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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “It's not hostage taking if they refuse to clock in.”

Featuring: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic | U.S. House, New York, District 14

Rep. AOC and Senator Sanders Join CNN Town Hall to Discuss Republicans' Government Shutdown

Published October 16, 2025 | Video Starts at 44:02

So what would you say to Republicans who say you're doing the hostage taking this time? Once again, pick up the phone. They need to pick up the phone. And It's not hostage taking if they refuse to clock in. Right. We're all clocked in. We're all clocked in to do the job. They're not even here. They're not even here. (44:02–44:07)

CLAIM

Asserts that the situation is not hostage-taking because [Republicans] refuse to work.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“We do have to make sure that we come together as communities and that we also systemically expand our programming, like the snap cuts that…”
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“This administration was directing everyday federal workers to put in their email signatures partisan, partisan messaging that is likely in…”
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“Rivers in rural areas were on fire because of corporations poisoning the people who lived in those areas.”
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“Con Ed bills are set to go up almost another hundred dollars next year because of those cancellations.”
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“Undocumented people cannot be covered by the ACA, they cannot be covered by Medicaid, they cannot be covered by Medicare.”
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“A judge has put a temporary restraining order because it is likely illegal what [Russ Vogt] and the Trump administration is doing.”
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“The only people who are not in Washington, D.C. are the over 200 elected Republicans in the House of Representatives because speaker of the…”
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“He refuses to also seat Adelita Grijalva because they want to prevent the 218th signature on release of the Epstein files as well.”
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“Mike Johnson has sworn in several members, Republican members, in pro forma sessions.”
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“He refuses to seat a duly elected official here in the House of Representatives.”
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“The speaker of the House and the Trump administration refuses to even have a negotiation.”
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“A million federal workers are just going to go without [a paycheck].”
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“Republicans want to sign on to just a one little extra year of these ACA subsidies.”
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“They want to extend these subsidies just a year extra so that people don't realize the dupe that they are pulling on everyone.”
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“We need to make sure, and as a member of the party, we put negotiations in the hands of our party's leadership with Hakeem Jeffries.”
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“What we will not accept is for these ACA premiums to skyrocket on the American people.”
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“What we will not accept is the doubling of these premiums.”
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“I think we need to see ink on paper. I think we need to see legislation, I think we need to see votes, and I think we need to see these…”
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“I have a bill that I've introduced with Congresswoman Amalia Takis, Republican from New York, on expanding maternal health and reauthorizing…”
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“It's not good for the million federal workers that are out there right now.”
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“It's not good for people who are traveling and can't get through an airport because TSA workers are not being paid.”
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“Health care is a human right and that the minimum wage should be a living wage in this country.”
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“Public colleges and universities should be tuition free.”
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“No person in this country, in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, should be too poor to live.”
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“There is a fear over political retaliation by this administration and a singling out and isolating of career federal workers based on party…”
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“We're seeing this as, as well at the fda, the cdc, the nih, where people's lives are literally on the line.”
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“This administration is making a foolish mistake by saying that they think that investments in housing and in energy are so called Democrat…”
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“It's a Democratic priority to bring down the cost of housing and mortgages and rent.”
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“In New York, this administration is targeting some infrastructure cancellations, including large-scale wind energy projects.”
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“Republicans in the House have been on vacation for weeks now.”
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“We're not here to just Be my way and the highway about everything.”
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“The Republican Party has decided to take a million federal workers hostage.”
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“They're not even here.”
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