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Tags: aoc | berniesanders | progressives | cabinet

AOC: 'Critically Important' Progressive Like Bernie Gets Cabinet Seat

aoc looks from a chair
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attends a House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

By    |   Sunday, 25 October 2020 11:51 AM EDT

It is "critically important" for Joe Biden to offer self-proclaimed Democratic-socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a Cabinet position, according to fellow progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"I think what a lot of people kind of misunderstand about the progressive movement is that it wasn't a slogan when Bernie ran on saying, 'Not me, us,'" AOC told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "And so it's not just about where Bernie Sanders is next term or what role that Sen. Sanders is playing, but it's really about who the Biden administration is choosing to lead agencies across the board.

"I think it is critically important that Biden administration appoint progressive leaders."

It has been speculated Sanders would be interested in becoming the labor secretary in a potential Biden administration, as host Jake Tapper reminded AOC. While the move would give the progressive movement a say in the next administration, there is a political Catch-22 with her suggestion: It would hand a potential Senate seat to Republicans, because GOP Gov. Phil Scott would have the authority to pick Sanders' replacement.

"The fact of the matter is, that this isn't just about the progressive movement," AOC told Tapper. "This is about making sure that we're not just going back to how things were and rewinding the tape before the Trump administration

"But this is about making sure, how are we going to not just make up for lost time, but leap into the future and actually ensure we are making the investments and policy decisions that will create an advanced American society. And, frankly, conservative appointments will not get us there."

As labor secretary, Sanders could promote progressive initiates like a national minimum wage hike to $15, if not a more radical universal basic income for all Americans.

Eric Mack

Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


Politics
It is "critically important" for Joe Biden to offer self-proclaimed Democratic-socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a Cabinet position, according to fellow progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
aoc, berniesanders, progressives, cabinet
296
2020-51-25
Sunday, 25 October 2020 11:51 AM
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