Ocasio-Cortez accuses Republicans of ‘hostage-taking’ with border wall demands

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday accused Republicans of “hostage-taking” with the government shutdown over border security.

In a tweet, the freshman Democrat urged Republicans that if they want a border wall, to “propose and pass a bill like anybody else.”

“If the GOP wants a wall so badly, they can try to propose and pass a bill like anybody else,” she tweeted. “Instead, they are seizing gov operations + innocent people’s pay until they get what they want.”

“This is called hostage-taking,” she added. “And no one can compromise or negotiate with that.”

If the GOP wants a wall so badly, they can try to propose and pass a bill like anybody else.

Instead, they are seizing gov operations + innocent people’s pay until they get what they want.

This is called hostage-taking. And no one can compromise or negotiate with that. https://t.co/utYLL1k8m9

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 6, 2019

The comment comes as the partial government shutdown resulting from a standoff over President Trump’s request for border wall funding enters its third week.{mosads}

The House last week passed legislation to reopen the government without border wall funding, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that the Senate will not vote on legislation without assurances that that Trump will sign it.

Trump refused to sign any legislation that does not include more than $5 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democratic leaders have stood by their refusal to not allocate additional funds for the wall.

The president has threatened to keep the government shut down for “years,” and said he may declare a national emergency to build the wall.