Ocasio-Cortez Speaks Out On Amazon Deal, Trump Impeachment Possibility
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke with reporters at her congressional office on Monday, talking on a range of topics from the failed NYC Amazon deal to next steps regarding investigations and President Donald Trump.
With photos waiting to be hung, a makeshift calendar for March ringed with Post-It notes and a sheet covering an office window, the congresswoman met with CBS2's Lisa Rozner.
"We wanted it to be open warm and welcome and feel safe," she said.
Back in November, she tweeted "The idea that it will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks at a time when our subway is crumbling and our communities need MORE investment, not less, is extremely concerning to residents here."
Ocasio-Cortez says she was mainly against the proposed headquarters deal with Amazon due to the company not organizing with local residents and businesses.
"I think one of the most concerning aspects in what happened with the deal previously is you have all of these folks in (Long Island City), Sunnyside, Woodside and all the way out to Jackson Heights, that will be impacted by this and they were not consulted," she said.
"We need to make sure that we are not imposing things on communities, but that communities have the ability to determine for themselves what they'd like to bring in," she said. "I think that that's something that's more moderate critically important."
MORE: State Senator Talks On NYC Congestion Pricing, Bringing Amazon HQ Deal Back To Life
Regarding Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, Ocasio-Cortez said she wanted to remain focused on aspects that apply to her committee appointment and leave talk about action the House may take regarding President Donald Trump to her party leadership.
"You hear the president say 'no collusion, no collusion, no collusion, right?" she said. "He's always talking about the focus on the relationship between his campaign and Russia which is, the scope of that investigation is under the House Intelligence Committee as well as several other investigatory bodies.
"So, while he's talking collusion, collusion, collusion - I think, in Oversight, we should be talking about taxes, taxes, taxes and his bank account, bank account, his bank account - his financial statement, statement, statement," said Ocasio-Cortez. "That's where I think actually some of the most troubling practices are with direct relevance to the American people under the scope of oversight."
Does she think Trump will be impeached?
"Well, I've always been very clear that I'm supportive and how I would vote in terms of impeachment," she said. "I understand that the leadership perhaps may want to build a stronger case and subpoena more records or figure out what's happening perhaps in the Mueller investigation and so I defer to the Chair, I defer to the party leadership.
"But, I believe that there's been, I certainly believe that there's been enough misconduct happening out of this office that it would be unbecoming of any president," she said.