Apology demanded from GOP lawmaker for Ocasio-Cortez remark

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused a Republican colleague on Tuesday of angrily harassing her exterior the Capitol over her progressive views in an encounter {that a} reporter mentioned ended with the congressman utilizing a sexist slur as he walked away.

The No. 2 House Democrat demanded that Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, one of many House’s most conservative members, apologize to Ocasio-Cortez, one of many House’s most progressive, over Monday’s confrontation. A spokesperson for Yoho denied that the lawmaker had used a sexist slur, saying the Florida congressman had as an alternative muttered “bull——” to himself to explain Ocasio-Cortez’s insurance policies.

There was little signal that Yoho’s GOP colleagues have been rising to defend him, and the House minority chief mentioned he would communicate to Yoho.

“We think everyone should show respect to one another,” Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., instructed reporters concerning the episode, which occurred throughout an election yr wherein partisan divisions have been rubbed uncooked.

In a tweet Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., mentioned she had by no means spoken to Yoho “before he decided to accost me” as they handed one another on the Capitol’s out of doors steps throughout a vote.

“Believe it or not, I usually get along fine w/ my GOP colleagues. We know how to check our legislative sparring at the committee door. But hey, ‘b(asterisk)tches’ get stuff done,” she wrote, utilizing one of many phrases Yoho reportedly used.

A reporter for The Hill newspaper witnessed the encounter, the newspaper mentioned. According to the information outlet, Yoho approached Ocasio-Cortez and mentioned her current feedback connecting poverty to against the law surge in New York City through the coronavirus pandemic have been “disgusting.”

“You are out of your freaking mind,” Yoho added. Ocasio-Cortez instructed Yoho he was being “rude,” the article mentioned.

The Hill mentioned as the 2 headed in reverse instructions, Yoho uttered the sexist remark “to no one in particular.”

Walking with Yoho was Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, one other conservative. Heather Douglass, Williams’ spokesperson, mentioned he didn’t hear the trade and “would have immediately condemned that type of language towards any colleague.”

Ocasio-Cortez fired again, saying Williams was mendacity about not listening to the dialog and had even participated in it, making his personal comment about “throwing urine.”

“When he undeniably sees another man engaged in virulent harassment of a young woman, just pretend you never saw it in the most cartoonish manner possible,” she wrote.

Yoho, 65, is a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and a foe of GOP leaders he’s thought-about too average like former Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. He’s retiring when his time period ends in January.

Ocasio-Cortez, 30, is a high-profile first-term congresswoman whose vociferous help for proposals just like the Green New Deal has gained her appearances in GOP marketing campaign adverts casting her as a liberal villain.

Yoho spokesperson Brian Kaveney mentioned in an e-mail Tuesday that Yoho “had a brief member to member conversation” and had not known as Ocasio-Cortez a reputation. He wrote that Yoho mentioned “bull——” to himself, “summarizing what he believes her policies to be.”

“It is unfortunate that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is using this exchange to gain personal attention,” mentioned Kaveny.

Kaveny didn’t instantly reply to a follow-up e-mail asking if Yoho would apologize.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., mentioned Yoho’s feedback have been “despicable and unacceptable” and require an apology on the House ground. By late afternoon Tuesday, there was no indication whether or not that will happen.

“It was the act of a bully, of a person who is the antithesis of the person we are honoring this week, John Lewis,” mentioned Hoyer, referring to the Georgia Democrat and civil rights hero who died Friday. He mentioned Yoho’s motion was “despicable conduct and it needs to be sanctioned.″

Other congressional Democrats swarmed to Ocasio-Cortez’s defense on Twitter.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who, like Ocasio-Cortez, is a member of the “Squad” of first-term congresswomen of shade, wrote that Yoho had “perpetuated” the issue of violence towards ladies together with his “sexist verbal attack.”

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., tweeted that he, too, believes poverty may cause crime and mentioned, “Wonder why Rep. Yoho hasn’t accosted me on the Capitol steps with the same sentiment?”

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Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.