Politico, March 23rd, 2019: Ocasio-Cortez, other Democrats squeeze big banks on guns, immigration, climate
More than a decade after Wall Street’s crash wrecked the global economy, House Democrats are threatening to stigmatize the nation’s biggest banks again.
Progressive freshmen like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) are joining with veteran lawmakers to try to shame the lenders into taking a stand on some of the country’s most divisive issues: climate change, gun violence and immigration.
The lawmakers are leveraging seats on the powerful House Financial Services Committee and a huge following on social media to confront finance industry executives and discourage them from funding oil pipelines, firearms makers and private prison companies that operate immigration detention centers. Like-minded activist groups are helping amplify the message.
