On behalf of progressives, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is giving President Joe Biden some high praise ahead of his first 100 days in office.
“One thing that I will say is that I do think that the Biden administration and President Biden have exceeded expectations that progressives had. I’ll be frank, I think a lot of us expected a lot more conservative administration.”
The New York Democrat’s remarks came during a virtual town hall. USA Today writes:
Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal member of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, also said Biden’s willingness to collaborate with more progressive members “really impressed” her, and despite areas of disagreements, the administration’s conduct has been “not just in good faith but active incorporation of progressive legislation.”
One area AOC noted in particular was Biden’s plan to cut emissions in half by 2030:
“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that two years ago it was almost unthinkable to think that Joe Biden would be making an announcement like that.”
Jamaal Bowman, a freshman Congressman from New York, echoes Ocasio-Cortez. In an interview with Newsweek he said:
“I feel that the White House and Congress are more progressive than they’ve ever been in this moment… Donald Trump was an awakening for the progressive movement to come together and organize and mobilize toward transformative change.”
“This is the most progressive Congress we’ve ever had, and the most progressive White House we’ve ever had. The American Rescue Plan is a clear example of that, and what’s coming next, we believe, is going to be a further example of that as well.”
Senator Bernie Sanders has already given kudos to President Biden as well. Last month, he told Insider that the 46th president was off to a good start:
Sanders praised Biden, a historically moderate Democrat, for his “courage” in championing the measures in the stimulus to address Americans’ suffering. But he said he hopes this continues. “What I hope very much is that understanding of the need to act bold goes beyond the American Rescue Plan,” he said. Next up for Biden seems to be a far-reaching infrastructure package, which could also carry a hefty price tag.