During Wednesday's 'Fight Oligarchy' tour in Folsom, CA, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) discussed next steps for the people to push back on Trump's agenda.
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00:00So Folsom, we are here for the long haul, for the school boards and the community associations,
00:10for small business groups and town councils, for public art and gestures of inclusion.
00:18And we will build from there.
00:21Because Kevin Kiley will not be a congressman for much longer if you've got anything to do with it.
00:30And by the way, as they try to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security,
00:41we just need to peel off three Republican congressmen in the entire country.
00:48And I got a feeling that you might do it right here in Folsom.
00:55And if you do it Folsom, then the people here today will have saved Medicaid for the entire United States of America.
01:06We stand with you. We are here with you. And we will support you.
01:11Beyond elections, our task is also to build community.
01:20Block associations, volunteer groups, advocacy organizations, PTAs, church and faith groups.
01:28Because community is the most powerful building block we have to defeat authoritarianism and root out corruption.
01:41This is the path to guaranteeing health care to every American.
01:46To establishing a living minimum wage. To take on skyrocketing rents and mortgages.
01:52To tackle the climate crisis. And establish a country where the American dream is actually possible for all of us.
02:00So I will end where I began. We may all come from different places, but we share so many of the same experiences.
02:15So to all those who came here today unsure of whether or not this is where you belong, I want to say affirmatively that you do.
02:27No matter if you have all the right words to say. No matter your race, religion, gender identity or status.
02:37You know, if you even voted for Donald Trump in the past and are open to changing your mind, come on in.
02:47If you are willing to fight for someone you don't know, you are welcome here.
02:52If you are willing to fight for working people, regardless of who they are, how they identify or where they come from, you are welcome here.
03:02Because here everyone is valued. But we have to stand together.
03:10We cannot be tempted to turn in our neighbors or be fooled into thinking that we're really that much different than the trans kid who wants to get accepted at school.
03:25We can't fall for the ruse that we're that different than the dreamer who wants to provide for their family and fulfill our country's promise.
03:36It is standing together without exception to reject division.
03:42That is the only way that we can win.
03:46So I hope that you see this movement is not about partisan labels or purity tests, but it is about class solidarity.
03:56The thousands of you who came out here today to stand together and say our lives deserve dignity and our work deserves respect.
04:10We are here to make a sacred promise to one another.
04:15And our goal is to commit to building the kind of country that we all deserve.
04:21And we will make that promise to take care of each other on our worst days and to share in the successes of our best.
04:30Thank you Folsom.
04:31Thank you Folsom.