Unlike U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. Rep. John Katko doesn’t feel “meh” about moderates.
Ocasio-Cortez, a Bronx Democrat, criticized moderates during a recent appearance at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas. Being a moderate isn’t a stance, she argued, but an “attitude toward life of meh.”
Katko, R-Camillus, disagrees with Ocasio-Cortez about moderates. He has been described as a moderate because of his legislative record in Congress dating back to 2015. He has worked with Democratic members to pass legislation and follows a self-imposed rule to secure a Democratic co-sponsor whenever he introduces a new bill.
He views Ocasio-Cortez’s comments and positions taken by some of the more conservative members of his party as part of a “zero-sum mentality” in Congress.
“I’ll put my record up against hers. I’ll put my record up against these other people with the extreme views,” Katko said in a phone interview Friday. “Who’s producing more? Who’s getting more done? The proof is in the pudding. You can talk all you want, but unless you roll up your sleeves and are willing to listen to another person’s point of view, you’re never going to be successful legislatively.”
Katko believes he is an example of how to work in a bipartisan manner and secure legislative victories, whether it’s on broader national issues or subjects important to his district. He mentioned his authorship of a bill the House passed in his first term to address employee access controls at airports.
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