AOC: GOP Governors Are ‘Sending Vulnerable Workers to Die’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed on Thursday that Republican governors outlining plans to quickly begin reopening their states are “sending vulnerable workers to die” with “false claims of safety.”

“Trump has NO PLAN to get people safely back to work,” the New York lawmaker said in response to a tweet from former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

“GOP Govs like Kemp are sending vulnerable workers to die w/ false claims of safety,” she continued, accusing Trump of pushing “an unproven, dangerous treatment as a ‘cure’ & firing experts who want to vet claims.”

“Last thing you care abt is safety,” she added:

Trump has NO PLAN to get people safely back to work.

GOP Govs like Kemp are sending vulnerable workers to die w/ false claims of safety.

Trump also pushed an unproven, dangerous treatment as a “cure” & firing experts who want to vet claims.

Last thing you care abt is safety. https://t.co/3yEgTp3dqf

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 23, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez made headlines this week after promoting a worker boycott during an appearance on VICE’s Seat at the Table with Anand Giridharadas.

She said:

We talk about this idea of “reopening society.” Only in America does [President Trump] — when the president tweets about liberation, does he mean “go back to work.” When we have this discussion about going back or reopening, I think a lot of people should just say, “No, we’re not going back to that. We’re not going back to working 70 hour weeks just so that we can put food on the table and not even feel any sort of semblance of security in our lives.”

She doubled down on that sentiment on Thursday.

“And by the way, setting up vulnerable workers to grind 70 hours a week to barely survive and STILL not have health insurance is unsafe too,” she added:

And by the way, setting up vulnerable workers to grind 70 hours a week to barely survive and STILL not have health insurance is unsafe too.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 23, 2020

Thousands of Americans across the country have attended protests in their respective states, demanding their leaders reopen the economy so they can get back on their feet and provide for their families. Some states, like Georgia, have taken a cautiously aggressive approach to reopening, with Gov. Brian Kemp (R) allowing certain businesses, such as spas and salons, to reopen as early as Friday, as long as they abide by Minimum Basic Operations. That includes screening for workers, wearing masks and gloves, increased workplace sanitization, and staggered shifts.

On Thursday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) provided the preliminary results of New York’s statewide antibody test, which found that 13.9 percent across the state had developed antibodies, with 21.2 percent testing positive for antibodies in New York City alone, the epicenter of the virus.

“If the infection rate is 13.9 percent, then it changes the theories of what the death rate is if you get infected,” he explained.

“Thirteen percent of the population is about 2.7 million people who have been infected. If you look at what we have now as a death total, which is 15,500, that would be about a 0.5 percent death rate,” he added, suggesting that the preliminary results could support a regional approach to reopening the state.