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NEWS POLITICS & ELECTIONS
Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib Expose Congressional Orientation’s Corporate Sponsors
US Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looks on during the drawing for new offices on Capitol Hill, November 30, 2018, in Washington, DC. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / GETTY IMAGES Pulling back the curtain on the ostensibly “bipartisan” orientation for newly elected members of Congress at Harvard’s Kennedy School in Boston, Reps.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) informed the public through live social media updates on Thursday that — contrary to the ideologically neutral advertising — the private conference featured a heavy dose of speeches by corporate CEOs and completely shut out organized labor and members of the progressive community. “Our ‘bipartisan’ congressional orientation is co-hosted by a corporate lobbyist group,” Ocasio-Cortez noted, likely referring to the Koch-funded American Enterprise Institute, which is co-sponsoring the event. “Other members have quietly expressed to me their concern that this wasn’t told to us in advance. Lobbyists are here. Goldman Sachs is here. Where’s labor? Activists? Frontline community leaders?” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ✔ @AOC Right now Freshman members of Congress are at a “Bipartisan” orientation w/ briefings on issues. Invited panelists offer insights to inform new Congressmembers‘ views as they prepare to legislate. # of Corporate CEOs we’ve listened to here: 4 # of Labor leaders: 0 114K 12:42 PM - Dec 6, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 33.3K people are talking about this Tlaib, for her part, called attention to a speech by Gary Cohn, the former Goldman Sachs president who left his post as President Donald Trump’s chief economic adviser earlier this year. According to Tlaib, Cohn condescendingly told the freshman members, “You guys are way over your head, you don’t know how the game is played.” “No, Gary,” Tlaib responded, “you don’t know what’s coming — a revolutionary Congress that puts people over profits.” Rashida Tlaib ✔ @RashidaTlaib Gary Cohen, former CEO Goldman Sachs addressing new members of Congress today: 'You guys are way over your head, you don't know how the game is played.' No Gary, YOU don't know what's coming - a revolutionary Congress that puts people over profits. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ✔ @AOC Right now Freshman members of Congress are at a “Bipartisan” orientation w/ briefings on issues. Invited panelists offer insights to inform new Congressmembers‘ views as they prepare to legislate. # of Corporate CEOs we’ve listened to here: 4 # of Labor leaders: 0 48.4K 12:58 PM - Dec 6, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 13.5K people are talking about this Journalists and progressives were quick to praise both Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib for their commitment to transparency and their willingness to offer the public a behind-the-scenes look at the corporate-dominated event that typically goes entirely undiscussed by members of Congress and the press. “One of the best parts of Ocasio-Cortez’s arrival in DC as a new leader is that she notices, and is revolted by, the corrupt, corporatist rituals that are so embedded in DC culture that most politicians and journalists barely notice them, let alone find them objectionable or odd,” noted The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald. Others echoed Greenwald’s praise of Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib, both of whom rejected corporate PAC during their campaigns and ran on platforms demanding bold progressive change: Josh Olson ✔ @joshuarolson AOC's twitter feed gives a fantastic insight into the entire process, and makes you realize how disconnected we usually are from what our reps are up to. Transparency is a great thing. https://twitter.com/Ocasio2018/status/1070735202031423488 … Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ✔ @AOC Right now Freshman members of Congress are at a “Bipartisan” orientation w/ briefings on issues. Invited panelists offer insights to inform new Congressmembers‘ views as they prepare to legislate. # of Corporate CEOs we’ve listened to here: 4 # of Labor leaders: 0 900 12:57 PM - Dec 6, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 104 people are talking about this Brian Merchant ✔ @bcmerchant I cannot say enough how inspiring and illuminating it is to watch these women heading to the Hill and immediately puncturing gaping holes in the gilded, ossified norms that have prevented Congress from working for the people. Rashida Tlaib ✔ @RashidaTlaib Gary Cohen, former CEO Goldman Sachs addressing new members of Congress today: 'You guys are way over your head, you don't know how the game is played.' No Gary, YOU don't know what's coming - a revolutionary Congress that puts people over profits. https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1070735202031423488 … 644 1:37 PM - Dec 6, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 88 people are talking about this “Democratic leadership signs off on these events,” observed Huffington Post reporter Zach Carter. “The new class isn’t having it.” According to the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics (IOP), which is hosting the orientation, the event is designed to give newly elected members of Congress “insights on governing from former elected office holders, current and former senior White House and administration officials, diplomats, economists, business leaders, lobbyists, and academics.” Below is a list of speakers who are participating in the event. Conspicuously absent, as Ocasio-Cortez pointed out, are any representatives of organized labor, environmental groups, other public interest advocates, or anyone who could reasonably be considered a progressive: Hon. Elaine Chao, US Secretary of Transportation, former Secretary of Labor and Director of the Peace Corps Hon. Ash Carter, former US Secretary of Defense, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Belfer Professor of Technology and Global Affairs Hon. Mitch Landrieu, former Mayor of New Orleans, IOP Visiting Fellow Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, and Director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO of General Motors Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School Gary Cohn, former Director of the National Economic Council Douglas Elmendorf, former Director of the Congressional Budget Office, Dean of Harvard Kennedy School David Gergen, former Presidential adviser, Public Service Professor of Public Leadership, Director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School Alex Gorsky, Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson --------------------------------------------------------------- READING LIST POLITICS & ELECTIONS Cohen Hearing Exposed Republicans’ Weakened Status RACIAL JUSTICE Tlaib and Pressley Put Racism on Trial During Cohen Hearing ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH FDA Bans Cancer-Causing Food Additives, But Won’t Enforce Until 2020 POLITICS & ELECTIONS Cohen Knows What Trump Is Capable Of. His Testimony Should Terrify Us. 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BY Jake Johnson, Common Dreams
| PUBLISHED December 7, 2018 (Accessed February 2019) The text being discussed is available at | https://truthout.org/articles/newly-elected-members-of-congress-expose-their-corporate-orientation/ and |