AOC First Coop-City Town Hall Meeting

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Coop-City Town Hall Meeting

By Robert Press

Saturday Afternoon Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held her first Town Hall meeting in auditorium C of 177 Dreiser Loop in Coop-City near where her new Coop-City office is located in Room 3 of 177 Dreiser Loop. Hundreds of people were in attendance to see and hear their new congresswoman that redistricting had given them. Many in the audience were familiar with their new representative in congress, and most of them approved of the job she is doing.   

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s Town Hall meeting opened with a short welcoming by Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, and then the Congresswoman spoke about the SUV Crime Intervention unit at Jacobi Hospital where she was able to obtain $1.2 million dollars,  She continued saying that one million dollars was obtained for the overhaul of the Westchester Square area to make it safer for pedestrians, and while she was talking several people stood up in protest of the United States support of the war in the Ukraine. The protesters were escorted out of the auditorium.

As Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez continued she  spoke about the Debt Ceiling, fighting cuts to programs such as Social Security and Medicare, new energy credits, and the removal of former President Trump’s tax credits for the rich. When she got into the Question and Answer part of the Town Hall, she was interrupted  on the first question when a voice shouted out why she voted against the Infrastructure Bill in Congress, where she explained there was the promise of including much needed support for public housing such as NYCHA that was cut out from the bill.

To a question on the budget, the congresswoman answered that her opposition to the defense budget is because there i no accounting of how the money allocated is spent. As for the problems at Rikers Island she is in favor of federal receivership of the jail which she stressed is only a jail and not a prison. She mentioned a queens hospital where a new maternal health center was created with her getting federal funding with additional city funding to open the maternal health center, and when this reporter was able to ask the congresswoman if she would do the same thing at the empty building #2 at Jacobi Hospital in her district, her answer was a resounding yes because she knows of the problem that women in the Bronx have during pregnancy. After the Town Hall ended Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez met those who wanted to speak to her one on one. 

Shortly after she began several protesters of the U.S. support of Ukraine stood up with signs protesting, and were shortly escorted out of the crowded room.

The congresswoman then moved on to Key Facts on Immigration.

After speaking on some other subjects the congresswoman informed the audience where her new Coop-City office is, right in the same building where the Town Hall meeting was being held.

The Congresswoman then went into a Question and Answer period taking questions from the audience.

Before the first question could be asked there was another heckler from the back of the packed auditorium, who was quickly ejected by security.

The congresswoman is asked a question about Social Security and Medicare, that was answered that she will not vote for any cuts to those programs.

Here the congresswoman is interviewed by News 12, and after the interview I was able to ask if she would support placing a Woman’s Health, Birthing, and Wellness center in Building #2 at Jacobi Hospital in place of a potential parole home for detainees and inmates of Rikers Island. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez said she would love to support a Woman’s Health, Birthing, and Wellness Center in Building #2 at Jacobi Hospital which is in her district.

After the Town Hall and interviews Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez then answered individual questions members of the audience may of had. You can see one of the government agents watching to make sure there was no threats to the congresswoman.