Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said in response to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's failed bid to become the Democratic Oversight Committee's top chair that her party remains stuck in its “old ways.” He suggested that they may be placing too much emphasis on seniority.
“I think they’re both absolutely qualified, but I think within the Democratic caucus we’re really stuck with the old way of getting there by seniority, so if you’ve been there long enough, you get the position, and we’re totally “I don't think you have to sit back and think, 'Who is the best fit for this moment?'” Crockett said.
Ocasio-Cortez lost the top Democratic position on the committee to more moderate Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia). The 74-year-old lawmaker's victory over Ocasio-Cortez was seen as a blow to progressives.
“America looks at us and says, 'Wait a minute, we lost the election and we know we lost seats in the Senate, but now we gained seats in the House, right?' But I think they're saying, we're ready for you to shake up this country if it means we can move this country forward. I hope they show that there is,” Crockett said.
Crockett said the oversight committee would do well under Connolly, but said Democrats would benefit from more frequent leadership changes.
“I think we're going to have a conversation within our caucus about how we're going to provide leadership, because on the Republican side there's term limits and you can't sit in that post for too long, so in the end they're going to have a lot of leadership. “We do that more often than the Democratic side,” he said.
Ocasio-Cortez's loss was criticized by several media figures, including MSNBC's Jen Psaki, who said it was a clear opportunity for Democrats to show they had learned from the election results.
“This is one of the few committees in Congress that actually generates national attention or media coverage. Under Jamie Raskin, it became an important platform for countering Republican misinformation. And , I deeply, deeply respect Speaker Pelosi and have nothing against Congresswoman Connolly, but this is a clear opportunity to apply some of the lessons that should have been learned from the November election. I felt that way,” Psaki said.
Psaki added that Democrats have selected “one of the youngest and most media-savvy members of Congress” to serve in key public leadership roles.
MSNBC's Chris Hayes also criticized Democrats for letting AOC succeed him, and accused former House Speaker Pelosi of funneling votes to Connolly in particular.
“But now, even as Pelosi, 84, recovers from a fall and hip surgery, she is voting to ensure that Connolly gets the job overseeing the party's young stars. It just feels like a crazy moment,” Hayes said. “And despite everything that's going on, Democrats aren't taking this issue seriously. But they need to.”
“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin also took issue with Ocasio-Cortez's loss and supported her progressive policies, arguing they should be popular with all Americans.
“She's been demonized by the right, she's been demonized like a far-left figure who's too progressive. I want to set that record straight. 'The working class is really going to lose,''' Hostin said Wednesday.
