Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped Sen. Mike Lee on Tuesday after he delivered a speech mocking the “Green New Deal” on the Senate floor.
Lee used a series of derisive posters, including one of former President Ronald Reagan riding a dinosaur, during his speech. Here’s video of Lee’s address:
Progressive strategist Waleed Shahid tweeted a screen grab of Lee in front of a picture of babies which caught Ocasio-Cortez’s attention. Shahid quoted Lee as saying “The solution to climate change is not this unserious resolution…the solution to so many of our problems at all times and in all places is to fall in love, get married, and have some kids.”
Ocasio Cortez responded, “Like many other women + working people, I occasionally suffer from imposter syndrome: those small moments, especially on hard days, where you wonder if the haters are right. But then they do things like this to clear it right up. If this guy can be Senator, you can do anything,” she tweeted.
Like many other women + working people, I occasionally suffer from impostor syndrome: those small moments, especially on hard days, where you wonder if the haters are right.
But then they do things like this to clear it right up.
If this guy can be Senator, you can do anything. https://t.co/vU4ChbTnnr
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 26, 2019
According to Sen. Lee’s office, the entire quote mocked by Ocasio-Cortez read:
“The solution to climate change is not this unserious resolution, but the serious business of human flourishing – the solution to so many of our problems, at all times and in all places: fall in love, get married, and have some kids.”
“If AOC wants to mock love, marriage, and kids we wish her the best of luck,” said Lee’s spokesperson Conn Carrol in an email to UtahPolicy.com.
Lee on Wednesday insisted his floor stunt, which propelled the senator into a Twitter trending topic, was meant to illustrate how silly he believes the non-binding resolution to be.
“This isn’t going to pass — not today, not any time soon certainly. Rather, after reading the Green New Deal, I’m mostly afraid of not being able to get through this speech with a straight face,” he said on the floor. “For, Mr. President, I rise today to consider the Green New Deal with the seriousness it deserves.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s quip acknowledges her role as one of Republicans’ favorite punching bags. Conservatives constantly write the freshman congresswoman off for her lack of political experience, despite her surging popularity as one of the faces of the party’s progressive wing.
