(BSDMS) – It was earlier speculated that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be left out by the Democratic National Committee, but the DNC made an announcement on Tuesday that she will appear and spread at the Democratic National Convention next week. AOC is one of the most outspoken progressive voices currently in Congress. The party is expected to officially nominate Joe Biden for the presidency there.
News of the AOC speaking at the event comes after weeks of speculation that she could be excluded from the event. However, organizers have scheduled several LatinX speakers to assist the party in gaining support from minorities and their groups, along with voters who lean left.
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro are also expected to have roles in the event next week, according to CNN.
The schedule has yet to be filled up completely, and other confirmed speakers include Joe Biden’s primary opponents such as Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and former Mayor of South Ben Indiana, Pete Buttigieg. Also speaking is former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Bill and Hillary Clinton.
The DNC made headlines in July when it announced former governor of Ohio John Kasich, a Republican who’s a critic of President Donald Trump is also going to speak.
I will be speaking at the #DNC Convention because I believe that America needs to go in a different direction.
I've searched my conscience and I believe the best way forward is for change – to bring unity where there has been division. And to bring about a healing in America. pic.twitter.com/sfnBGBF3kG
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) August 11, 2020
AOC has been a consistent critic of centrist incrementalism, and of Joe Biden, but defeating Trump is seen as Democrats’ unifying goal. The former vice president has asked AOC and former U.S. Senator John Kerry to manage his climate task force, which AOC said helped push his policies forward.
Of course, like in any collaborative effort, there are areas of negotiation and compromise.
But I do believe that the Climate Task Force effort meaningfully & substantively improved Biden’s positions.
I encourage you to engage the document critically and offer feedback or Qs.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 8, 2020
A list of the events and speakers at the convention, that the DNC has dubbed “Uniting America,” is found here.
Kyle James Lee – BSDMS – This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
