*Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) criticized Democrats for choosing Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as the party’s top member on the House Oversight Committee in a vote held earlier this month.
Crocket, a committee member, said her party was still stuck in “old ways” and too focused on seniority, The Hill reports.
“While I think both are absolutely qualified, I do think that within the Democratic Caucus, we are really stuck in our old ways of doing things, which is you get there by seniority,” Crocket said on MSNBC on Saturday, per Mediaite.
“And so, if you’ve been there longer, you get the post, and I don’t think we fully sit there and say, ‘Who may be best equipped for this moment?’” Crocket added.
“I think they are saying, ‘We are looking towards y’all to show us that you’re willing to shake it up if it means we can move this country forward,’” Crockett said.
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Crockett also suggested that Democrats should adopt time limits for committee leadership positions.
“I think that within the caucus we will have some conversations about how we do leadership because on the Republican side they have term limits and so you can’t sit in those posts very long, so they end up shipping out their leadership a lot more frequently than we do on the Democratic side,” Crockett said.
Critics expressed frustration with the Democratic caucus for backing 74-year-old Rep. Connolly over 35-year-old Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, arguing for younger leadership as Republicans are poised to control the House, Senate, and White House in 2025.
“I think there are colleagues — and some of whom are still very successful and very productive — but others who just stay forever,” said outgoing Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) in an interview via The Boston Globe.
After six terms in Congress, Kuster decided not to seek reelection because she is “trying to set a better example” she said.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Jasmine Crockett: ‘You May Not do Politics, But Politics Will do You!’ | EURexclusiveWATCH
