Cruz Surprises: 'I AGREE WITH AOC'

Pair agree to partner on anti-lobbying bill
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted May 31, 2019 9:30 AM CDT
Cruz Surprises: 'I AGREE WITH AOC'
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questions Attorney General William Barr during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on May 1.   (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

It's an unlikely pairing: a self-described democratic socialist and a Republican who once mocked her logic. Yet New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz found common ground Thursday, agreeing to put their heads together on a bill that would impose a lifetime ban on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists. "Here's something I don't say often … I AGREE WITH AOC," Cruz tweeted Thursday in response to Ocasio-Cortez's tweet that "I don't think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if you've served in Congress." She linked to a Public Citizen report that found "nearly two-thirds of recently retired or defeated US lawmakers now working outside politics have landed jobs influencing federal policy."

Ocasio-Cortez soon jumped on Cruz's suggestion of "bipartisan cooperation." "If we can agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses … then I'll co-lead the bill with you," she wrote, getting a "You're on" from Cruz. Though Republican Sens. Mike Braun and Rick Scott introduced such a bill in February, with GOP Rep. Trey Hollingsworth adding a companion bill in the House, per Politico, Ocasio-Cortez and Cruz may start from scratch. They've already secured co-sponsors, with Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz agreeing to work with Cruz and Republican Rep. Chip Roy partnering with Ocasio-Cortez, reports NBC News. "Politics doesn't make much odder couples than this," the outlet adds, noting the pair previously battled over minimum wage. (More Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X