AOC warns she may force House members to return for stimulus vote

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AOC warns she may force House members to return for stimulus vote, potentially delaying final passage


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CNN) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the high-profile freshman from New York, is leaving open the option of forcing House members to return to Washington to cast a vote on the $2 trillion stimulus package barreling through Congress.

The New York Democrat has expressed her frustration with reports of the stimulus deal, suggesting it's too tilted towards corporations. The deal was reached between senators from both parties -- including the senior Democratic senator from her state, Chuck Schumer, and the White House.

On Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez told CNN she is not ruling out asking for a recorded vote, which would force lawmakers to return to Washington and vote in-person, something that most members of Congress are eager to avoid amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ocasio-Cortez said she hadn't seen the final bill text yet, "but I'm open" to asking for a recorded vote "if necessary."

Asked if she had concerns about forcing lawmakers to return, which would be an unpopular move, she said, "Of course."

But she added: "With the health risks of travel, there is no easy choice here. But essential workers are showing up and putting their health at risk every day, and if the final text of a bill is set up to hurt them, it may be something we have to do."

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