Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Again Makes History As Youngest Woman To Preside Over House In Ceremonial Rotation

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made history Friday when she became the youngest woman ever to preside over the House of Representatives, as part of a ceremonial rotation shared by Democrats as the majority party in the chamber.

After only 128 days in office, Ocasio-Cortez, sitting in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s chair, held the gavel and presided over the chamber for about an hour, to include the hearing of special orders, which are generally speeches as long as 60 minutes by House members airing concerns in their districts and made toward the end of a day’s legislative business.

Congressional members who temporarily preside over the chamber are referred to as speaker pro-tempore. They are expected to manage the session, maintaining order with decorum, and to see to it that House rules are followed, according to Time.

Some news outlets, including Reuters and most notably the New York Post seemed to focus on the representative’s stumbling in at least one instance when announcing the state identity of a representative seeking to be heard.

“For what purpose does the gentleman from Ohio, um, Illinois, excuse me, seek recognition?” Ocasio-Cortez asked, when fellow freshman Democrat Sean Casten, who represents Illinois’ sixth district, rose to speak.

While easily a mistake anyone new in a role might make, the Post took the moment as an opportunity to disparage Ocasio-Cortez, saying, “(Ocasio-Cortez) didn’t have much to do, but even so managed to stumble.”

While there was little drama during Ocasio-Cortez occupation of Pelosi’s seat, the freshman congresswoman beamed when telling reporters, “That was my first time presiding and it’s exciting.”

In addition to a well-covered announcement with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, a Democratic candidate for president in 2020, on legislation to curb credit card interest, media outlets seem preoccupied with Ocasio-Cortez’s every move, from reporting being frightened by the kitchen garbage disposal in her new Washington, D.C. apartment, and her misidentifying Rep. Casten’s home state of Illinois in Friday’s legislative session.