(USNewsMag.com) – New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the economy in the United States is in a “special kind of crisis” in a Sept. 24 speech at a union rally in Wentzville, Missouri.
The comments by Ocasio-Cortez were made while she and St. Louis Rep. Cori Bush spoke to about 400 United Auto Workers union members. On Sept. 15, General Motors workers at the plant and several others around the country went on strike in an effort to boost pay as well as benefits. On Sept. 22, the strike expanded, with workers walking out of 38 parts-distribution centers operated by Stellantis, which owns Ram and Jeep, as well as General Motors.
In her speech, she states that Washington insiders and Wall Street analysts will say, “‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,'” and point to the GDP, growth rate, and job numbers. Ocasio-Cortez accused those in Washington of not having to make the same kind of tough economic decisions as the workers.
In the speech, she aligned herself with the workers, stating that “those of us who do have to make those decisions” between things such as rent, childcare, and work feel the economy differently.
Ocasio-Cortez said the “working class of this country” is being squeezed by the increasing prices. She referenced inequity and stated prices are rising because of “CEO excess,” not because workers are making more money.
The comments contradict President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign push for Bidenomincs, in which he touts how the economy is strong. In recent campaign speeches, Biden says the economy is strong because of the statistics. He states that his administration is responsible for creating “over 13 million jobs.” He also claims that unemployment has been less than 4 percent for “19 straight months.”
According to the most recent Washington Post-ABC News Poll, almost three-quarters of Americans have a negative view of the economy. For food prices specifically, 91 percent of those surveyed stated they were “not so good or poor.”
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