Politics

Congresswoman: Occupy ‘pushing fairness, justice, equality,’ not dividing America [VIDEO]

Nicholas Ballasy Senior Video Reporter
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Democratic Reps. Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas told The Daily Caller that the Occupy Wall Street movement is not dividing America.

“I want to passionately say that I do not see them as divisive,” Jackson Lee told TheDC at a press conference on the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ proposed Restore the American Dream for the 99 Percent Act.

Watch:

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“What I believe the 99ers are doing are asking the question why there’s a 275 times difference in wealth between the wealthiest and the poorest in America,” she said. “I think they are pushing fairness, justice and equality.”

Rep. Grijalva praised Occupy for putting a “spotlight” on fairness.

“I don’t believe that the Occupy movement is dividing America,” he said. “The greatest contribution that they’ve made to this debate and this dialogue that we’re having today is that they put a huge spotlight on the issue of fairness, and I think when that occurs, American people are beginning to look and be more and scrutinize much better when proposals come up.”

“This is why the act that we’re filing today does create a contrast but more importantly provides a choice, and that choice compliments what many in the Occupy movement have been saying about fairness, income disparity and employment now, and revenue generation coming from the people that have profited and done really, really well the last 10 years and they should pay their fair share.” (RELATED: Congressional bosses from hell: Sheila Jackson-Lee)

As of December 12, there have reportedly been 5,425 arrests at Occupy protests. The movement began on September 17.

Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn told TheDC that the Occupy protesters are “proposing the end of our country.”

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