Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday took a dig at Republicans for their obsession with “cancel culture” instead of working to help Americans struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats passed the much-awaited $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill while GOP leaders spent the week “to read the Cat in the Hat,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez, popularly known as AOC, wrote, while recounting the week in the House.
“Dems: Passed $1.9T COVID package to deliver stimulus checks (w/ dependents!), cut child poverty in half, extend $300 UI, prevent cuts in state + local services, largest-ever investment in Native communities, etc,” she tweeted.
“GOP: Took a week to read the Cat in the Hat,” she said, referring to the controversy surrounding Dr Seuss books that erupted after the Seuss estate announced that it would no longer be publishing six titles because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
These books include — If I Ran the Zoo, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super! and The Cat’s Quizzer. These books are among the 60 classics written by American writer and illustrator Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr Seuss.
Republicans seized the matter and responded with allegations of “cancel culture” as the campaign arm of the party appealed to “Save Dr Seuss from the Radical Left!”, offering a free copy of The Cat In The Hat for a donation of $25 to the party.
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy further escalated the issue and took to Twitter to share a five-minute video of himself reading Green Eggs & Ham’ in protest over Dr Seuss books being pulled by the publication.
“I still like Dr Seuss, so I decided to read Green Eggs and Ham,” Mr McCarthy said.
The conservative has been complaining about a growing number of movies, cartoons and children’s books that are being pulled down after they were deemed problematic for their insensitive racial or societal commentary.
But the most famous book of the Dr Seuss titles — The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham — are not in the list of books pulled.
Representative Ted Lieu said: “Dems are focused on getting stimulus checks, unemployment benefits & small business loans to the American people.
“@GOPLeader is focused on Green Eggs and Ham, a book that continues to be published and accepted by the free market. There is a difference between the two parties.”
Others slammed the GOP leader for prioritising the book over the pandemic. “Two thousand people are dying daily of COVID-19 and you pull this @GOPLeader. The GOP can‘t be entrusted with *any aspect* of his nation’s future,” wrote lawyer Seth Abramson.
