Incoming GOP congresswoman to take aim at AOC with conservative 'squad'
November 29, 2020
An incoming congresswoman on Sunday promised a conservative answer to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “socialist squad” after a record number of Republican women were elected to serve in the House.
Rep-elect Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) floated the idea during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” saying “a natural alliance is occurring among members” of the new freshman class of Republicans.
“I think what you're going to see is a group of individuals who are going to serve as a counterbalance to the values of the socialist squad,” Malliotakis told CNN’s Dana Bash. “We don't believe we should be dismantling the economy. We don't believe we should be destroying free market principles. We don't believe in 'Green New Deal.' We don't believe in packing the courts.”
Malliotakis, who frequently attacked Ocasio-Cortez during her campaign against Democratic Rep. Max Rose, took aim again at her New York counterpart when asked about the future of the Republican Party.
“I think one of the reasons why we were so motivated to run is seeing the Democratic women being elected in 2018 that don't necessarily reflect our values, particularly those who are self-described socialists,” Malliotakis said. “I think there's just a stark contrast between what we're offering and what people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are offering. And that's something that needs to be debated in Washington.”
House Republicans more than doubled the number of women in their conference in November, bringing the total to at least 28 from 13. Democrats, who added a record number of women to their ranks in the 2018 election, have at least 89.
A number of House races still remain uncalled, including New York Republican Claudia Tenney’s challenge against Rep. Anthony Brindisi; Tenney’s lead has narrowed significantly to just 13 votes as of Friday.
Malliotakis, who will be the only Republican to represent New York City in Congress, credited House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) for their efforts in recruiting “qualified women who have something to share with the American people” for the gains.
“What we stand for are freedom, liberty. We love this nation. We want to see it prevail. We want to see it remain the land of opportunity, what has, in essence, attracted millions of immigrants from around the world, to pursue that American dream,” Malliotakis said. “Somebody like me, daughter of a Cuban refugee; I want to be there to be a part of the discussion, debate and provide a counterview.”
Source: https://www.politico.com/
