Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has only been in Congress for a month, but she’s already figured out the partisan tricks.
During an interview Tuesday with CNS News, the New York socialist refused to say whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be legally required to release her tax returns.
The question comes as House Democrats are pushing hard for H.R. 1, a piece of legislation that would, among other things, legally force President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to release their tax returns.
“In H.R. 1, it would legally require the president and vice president to release their tax returns. Do you think the Speaker of the House should also be required to release his or her tax returns?” CNS News asked Ocasio-Cortez.
“You know – you know, I – well, first of all,” she began, struggling to get her sentence going.
“The president and vice president is an elected position by the American people. I generally tend towards more transparency. There is a difference, although, because the speaker’s elections happen after a general election. So that, you know, that time is much shorter, but – but, yeah,” she added.
Her answer makes absolutely no sense.
The 29-year-old bartender turned socialist lawmaker said she leans toward “transparency,” so she supports the president and vice president being forced to release their tax returns, but not the House Speaker?
Following the interview, CNS News reports that it emailed Ocasio-Cortez’ press office for clarity on her position, asking, “H.R. 1 would legally require the president and vice president to release their tax returns. Does Rep. Ocasio-Cortez think House Speaker Pelosi should also be required to release her tax returns? Yes or no?”
After no response, CNS News again emailed Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez’s communications director, and stated that they were going to publish the story stating the New York lawmaker refused to answer the question.
“Sounds good,” Trent responded, conceding that Ocasio-Cortez apparently is a gigantic hypocrite.
H.R. 1, also referred to as the “For the People Act of 2019,” is a highly partisan piece of legislation that House Democrats are eager to pass.
Overall, the measure seeks to increase transparency in government.
However, it would require the sitting U.S. president and vice president — but not members of Congress — to release their tax returns “for the taxable year and for the 9 preceding taxable years” to the Federal Election Commission, and the FEC must make the returns “publicly available.”
It also forces all presidential and vice presidential candidates from a “major party” — meaning Republican and Democrat — to submit copies of their income tax returns for the “10 most recent taxable years.”
Members of Congress, like Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez, would be exempt under this measure from submitting their tax returns and having them made public.
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