By MARIAM KHAN, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to the House floor Thursday and delivered a passionate, fiery speech aimed at the Republican member of Congress who accosted her on the Capitol steps and then reportedly used derogatory language about her.
“In front of reporters, Rep. Yoho called me, and I quote, ‘a f—— bitch.’ These are the words that Rep. Yoho levied against a congresswoman,” Ocasio-Cortez said, using the full phrase in a speech that now becomes a part of the official Congressional Record.
“I do not need Rep. Yoho to apologize to me. Clearly he does not want to. Clearly when given the opportunity he will not. And I will not stay up late at night waiting for an apology from a man who has no remorse over calling women and using abusive language towards women,” she said.
“This is not new…It is a culture of lack of impunity; of accepting of violence and violent language against women; and an entire structure of power that supports that,” the New York Democrat added.
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on GOP lawmaker who reportedly used derogatory language toward her: “This is not new…It is a culture of lack of impunity; of accepting of violence and violent language against women; and an entire structure of power that supports that” https://t.co/GjXWTQJkIR pic.twitter.com/7IsFRR14FT
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 23, 2020
“Mr. Yoho said he has a wife and daughter. I am two years younger than Mr. Yoho’s youngest daughter. And I am somebody’s daughter, too. My father is thankfully not alive to see his daughter abused in this way.”
.@AOC: “I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter—and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men.” https://t.co/2uHDb4iB9I https://t.co/pW11u5yrYF
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) July 23, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez, who had up to one hour of “personal privilege” to address the incident also yielded her fellow Democratic colleagues who in turn made speeches backing her up, while also addressing issues of violence, misogyny, abuse, and harassment women face every day.
NEW: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on Rep. Yoho: “I could not allow my nieces, I could not allow the little girls that I go home to, I could not allow victims of verbal abuse and worse, to see that excuse and to see our Congress accept it as legitimate…I could not allow that to stand.” pic.twitter.com/usQOZXuCpH
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 23, 2020
Florida Republican Rep. Ted Yoho apologized on Wednesday for the “abrupt manner” of an exchange he had with Ocasio-Cortez, who appeared underwhelmed by the act of contrition following reports Yoho used profane language during an altercation on the Capitol steps on Monday.
Yoho’s comments, overheard by a veteran Hill reporter for The Hill, came after the GOP congressman reportedly said that Ocasio-Cortez was “disgusting” for her stance on policing and crime.
“You are out of your freaking mind,” Yoho reportedly told Ocasio-Cortez on the House steps for suggesting during a town hall last month that poverty and unemployment are leading to a spike in crime in New York City amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to the charge by telling Yoho he was being “rude.”
After parting ways, Yoho was overheard by the reporter allegedly referring to Ocasio-Cortez as a “f—— bitch.”
“I rise today to apologize for the abrupt manner of the conversation I had with my colleague from New York. It is true that we disagree on policies and visions for America but that does not mean we should be disrespectful,” Yoho said.
He then denied that he used the profanity toward Ocasio-Cortez, blaming the reporter who overheard his comments for a “misunderstanding.”
“Having been married for 45 years, with two daughters, I’m very cognizant of my language,” Yoho said. “The offensive name-calling words attributed to me by the press were never spoken to my colleagues and if they were construed that way, I apologize for their misunderstanding.”
A short time later, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that Yoho is “refusing responsibility,” emphasizing that he did not even use her name during his floor speech.
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