Politics

REPORT: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez To Be Biden’s Climate Change Adviser

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David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
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Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is slated to co-chair a task force to advise presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on climate change policy, according to CNN.

A source told CNN on Tuesday that Ocasio-Cortez will help heal the rift in the Democratic Party between those who supported candidate Biden and those who preferred Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Biden confirmed Tuesday that he is “working” to bring Sanders’ supporters on board for the November election and has asked Ocasio-Cortez to take an active role in his campaign on a panel, although he did not specifically refer to her role as co-chair of the climate change task force. (RELATED: Biden: ‘My Green New Deal’ Could Be Part Of ‘Next Round’ Of Coronavirus Assistance)

“I’m working with Bernie and with his people. And so, and we’ve made some changes. We’ve listened to Bernie supporters and, you know, for example, we have Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, she is on one of the panels,” Biden told CBS Las Vegas-affiliate KLAS on Tuesday.

“I think we’re going to have a very united party,” Biden predicted.

Last week, the congresswoman seemed to express some level of support for Biden accuser Tara Reade, who says Biden sexually assaulted her when she worked as a Washington staffer for the then-Democratic Delaware senator.

“It certainly seems as though something has happened. I’m not sure,” Ocasio-Cortez told NPR about the alleged incident.

In mid-April, the congresswoman said it is legitimate to discuss Reade’s accusations during the election campaign. (RELATED: ‘Middle Ground’? Conservatives Wary Of Biden’s Hiring Former Obama Climate Change Advisers)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks ahead of Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign rally in Storm Lake, Iowa, U.S., Jan. 26, 2020. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks ahead of Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign rally in Storm Lake, Iowa, U.S., Jan. 26, 2020. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Ocasio-Cortez spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told CNN in a statement that the congresswoman made the decision to join the task force “with members of the Climate Justice community — and she will be fully accountable to them and the larger advocacy community during this process.”

“She believes the movement will only be successful if we continue to apply pressure both inside and outside the system,” the statement continued. “This is just one element of the broader fight for just policies.”