Ocasio-Cortez's revolt against DCCC 'exactly what we need' say progressive Democrats

Congresswoman from New York withholds dues from the party machine and launches a new PAC to help insurgent left-wing candidates.

For bucking a key arm of the Democratic Party establishment that has stood in the way of attracting and supporting progressive candidates, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) received applause over the weekend after she announced the launch of a new political action committee designed to directly challenge the power of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee by helping insurgent, left-leaning challengers like herself take on both Republican incumbents and centrist Democrats.

"The rumors are true," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Saturday. "Today we're announcing the Courage to Change PAC—and we need your help.  We are pushing the envelope in D.C. by rewarding those who reject lobbyist money, fight for working families, and welcome newcomers."

"What we're looking to do is to make sure that progressive candidates and incumbents have the support that they need to back policies that are going to improve the lives of everyday Americans."

—Corbin Trent, Courage to Change PACAccording to the PACs first fundraising push:

When community leaders, activists, and working-class candidates try to run for office, organizations like the DCCC discourage them. These potential progressive leaders are asked: "Can you raise $300,000 from your friends and family? If not, don't bother trying."

We're stuck in this situation because there has been a structural effort to keep people like Alexandria, and people like you, out of power. But today, that changes.

HuffPost's Daniel Marans, the first to report on the new PAC, noted:

The move by the first-term congresswoman, a project rumored to be underway for months, is a bold challenge to the DCCC which angered many progressive lawmakers and activists when it announced last year a blacklist effort against campaign consulting firms and others who worked against its preferred candidates.  In addition to launching the new PAC, Ocasio-Cortez is also withholding her annual $250,000 dues to the DCCC and explained why in a Friday afternoon tweet:

In an interview with Fox News, Ocasio-Cortez further defended her decision by saying, "I don't see the sense in giving a quarter-million dollars to an organization that has clearly told people like me that we're not welcome."

AOC's efforts to stand up the DCCC was championed by many of her fellow progressives:

The Washington Postreported Sunday afternoon that Courage to Change had raised more than $150,000 after approximately 24 hours of fundraising, money that would go directly to help progressive House candidates in the 2020 primaries and general election.

"There is a robust infrastructure set up to maintain and defend the Democratic majority, and to support moderate Democrats, and often that infrastructure is running against progressive in blue districts," Corbin Trent, a former staffer for Ocasio-Cortez and now a spokesperson for the new PAC, told the Post. "So what we're looking to do is to make sure that progressive candidates and incumbents have the support that they need to back policies that are going to improve the lives of everyday Americans."

In a tweet on Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez said, "Thank you to everyone contributing to this effort so far—this is a big deal.  Help us build a war chest to support progressive red-to-blue seats, bold incumbents, and newcomers to Congress alike."