In a heated back-and-forth on social media, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida fired back at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in response to her claims that he and other Republicans lack the lived experience to handle the particular issues being discussed. The tweet from Donalds contained the phrase she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
This response is unsurprising, considering the oft-heated disputes between Republicans and Democrats in Congress. It seems many aren’t willing to listen or take each other’s opinions seriously.
In this instance, Congressman Donalds pointed out his own experience handling particular issues, saying that he is a father of four children and has been living and working predominately in low-income minority communities for over 20 years and so he is above qualified to talk about these issues.
Many of Donalds’ supporters agreed with his assertions, arguing that experience is not exclusively bound to one’s political stance. They argued that experience should be looked at more holistically, taking into account a wide range of backgrounds, life experiences, and specialties.
Others disagreed with this sentiment, arguing that Donalds is discounting Ocasio-Cortez’s lived experiences in favor of his own. This is especially concerning to some since there is an increasingly diverse body of representation in Congress.
No matter what one’s opinion on the matter may be, it’s clear that Donalds and Ocasio-Cortez do not differ only in their political affiliations. It would seem they furthermore differ in their understanding of experience and how to best approach specific issues. With views that diverge this far, progress in Congress may be difficult.