Ocasio-Cortez recounted the incident and repeated the term, saying he has a problem with “using women, our wives and daughters as shields and excuses for bad behavior.”
“Mr. Yoho mentioned that he has a wife and two daughters. I am two years younger than Mr. Yoho’s youngest daughter. I am also someone’s daughter. Fortunately, my father is not alive to see how Mr. Yoho treated your daughter, “he said with emotion in his voice. “My mother saw Mr. Yoho’s disrespect on the floor of this House towards me on television and I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter and that I was not raised to accept the abuse of men” .
Then she added: “When you do that to any woman, what Mr. Yoho did was give other men permission to do that to their daughters. By using that language, in front of the press, he gave permission to use that language against his wife, his daughters, women in his community, and I am here to stand up and say that this is not acceptable. “
On Wednesday, Yoho apologized to the Chamber floor with Ocasio-Cortez for the “abrupt form of conversation” he had with her, but he denied using the vulgar term to describe her and said he was “well aware” of her language because I was married and a father. The Republican also said that “it is true that we do not agree with the policies and visions for the United States, but that does not mean that we should be disrespectful.”
He said he never used “offensive insults, words the press attributed to me.” He added that he is “passionate” about those affected by poverty and believes that those in poverty can overcome their problems “without being encouraged to break the law,” the subject of their conversation.
“I will commit to each of you to lead me from a place of passion and understand that politics and political disagreements will be vigorously debated with the knowledge that we address the problems facing our nation with improving the country and the people we serve. No I can apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family and my country, “Yoho said.
His office also denied making the comment in a statement to CNN, saying “a brief comment was made as he walked away summarizing what he believes his policies to be: lies.”
Ocasio-Cortez also said that Yoho, in his apology on the floor of the Chamber, made “excuses for his behavior” and “having a daughter does not make a man decent.”
“Having a wife is not a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect is a decent man,” he said.
She said Yoho’s comments “were not deeply hurting or penetrating” because she has experienced the same type of behavior from men while working as a waitress and in everyday life.
“I have waited for tables in restaurants. I have taken the subway. I have walked the streets of New York City. And this type of language is not new,” he said. “I have kicked out bar men who have used language like Mr. Yoho’s and have come across this type of bullying on the New York City subway. This is not new.”
CNN’s Haley Byrd contributed to this report.
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