-called ‘woke’ policies are remote work for federal workers, especially those that live in rural areas and those who have disabilities, paying interns so that critical opportunities don’t just go to privileged kids whose parents can afford to pay for their rent, why they while they go on a free internship.

That’s what is woke here. That is what the other side is calling woke here making sure that OPM makes it, can create opportunities and federal careers for partners of military service members that’s woke, this is the woke alleged takeover that we have that.

That we want wildland firefighters who are putting their lives at risk. Increasingly so year after year, that we want to make sure that they stay on the job and have dignified conditions and not leave because they can earn more money as a greeter at Wal-Mart. This is what is this, is what this whole term woke means. Or diversity and inclusion so that the people who work in our federal workforce are actually in proportion to the people that live in this country. This is this horrifying woke agenda that the other side is trying so hard to block.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) held another round of hearings on Twitter, featuring journalist Matt Taibbi.

Watch the full clips above.

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