Wilbur Ross had to drag himself out of his crypt to show up for a hearing on Capitol Hill today to answer questions about census changes and previous testimony that Ross gave that probably (definitely) was a lie. In this clip AOC shows exactly why the Republicans are so terrified of her. She DID NOT COME TO PLAY. She does research, she calmly asks questions, she refuses to back down and she knows when to stop the filibustering and reach out to the Chairman for help.
The GOP and FOX News can try to insult her based on her bartending history or her youth or her age, but the reality is that she has shown herself to be one of the most brilliant members of Congress since she was sworn in just 2 1/2 months ago.
Here is a bit of the transcript:
AOC: All right. Stated multiple times in this one other thing, it's been hearing that the question is a reinstatement of a previous question, but the last time a citizenship question specifically around citizenship was discussed on the census was in 1950. And I pulled up the old here. Question. And I know it's tough to see from far away, but I pulled up the old question that was originally on the census in 1950, and I see here that the question that is being proposed for 2020 is quite materially different, so it is not a reinstatement. It is not a -- to placing, again, or restoration of the original question. It is a materially different question. Now, the U.S. Census Act of 1974 requires that if the Secretary finds such a change necessary, they must send a report to Congress on the proposed change, when the question is proposed. Not when it is decided upon. Was that legally required report to Congress submitted to us?
I can't respond to your question about the two documents you held up unless you show them to me.ROSS: I can't respond to the question you asked without the documents.
AOC: I asked if the report that was required of you was submitted to congress.
ROSS: We filed the required report on March 31st, 2017. We filed another required report on March 31st, 2018.
AOC: One last thing, so what we don't have is the required report to Congress. And while there's all of this debate about whether a citizenship question should be included or not included, the question I have is why are we violating the law to include any question whatsoever in the 2020 census?
ROSS: I believe -- she is out of order.
CUMMINGS: Respond to the question.
ROSS: I don't have any need to respond, sir.
CUMMINGS: You don't have a need to respond?
ROSS: I have no need to respond.
CUMMINGS: Okay. Well, I'm asking. Could you answer that question, please?
ROSS: Would you repeat the question, please?
AOC: We are now in violation of the U.S. Census act of 1974 which requires you to submit a specific report to Congress ahead of any changes that you find necessary. This question is not a reinstatement of the 1950 question. It's a change which means that change requires you to send a report to us while the question is proposed, not before it is decided or settled. So my question is, why are we violating the law to include this question in the 2020 census?
At this point Mark Meadows jumped in to try to save for Wilbur from pretending to not hear AOC anymore. It was just sad.
