Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brushed off concerns that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s opposition to a nationwide ban on fracking would negatively impact young voter turnout.
Speaking to CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made the comments after being asked about the former vice president’s position on the issue shifting after clinching the Democratic nomination.
While acknowledging their disagreement — the Democratic socialist supports a nationwide ban and has introduced legislation on the topic — AOC said his shifting tone did not bother her.
Instead, she said, it would be “a privilege” to be able to lobby Biden as opposed to making no progress under President Trump on progressive hot-button issues.
“I believe that we need to be focused on winning the White House, period. The fact of the matter is, there are many critical states that are on the line, whether it’s Florida, whether it’s Georgia, Pennsylvania,” she said. “Frankly, I think it would be a privilege and it would be a luxury for us to be talking about what we would lobby the next Democratic [president] and how we will push the next Democratic administration,” she told anchor Jake Tapper.
Asked how she thought Biden’s moderate position on a critical environmental issue would impact voter turnout, she demurred.
“I believe that young people right now have a very disciplined, activist mindset, and they are not here with the intent of voting for their favorite person or voting for, you know, someone that they think is perfect as president,” the 31-year-old lawmaker told the network.
“I think young people are actually quite disciplined and quite realistic and pragmatic in their vote, and they want to vote for who they are going to lobby. Right now young people are so clear on their stances on so many political issues that they believe that they want to vote for a president that is at least is going to be receptive to their advocacy, activism, and protests, frankly,” the House Democrat continued, arguing that a Biden administration would provide progressives a window to present their proposals.
“There is no question that Joe Biden is a much better person in that position to be receptive and actually listen to the voices of advocates than Donald Trump,” she continued.
Earlier this month, AOC took a jab at her party’s vice presidential nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), while watching the VP debate, voicing her disapproval on their fracking stance.
“Fracking is bad, actually,” she tweeted at the time.
The social media post came after Harris was pressed by Vice President Mike Pence on whether a Biden administration would ban fracking.
The progressive firebrand, who stumped for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during the crowded Democratic presidential primary, has formally endorsed Biden despite their political differences.
AOC introduced the Green New Deal in the House of Representatives and served on the climate panel of the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Forces, which was created to combine the platforms of Sanders and Biden, the two Democratic primary front-runners.
The task forces did not endorse the Green New Deal.