Ocasio-Cortez and Caruso-Cabrera debate for
fi rst time ahead of June primary for NY-14
From left: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera Courtesy of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR MAY 22-28, 2020 3
BY JASON COHEN
The gloves were off Monday
night as the candidates for the
NY-14 Congressional District
squared off in their fi rst debate
prior to the June 23 primary.
Interestingly enough, the
Bronx Times spoke with the
campaign for Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Monday morning and was
given no notice of the upcoming
debate.
The event, hosted by Bronx-
Net TV, featured Ocasio-Cortez,
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera
and Bardun Khan. Sam Sloan,
who had technical diffi culties,
could not be heard.
Throughout the hour, Caruso
Cabrera unleashed venom
at Ocasio-Cortez and did not
hold back. In the past week she
had accused Ocasio-Cortez of
not wanting to hold a debate
and now she had her chance.
Caruso-Cabrera said she
values the Democratic Party
and is the daughter and granddaughter
of immigrants. She
described her how her family
worked overnight shifts and
her father was one of the fi rst
to go to college.
“I want to help the people in
Queens and the Bronx achieve
the same American dream
that my parent and grandparents
did when they came to
this country,” she said. “Why
is AOC always missing in action?”
Caruso-Cabrera questioned
where Ocasio-Cortez has been
during the pandemic and accused
the incumbent congresswoman
of being more concerned
with TV appearances
rather than being a Democrat.
The congresswoman responded
by saying that she
fi ghts for 21st century economics,
believes health care is a
human right and supports a
living wage.
She emphasized that she
knew the value of hard work
since she was a waitress before
being elected to offi ce.
“I’m proud to say that I’m a
present member of Congress,”
she said.
She noted that she was in
her apartment in Washington,
D.C. for a week at the onset of
COVID-19 because she did not
feel well. Otherwise, she said
that she has been in the Bronx
raising near half a million dollars
for relief and handing out
food and supplies.
Unemployment
During the debate, Caruso-
Cabrera said that Bronxites
currently struggle to fi nd jobs,
which could have been easier
if Ocasio-Cortez hadn’t killed
Amazon’s arrival to New York
City. The challenger said that
Amazon would have brought
thousands of jobs to the city,
aiding unemployed New Yorkers.
She also noted how Ocasio-
Cortez was the only Democrat
who did not vote for the Paycheck
Protection Program
and questioned how the congresswoman
was not in support
of a bill that would help
people during the coronavirus
crisis.
“My opponent AOC voted
against the stimulus bill,” she
said. “You’re always working
on your celebrity status. No
bill is ever perfect. You devise
and you work against the
party.”
She also noted that Ocasio-
Cortez’s offi ce is never open
for constituents. The incumbent
did not take these accusations
lightly.
Ocasio-Cortez explained
that these are unprecedented
times in our country and
many businesses will not reopen
when life resumes.
According to the congresswoman,
it is imperative to not
give subsidies to big companies
like Amazon and corrupt
developers. Instead, she said
the government should return
to New Deal policies, direct
investment in jobs, building
new schools and clean air.
“Even if we snapped our
fi ngers and reopened tomorrow,
there are millions of jobs
that aren’t coming back,” she
said. “Quite frankly, we knew
a crisis like this was coming.”
Addressing her decision
to vote against the stimulus
bill, AOC noted the legislation
only helps the wealthy.
In a borough of mainly immigrants,
she could not justify
something that would not
help them.
“In a district that’s 50 percent
immigrants, I will never
leave our immigrant families
behind,” Ocasio-Cortez commented.
“Our district is one
of the most progressive districts
in America.”
Caruso-Cabrera continued
her attack the congresswoman
saying she couldn’t
fi nd her offi ce and again
claiming that she is “MIA.”
Ocasio-Cortez countered
and said that she has a campaign
and district offi ce.
“I know Ms. Cabrera isn’t
from the district so she may
have trouble getting around,”
Ocasio-Cortez said, adding
that Caruso-Cabrera only recently
moved here from her
$15,000 Trump Tower apartment
and probably has no idea
where Sunnyside, Queens is.
“I commit to our district,”
Ocasio-Cortez said.
“I’m running based on building
our community up. She
doesn’t care about the Bronx
or Queens. Who are you and
where have you lived?”
But Caruso-Cabrera
struck back.
“I love Sunnyside, Queens,
my opponent is the one nobody
sees” she said.
They discussed health
care and immigration, but
the debate was mostly a back
and forth between the two
candidates.
Ocasio-Cortez said that
she wants Medicare for all,
while Caruso-Cabrera did not
believe that to be the answer.
She stressed health insurance
should not be taken from
hardworking people who already
have it.
Caruso-Cabrera called Ocasio
Cortez a democratic socialist
and noted the Green
New Deal would accomplish
nothing.
She compared the incumbent
to her processor Joe
Crowley, who thought he was
a man of the people in the
Bronx, but like her, was a
ghost.
“I’m proud to serve and be
in this community for every
day that I’m not in Washington,”
Ocasio-Cortez said.