Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez breaks self-imposed Fox News ban to make coronavirus plea
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday appeared on Fox News — whose hosts frequently berate her — to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and make the case for paid sick leave.
“I usually don’t go on FOX on principle, but misinformation about coronavirus has made me concerned about risk,” the lawmaker tweeted ahead of her appearance on “Special Report with Bret Baier.”
Hey all, wanted to drop a📝 for accountability.
I usually don’t go on FOX on principle, but misinformation about coronavirus has made me concerned about risk.
As a result I decided to go on @BretBaier to discuss coronavirus response + make the case for paid leave, Medicaid, etc— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 12, 2020
In the interview itself, Ocasio-Cortez called on the government to “act swiftly” and provide relief for working Americans who are getting laid off and having shifts canceled in the face of the crisis. She also stressed the importance of quickly passing legislation that includes paid sick leave.
Ocasio-Cortez suggested it was “debatable” that America has the best health care system in the world, arguing “it almost seems like the more wealthy and powerful you are, the more able you are to access a test” for the virus that has now infected more than 130,000 people worldwide.
“We need to dramatically expand #COVID-19 testing and *processing* capacity,” she tweeted afterward. “It’s imperative to our public health that everyone who needs a test can get it easily and for free as quickly as possible ― no matter whether you’re a sports star or a single parent.”
Check out the full interview here:
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
