'They Are Trying To Gut The Voting Rights Act': AOC Slams GOP's Plan To Gerrymander Texas

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill.

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00:00If the Republicans change the maps in Texas, do you think the New York Democrats should do the same in New York?

00:06Well, first and foremost, I think people need to understand the gravity of what the state of Texas is trying to do.

00:13They are trying to gut the Voting Rights Act that really governs the entire United States of America,

00:19and they're trying to do it by aggressively flouting the law.

00:23They are seeking to redraw their entire maps independent of the census.

00:28And we've been several years out. We're five years out from the census.

00:31If these maps were incorrectly or unjustly drawn, that challenge would have happened then,

00:37alongside many of the other challenges that happened in both Republican and Democratic states.

00:41So what we're seeing here is an attack on our democracy, and we need to ensure that people speak up

00:47and that if you are in the state of Texas, that we start organizing against this assault on voting rights in the United States.

00:54And, you know, that being said, you know, as far as New York State goes or any other state goes,

01:03if Republicans want to set a new, you know, if Republicans want to play by these rules,

01:09then I think that we shouldn't have one set of rules for one and the other set of rules for another.

01:14I think we need to even a playing board.

01:17But ideally, what happens is that Texas preserves their lines as they've been drawn, as they voted on.

01:25So thank you.

01:26I appreciate it.

01:27Mr. Mamdami, it's a means stop.

01:29I mean, what was the message, and how did that resonate, and how did that go?

01:33I mean, I think, you know, Assemblyman Mamdami, Democratic nominee, he came in,

01:41and I think he was very generous in sharing a lot of his insights from the mayoral primary

01:49and as a Democratic nominee, really sharing ways that we in the party can message,

01:57how we can campaign, how we can really, you know, level up all of our games in terms of technique,

02:04and I think he was received very well.

02:05What do you say to the skeptics, though, in the party who want to keep him at arm's distance,

02:09and some who have some problems with him, even some fellow New Yorkers in the swing districts outside the city?

02:14Get to know him.

02:15Get to know him.

02:15You know, this is not about having any kind of hard line.

02:20I think that if anybody is skeptical, I would say get to know him.

02:25And once you get into a room with him, kick the tires yourself and make your own assessment

02:30instead of just kind of making assessments from what you may see on television.

02:35If you have the ability to meet someone in person, you should meet them before you judge him.

02:38Are they not giving him a fair chance, some of those Democrats who are skeptical?

02:41No. I think, I actually think that many of the people who were here today were showing up in good faith to do exactly that work.

02:50And I really applaud our caucus and so many members of our caucus who were there for their openness

02:56and for their receptiveness and willingness to listen and make assessments for themselves.

03:02So I think it was really productive.

03:03Are you confident Jeffries will formally endorse after his meeting later?

03:06I mean, I'm not going to speak to any individual, but I think that we all share in the same goal of,

03:14we want Democrats to be successful.

03:16We want Democrats to win.

03:18As the Democratic nominee for New York City, Zohan Mandani, is overwhelmingly favored to win the general election.

03:28And, you know, in doing so, we want the next mayor of New York City as a Democrat to be as successful as possible.

03:34Do you think you've won over some folks today?

03:36Thank you. Pardon?

03:36Do you think you've won over some folks today?

03:38I think getting to know people in person can always help.

03:43And I certainly think that something that I share, that I feel like I share with Zohan,

03:49is that the way sometimes people are painted in media doesn't always align with who we really are as individuals.

03:57And so I think that when people get to know him as a person, when people get to know us as real people,

04:05what they find kind of surprises them, I think, in a positive way.

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