Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Arrives at Sit-In at Pelosi Office

Newly-elected Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez briefly attended a sit-in at House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office in Washington, DC, on November 13. Activists with the Sunrise Movement, a group that lobbies for environmental issues, sang, delivered speeches, and exhorted Pelosi to take stronger stances on climate change issues as they occupied the Leader’s office. Video shows Ocasio-Cortez arriving to cheers and high-fives and addressing the group of protesters. The Sunrise Movement has called for the implementation of a “Green New Deal,” an idea the Congresswoman pitched during her campaign. In response to the protest, Pelosi released a statement praising the “energy and activism” of those camped in her office and reiterating her pledge to reinstate a select committee to address climate change. The Sunrise Movement then released their own statement arguing that Pelosi’s proposed committee would be insufficient to address the threat of climate change. Credit: Becca Rast via Storyful