CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Interview

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COOPER: Our Dana Bash is live on Capitol Hill right now with Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -- Dana.

BASH: That's right, Anderson.

Thank you so much, Congresswoman, for joining me, and also for you, Ana Maria Archila, who's her guest. We'll get to that in your story in a minute.

But first let me start with you, Congresswoman. You tweeted today that the State of the Union Address, people should watch, quote, none of it. Are you going in with an open mind?

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D), NEW YORK: I think that, you know, for me, what I see is that as a representative and as a congresswoman, it's -- I'm going in there to definitely listen what to what the president has to say. But I do represent many vulnerable communities, many of whom have been traumatized and feel very vulnerable to the president's actions and the president's words, from air traffic controllers whose paychecks were being withheld for a month, to immigrants who aren't sure if their visas will be renewed, or if their applications will be approved.

So, I think that if it's going to be harmful for you, you know, I wanted to give that permission to folks see if they you know it were feeling some type of way about.

BASH: Is there anything that you think the president could say tonight that would make you go, huh, I could work with him on that? Do you see any common ground?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, I do think that there was some proper made on criminal justice reform and in, you know, in the last couple of months and I'm open to that. I'm open to meaningful investment and infrastructure that does not kind of loot the public money, but it's actually an investment in our country. But I think overall, it's something that, you know, I -- while, I don't expect him to change too much of this tune, I expect him to dress it up.

[20:15:10] But I -- you know, I'm open -- I'm certainly open if he wants to change his platform.

BASH: Hmm, I don't know if that's going to happen anytime soon.

I just want to ask you. So, you are a constituent of the congresswoman but people out there might recognize you because you were the one who confronted senator -- now former Senator Jeff Flake in the elevator during the whole Brett Kavanaugh controversy.

You are here for what reason?

ANA MARIA ARCHILA, ACTIVIST WHO CONFRONTED JEFF FLAKE: I'm here I think as an invitation to everyone around the country to use their voices and tell their stories because our democracy cannot exist, it cannot work if we're not all in it, shaping it, making our demands, making sure that the people who represent us understand our lives, and that they understand our priorities.

And I feel so lucky that I have the best representative in Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

BASH: And you're going to be in the room in that chamber with now Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

ARCHILA: Yes, I just realized that yesterday. It is still very painful for me and I think for many women across the country to know that our elected officials fail to understand the opportunity that they had to signal to the country that they were not going to reaffirm a culture that enables sexual violence in the first place, and they failed by putting Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court. But I feel very encouraged by the leadership of women, like my congresswoman, and the leadership of so many other women that are actually presenting a new vision for the country.

BASH: What do you think the State of the Union is?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: You know, I think that this is an opportunity and it is a window for change it is a moment where we can come together and really talk about our values, that we are a nation that embraces immigrants, we are a nation that that believes in justice and equality and the ability for everyday working people to work 40 hours a week and supply and provide for their families. And I think that's the country that we're fighting for.

And I think that at its core, that's something that we can agree on and it's just about having and making the commitment to get there. BASH: Before I let you go -- you were both wearing white, almost every woman with a congressional pin that I've seen walking by is -- they're wearing white. Describe why. Explain why.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the women's right to vote and I think that we're all coming here -- there's so much more that we have to fight for from wage equality, to paycheck fairness, to protecting ourselves and believing survivors. And I think that this is a really amazing opportunity.

We have a very large number of women, a record number, and in certainly in the freshman class that have been elected to Congress this year. And I think it shows that over a hundred years, this battle and this fight for women's equality has been long and it's been difficult but it has reaped many rewards in our democracy.

BASH: A hundred and two women in the House of Representatives. It certainly is historic and you're part of that history and you're here to see it. Thank you so much.

Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Dana, thanks very much.

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