AOC says Biden has ‘exceeded expectations’ for progressives

AOC told town hall she had expected a ‘much more conservative administration’

US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, leaves a photo opportunity with the female Democratic members of the 116th US House of Representatives outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 4, 2019 (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the Biden administration has “exceeded expectations” for progressive Democrats.

The New York congresswoman gave the president a thumbs up for his first 100 days in office, which he will mark at a drive-in rally in Atlanta on 29 April.

“The Biden administration and President Biden have definitely exceeded expectations that progressives had,” said Ms Ocasio-Cortez during a virtual town hall meeting.

“A lot of us expected a much more conservative administration.”

And she said she had been impressed with the White House’s approach to negotiating with Congress to make headway.

“It’s been good so far,” she added.

The high-profile lawmaker also gave Mr Biden credit for his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan.

The president is now trying to pass the giant $2.25 trillion American Job Plan, which is focussed on US infrastructure, which Ms Ocasio-Cortez said could actually be larger.

“I think the infrastructure bill is too small,” she said.

“I have real concerns that the actual dollars and cents, and programmatic allocations of the bill, don’t meet the ambition of that vision, of what’s being sold.”

The lawmaker also told the town hall that she will not be able to attend Mr Biden’s first State of the Union address, as Covid-19 restrictions will limit the audience to 200 people.