3 BRONX WEEKLY May 24, 2020 www.BXTimes.com
Ocasio-Cortez and Caruso-Cabrera debate for
fi rst time ahead of June primary for NY-14
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
BronxNet 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.
From left: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michelle Caruso Cabrera
Photos courtesy of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com