AOC: No Thanks Ted, 'You Almost Had Me Murdered'
By Amanda Holpuch, Guardian UK
29 January 21
Congresswoman tells senator who rejected Biden's victory: 'If you want to
help, you can resign'
The Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has rejected a
message of support from Ted Cruz, adding the Texas senator "almost had me
murdered three weeks ago".
Cruz on Thursday had endorsed Ocasio-Cortez's call on Twitter for a
congressional hearing about the decision by the online trading platform
Robinhood to restrict trading in GameStop shares. But while welcoming the
chance to work across party lines on the issue, Ocasio-Cortez had harsh
words for Cruz.
"I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there's common
ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one
out," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that
aren't trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can
resign."
"While you conveniently talk about 'moving on', a second Capitol police
officer lost their life yesterday in the still-raging aftermath of the
attacks you had a role in," she said. "This isn't a joke. We need
accountability, and that includes a new senator from Texas."
Ocasio-Cortez is one of several prominent figures to publicly cast blame on
Cruz for his role in fomenting the deadly violence on Capitol Hill on 6
January. Seven Democratic senators have filed a formal complaint, urging the
Senate ethics committee to investigate Cruz, along with the Missouri senator
Josh Hawley, because of their efforts to block the certification of Joe
Biden's election.
Hawley and Cruz were prominent among 147 Republican representatives and
senators to vote against certifying the election results, even after the
Capitol attack.
Five people, including a police officer, died in the unrest. At least one of
the people charged in the attack had posted death threats against
Ocasio-Cortez online.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have continued to express fears for their safety amid
relentless partisan friction. Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday members of
Congress face threats of violence from an "enemy" within and called for
additional funds to protect lawmakers.
Asked to clarify what she meant, the House speaker said, "It means that we
have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have
threatened violence on other members of Congress. Several lawmakers who
voted for this month's House impeachment of Trump have reported receiving
threats, and initial moves to enhance safety procedures have taken on clear
partisan undertones. Some Republicans have loudly objected to having to pass
through newly installed metal detectors before entering the House chamber,
while Pelosi has proposed fining lawmakers who bypass the devices.
Cruz's office did not immediately respond to Ocasio-Cortez's second tweet. A
Robinhood spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawmakers' criticism.
Several lawmakers on Wednesday expressed their concerns over Robinhood's
decision to restrict trading in several social media-driven stocks that had
soared this week. The issue had pit hedge funds and other short sellers
against retail buyers, many motivated by commentary on sites such as Reddit.
Ro Khanna, the Democratic congressman representing the Silicon Valley
region, said in a statement: "While retail trading in some cases, like on
Robinhood, blocked the purchasing of GameStop, hedge funds were still
allowed to trade the stock. We need more regulation and equality in the
markets."
"We're done letting hedge fund billionaires treat the stock market like
their personal playground, then taking their ball home as soon as they
lose."
The US representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, called the restriction
"beyond absurd".
Tlaib urged on Twitter that Congress "have a hearing on Robinhood's market
manipulation. They're blocking the ability to trade to protect Wall St.
hedge funds, stealing millions of dollars from their users to protect people
who've used the stock market as a casino for decades."
Ocasio-Cortez said the House financial services committee investigation
should not be limited to Robinhood but "should examine any retail services
freezing stock purchases in the course of potential investigations -
especially those allowing sales, but freezing purchases".
