Ocasio-Cortez says Biden campaign has not reached out to her

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in a new interview that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign has not reached out to her. 

The progressive first-term congresswoman was a high-profile surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who dropped out of the race last week. 

She reiterated in an interview with The New York Times published Monday that she plans to support the party’s nominee. 

“I’ve always said that I will support the Democratic nominee. But unity is a process, and figuring out what that looks like is part of this whole conversation that I think Bernie and [Sen. Elizabeth] Warren [D-Mass.] and other folks are a part of as well,” she said. 

Ocasio-Cortez also did not rule out a combined unity rally with the former vice president. 

“Is a Biden-AOC unity rally ever in the cards?” the Times asked. 

“It could be. I have not talked to the vice president,” Ocasio-Cortez responded, adding that she doesn’t think she has ever spoken to Biden. 

A spokesperson for the Biden campaign was not immediately available for comment. 

Asked what type of outreach to progressives she would like to see from Biden, Ocasio-Cortez said he should get “uncomfortable.” 

“There’s this talk about unity as this kind of vague, kumbaya, kind of term. Unity and unifying isn’t a feeling, it’s a process,” she said. 

The unity focus needs to be on real policies, she added. 

“The whole process of coming together should be uncomfortable for everyone involved — that’s how you know it’s working. And if Biden is only doing things he’s comfortable with, then it’s not enough,” Ocasio-Cortez said. 

She said she is looking for Biden to make further concessions on policy issues including immigration and lowering the Medicare age, adding that Biden didn’t win “because of his agenda.” 

“I want to respect his win, he won because of his coalition building, he won because of his service, he won for a lot of different reasons — but I don’t think he won because Americans don’t want ‘Medicare for All,’ ” she said. “And in this moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if what we’re seeing with coronavirus didn’t further change people’s views in further support of a progressive agenda.”