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‘She’s barely ever present in the community’: Ramos blasts Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter

Ramos Ocasio-Cortez Twitter drama
State Senator Jessica Ramos and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Photo courtesy of NY State Senate and U.S. House of Represenatatives)

State Senator Jessica Ramos, who represents the 13th District in Queens, recently took to social media to criticize Bronx/Queens Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — whose 14th Congressional District overlaps with Ramos’ — for not being adequately present in her district.

It started when a medical student wrote on Twitter about how health policy academics who had set up a meeting to talk about healthcare reform were told by Ocasio-Cortez’s staff, “We are not doing healthcare right now.”

Ocasio-Cortez responded by apologizing for the incident. She then offered to follow up with him to discuss the matter further.

Ramos responded to the original Twitter thread, accusing the congresswoman of not spending enough time in her office, with her own team, or even in her own district.

In her replies to Twitter users, Ramos said that she and Ocasio-Cortez have offices “on the same floor in the same building” and that Ocasio-Cortez is “barely ever present in the community.”

The lawmaker added that when she texted the congresswoman saying that she hoped Ocasio-Cortez was OK following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, she never received a response.

“She doesn’t meet with elected officials,” Ramos said on Twitter.

Several Queens elected officials came Ocasio-Cortez’s defense and cited positive experiences working with her.

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani stated that Ocasio-Cortez has been heavily involved in local politics and that he has met with her on several occasions.

Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán disputed the tweets and stated that her team has worked closely with Ocasio-Cortez’s team on several matters.

Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson responded to the critical tweets by stating that the congresswoman held an event in Jackson Heights, which the senator represents, earlier in July. Her office also told QNS that the congresswoman last saw Ramos at a May Day rally and at an Astoria petitioning event a few weeks prior.

“The congresswoman has also held six town halls for constituents so far this year,” Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson said.

QNS reached out to Ramos’ office and is awaiting comment.