AOC claims 'predominantly white' companies helped hurricanes kill off 'predominantly black and brown lives'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blasted what she called "predominantly white" companies and corporations for their purported roles in exacerbating climate change.

What are the details?

Ocasio-Cortez slammed corporations for reportedly causing amped up storms that took the lives of "predominantly black and brown lives" in places such as Puerto Rico and Louisiana.

The freshman congresswoman made the remarks at Wednesday's House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on civil rights and liberties.

“[T]he people that are producing climate change, the folks that are responsible for the largest amount of emissions, or communities, or corporations, they tend to be predominantly white, correct?" she asked.

Mustafa Ali of the National Wildlife Federation responded, "Yes, and every study backs that up I know no one is intentionally trying to kill people and hurt people."

Ocasio-Cortez added, "My own grandfather died in the aftermath of [2017's] Hurricane Maria. We can't act as though the inertia and history of colonization doesn't play a role in this."

What was the response?

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) countered Ocasio-Cortez's argument and said that North America's deadliest hurricane remains 1900's Great Galveston Storm, which killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people — long before climate change became a major political talking point in the United States.

“Let's talk about the massive violation of civil liberties that will occur if we do as Elizabeth Warren has said, and ban fracking," Roy added. “Let's crush the American economy and crush the jobs not only in Texas but around the United States, and ban fracking in a fit of hysteria, undermining the very civil liberties of the Americans that depend on that affordable and available abundant energy."

Roy also pointed out his belief that the Wednesday hearing took place only because of the ongoing ExxonMobil "climate fraud" trial, which you can read more about here.

“The purpose of this hearing seems to be to stir up a media frenzy and provide a story line for the current court case in New York, a case that isn't even about allegedly covering up the truth about climate change any more, but about accounting disagreements," Roy insisted.

Examining the Oil Industry's Efforts to Suppress the Truth about Climate Changewww.youtube.com