Ocasio-Cortez criticizes congressional orientation program for featuring CEOs over labor leaders

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called out a new members of Congress orientation event for not featuring labor leaders on a panel.

“Right now Freshman members of Congress are at a ‘Bipartisan’ orientation w/ briefings on issues,” she tweeted. “Invited panelists offer insights to inform new Congressmembers‘ views as they prepare to legislate.”

“# of Corporate CEOs we’ve listened to here: 4

# of Labor leaders: 0”

Right now Freshman members of Congress are at a “Bipartisan” orientation w/ briefings on issues.

Invited panelists offer insights to inform new Congressmembers‘ views as they prepare to legislate.

# of Corporate CEOs we’ve listened to here: 4
# of Labor leaders: 0

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 6, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez and other new members are in Boston this week for the Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.

{mosads}The self-described democratic socialist and Bronx native has fashioned herself as a champion of workers’ rights, and campaigned on a number of labor-related reforms including a universal jobs guarantee, paid family and sick leave and “Medicare for all.”

A schedule of events was not publicly available, but Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) tweeted that former Trump adviser and Goldman Sachs CEO Gary Cohn addressed the group.

Tlaib took a jab at Cohn, who reportedly told them: “You guys are way over your head, you don’t know how the game is played.”

“No Gary, YOU don’t know what’s coming – a revolutionary Congress that puts people over profits,” Tlaib wrote.

The Hill has reached out to the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics for more information.