Political storm hits Congress as AOC's comments about lobby group spark debate
Fresh conflict emerges in Congress after controversial statements about political influence groups. Jewish lawmakers push-back against fellow representativeʼs social-media post about pro-Israel organization
In a post-election dispute Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stirred up a nation-wide discussion about political influence when she pointed fingers at pro-Israel group AIPAC (which spent big money during recent primaries)
If people want to talk about members of Congress being overly influenced by a special interest group pushing a wildly unpopular agenda that pushes voters away from Democrats then they should be discussing AIPAC
Jewish lawmakers quickly fired back at the progressive representatives statements. Dean Phillips a jewish congressman responded with sharp criticism while Esther Panitch from Georgia linked these views to Democrats recent election problems
The political landscape shifted dramatically this fall as Republicans took control of both chambers and the White House. AIPACʼs involvement in democratic primaries led to some notable changes:
- Jamaal Bowman lost his New York seat
- Cori Bush was defeated in Missouri
- Several other progressive candidates faced tough opposition
Alma Hernandez an Arizona lawmaker suggested that AOCs real issue was with Jewish people and Israel - not just policy. Meanwhile Bowman backed AOCs position saying AIPAC uses its money to target specific politicians
The new-york representative also pointed fingers at obama-era party leaders suggesting they pay too much attention to wealthy donors instead of working-class citizens needs
