Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenges religious right on specific Bible passages
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is calling on the Christian right to “uphold their principles” on one key issue: interest rates.
The freshman lawmaker and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have introduced a bill to cap interest rates at 15 percent.
It would cut rates ― often dramatically ― on credit cards, and hit the payday loan industry and other predatory lenders.
On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez challenged the religious right to support the bill, pointing out that usury is “explicitly denounced” in the Bible.
Then, she knocked them for using religion to take rights away from people... but not when it helps them:
Usury - aka high interest - happens to be explicitly denounced in the Bible (& in many other religions).
Looking forward to having the religious right uphold their principles + sign onto my bill. 😇
Unless of course they’re only invoking religion to punish women + queer people. https://t.co/h7FxTaMxKb— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 17, 2019
Given that Republicans control the Senate, the bill has little chance of passage there.
“But if Mitch McConnell wants to actually use religious principles for good + reinstate usury laws, he’s more than welcome,” Ocasio-Cortez added in a followup tweet, referring to the Senate majority leader.
The average credit rate in the United States is at an all-time high of 17.73 percent, but many cards and payday loans often have rates that are far higher.
Usury is mentioned several times in the Bible, often admonishing against charging any interest at all to those in need.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
