Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) talks with MSNBC host Alex Wagner about the historic facture preventing the Republican Party from choosing a House speaker, and the likelihood that Kevin McCarthy could reach out to unified House Democrats to help him secure the speakership through some kind of coalition arrangement.
Ocasio-Cortez on the disunity in the GOP that led to the Speakership crisis: “The Republican Caucus did not really have a full-throated race for speaker. There was no challenger in the last two months that has emerged. And I do believe that that is the central Republican problem. Whether McCarthy pulls this through or not, the core concern here is, who would ascend to that seat? I do not believe that Kevin McCarthy has the votes. I believe that a lot of the opposition to him is very personal. I believe his leadership style is incompatible with a lot of Republican members and certainly the Democratic Caucus.”
“So the question is, is there anyone in their caucus that can build that consensus? If there isn’t, McCarthy’s team may have to come to the Democratic Party? And, if that’s the case, then what would that even look like. It’s rather unprecedented? Could it result in a potential coalition government?” Ocasio-Cortez asked.
“Could we get Democratic chairs of committees as a result?” she added.
“I’m not saying necessarily that our party is signaling an openness just yet,” AOC continued. “But, really, it’s about the cards that are in McCarthy’s hands. And if he chooses to approach the Democratic Caucus, then that would be a negotiation, in and of itself, for a potential coalition government. But, again, this is very much an unprecedented time.”