Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to “deal with it” on Friday after the congresswoman complained that the Democratic Party needs to fight “harder.”
“This isn’t just about Republicans. We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us too,” Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd at a Las Vegas rally on Thursday.
Her comments – part of the far-left “Squad” reps “Fighting Oligarchy” tour – come a week after 10 Senate Democrats, including Fetterman, joined with Republicans to advance a continuing resolution to keep the government from shutting down.
House Democrats nearly unanimously rejected the GOP-crafted six month spending bill before it went to the Senate and passed with the help of Democrats in the upper chamber.
The CR vote has sparked intraparty tensions, with several House Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez, voicing the displeasure with their colleagues in the upper chamber over the vote.
Fetterman isn’t having it.
“Fight ‘harder’ – a stunt that would have harmed millions and plunged us into chaos,” the Pennsylvania Democrat wrote on X, reacting to a headline highlighting Ocasio-Cortez’s comments.
“We kept our government open. Deal with it,” the senator added.
Ocasio-Cortez isn’t the only Democrat criticizing her own party in the aftermath of the CR vote.
“I am disgusted that several Senate Democrats gave up our first point of leverage,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) told attendees at a town hall event in Minnesota Thursday, referring to the CR vote.
The “Squad” lawmaker further argued that Democrats “have been obsessed with figuring out the perfect message and not doing the perfect thing.”
“I do think that there needs to be sort of a come to Jesus moment for Democrats,” Omar added, arguing that some in the blue party “want to bring a knife to a gun fight and are not rising up to the moment.”
Earlier this week, Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) argued that Senate Democrats need to overhaul their leadership in the wake of the CR vote.
“I thought it was critical to make sure that we block that bill. I was deeply disappointed that [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY] voted with the Republicans, ”Ivey told his constituents during a town hall in the eastern suburbs of Washington, DC.
“I respect Chuck Schumer. I think he’s had a great, long-standing career. He’s done a lot of great things,” Ivey continued. “But I’m afraid that it may be time for the Senate Democrats to pick new leadership as we move forward.”
Schumer initially signaled that Senate Democrats wouldn’t help Republicans advance their spending bill but quickly caved and voted with Republicans on the procedural vote.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters earlier this week that she has confidence in Schumer’s ability to lead the Democratic caucus in the Senate going forward, but argued that he made too many concessions to Republicans.
“I myself don’t give away anything for nothing,” Pelosi said. “I think that’s what happened the other day.”
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