House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) met on Capitol Hill amid a war of words between the establishment and progressive wings of an increasingly fractured House Democrat caucus.
In a Friday morning tweet, Pelosi said she and Ocasio-Cortez discussed working together to “meet the needs of our districts and our country, fairness in our economy and diversity in our country.”
Today, Congresswoman @RepAOC and I sat down to discuss working together to meet the needs of our districts and our country, fairness in our economy and diversity in our country. pic.twitter.com/eVp1LS0Gpw
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 26, 2019
Speaking to reporters Thursday, the longtime California Democrat said she was “looking forward” to meeting with the New York Democrat, while seemingly downplaying the significance of the get-together.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Pelosi said of the meeting, per USA Today.
“I don’t think there are tensions,” she added. “I have a steady stream of members coming through my office, and I’ll look forward to her visit as well.”
Ocasio-Cortez also downplayed expectations, saying it was nothing more than a chance to connect with Pelosi’s office.
“It’s nothing too climactic, just trying to make sure we have an open line of communication and get on the same page,” she said.
Politico reports:
Ocasio-Cortez did not say anything as she walked into the speaker’s office shortly before 8:30 a.m., and she quietly slipped out 30 minutes later, eluding reporters.
Pelosi offered few remarks after the meeting, noting she has a press conference later in the morning.
“I don’t think we have that many differences,” Pelosi said after the meeting as she rushed to the House floor to open the chamber for the day.
Pelosi said “no” when asked if she discussed Ocasio-Cortez’s comments from earlier this month suggesting the speaker was singling out congresswomen of color.
“I have meetings with members all the time…we covered a range of issues in our conversation particular to the congresswoman’s committees,” she said.
Pelosi took heat from Ocasio-Cortez and fellow members of the far-left “Squad,” which includes Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA.), after she appeared to knock their decision not to support a House version of a border funding bill.
“All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world,” Pelosi said of the four progressive Democrats in an interview with the New York Times. “But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people, and that’s how many votes they got.”
In response, Ocasio-Cortez accused the speaker of “persistent[ly] singling out… newly elected women of color.”
The pair put their public spat aside after President Donald Trump challenged the “Squad” to leave the country, citing their repeated criticisms on the U.S. Pelosi referred to President Trump’s remarks as “xenophobic,” and in response, the president called the speaker’s statement “very racist.”
“Speaker Pelosi said, ‘Make America White Again,'” the president said at a recent “Made in America” event at the White House. “Let me tell you, that’s a very racist statement. I’m surprised she would say that.”
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