LULAC Leaders Call For Women To Unite Against Gender Attacks

Nation’s Leading Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Verbal Assault of U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Capitol Steps Deserves Censure

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) says the verbal attack leveled by Representative Ted Yoho (R-FL) constitutes a breach of the code of conduct for Members of Congress and he deserves to be formally censured for misconduct.

“An apology alone is not enough for the insult and disrespect he inflicted upon a fellow Member of Congress,” said Elsie Valdes, National Vice President for Women. “His words were an assault, not just against Representative Ocasio-Cortez, but every other woman who dares to challenge his narrow minded misogynistic views. He was born of a woman, married a woman and is the father of two women, yet in one instant, he denigrated them and every other woman by calling an elected colleague a f**king b**tch. He is unfit to call himself a Member of Congress and we demand he be disciplined,” said Valdes.

The incident was witnessed by reporters close enough to hear what was said. Representative Yoho was walking down the steps of the Capitol and saw Congressmember Ocasio-Cortez coming in the opposite direction. Yoho confronted her without provocation then called her “disgusting” and added, “You’re out of your freakin’ mind” for suggesting poverty and people out of work were contributing factors to increasing crime in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Ocasio-Cortez responded by calling his behavior “rude” and began to walk away, reporters say Yoho blurted out “f**king b**tch” at her.

“We applaud Congressmember Ocasio-Cortez for not remaining silent and utilizing this unfortunate and unprovoked incident to eloquently highlight what women face every single day across our country,” says Sindy Benavides, National Chief Executive Officer. “We stand united with women all across our great nation and Puerto Rico to say, enough! Basta! No woman, whether in the halls of Congress or at home, has to accept this level of vulgar name calling when a man’s intellect fails him. We are not a verbal punching bag and will not stand silent because we know firsthand that words matter. We expect a higher standard of conduct from Representative Yoho and all Members of Congress who represent constituents across America. LULAC stands with Representative Ocasio-Cortez and urges members of the House to censure him for his misconduct,” said Benavides.

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/