Top abortion group faced wrath of AOC's office for neglecting key priority to protect Dem majority: book
A new book reveals that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., squared off with Planned Parenthood in a dispute that eventually left her 'floored' as she faced resistance on eliminating the Hyde Amendment, a top liberal priority.
AOC's Fight for Abortion Rights
According to a new book by Ryan Grim, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez confronted Planned Parenthood over their reluctance to push for the elimination of the Hyde Amendment.
The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal money from being used to pay for abortions, and Ocasio-Cortez believed that it should be removed from the Democrat appropriations bill.
However, fellow Democrats informed Ocasio-Cortez that removing the Hyde Amendment could jeopardize the Democrats' majority in the Senate, leading to resistance from Senate Republicans and President Trump.
Planned Parenthood's Stance
In her attempt to rally support, Ocasio-Cortez reached out to natural allies on the issue, such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Surprisingly, Planned Parenthood did not want Democrats to remove the Hyde Amendment, citing the lack of votes in the Senate as their reason.
Their priority was to protect the Democratic majority in order to have a better chance at repealing the Hyde Amendment in the future.
AOC's Persistence
Despite facing resistance, Ocasio-Cortez continued to push for the elimination of the Hyde Amendment.
Planned Parenthood attempted to sway her by arranging a meeting with women of color who support abortion rights, but Ocasio-Cortez ultimately did not attend.
In the end, Ocasio-Cortez worked with fellow squad member Ayanna Pressley to introduce an amendment, but it failed to gain traction.
