There are thirteen US reps who serve constituents in New York City but only one office refuses to take calls from their constituents and that is AOC’s.
If you are a grandmother having trouble with your Social Security and you call AOC’s office for help, you get a recording telling you to go to her website, which is no help at all. According to the New York Post, who made the calls to the thirteen offices, they got a real human being every time except when they called her office.
Even Jerry Nadler’s office takes calls using a live person.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the only member of the New York City delegation who doesn’t have a staff member picking up the phone regularly.
The Post called the offices of all 13 lawmakers representing New York City – even those in high-profile positions like Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler – and a real person answered the call on every occasion, in every office location, except for calls dialed to AOC’s two offices.
The phones weren’t immediately answered at Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s office as he moved to his new Bronx district location, but an aide promptly picked up Espaillat’s Harlem and Washington, DC lines.
A call to AOC’s Jackson Heights office goes to a series of voicemails with no ability to leave a message as of Monday.
Critics of Ocasio-Cortez suggest making constituents play phone tag is proof that she’s more show pony than work horse.
“She has no plans to serve the people. That’s why she has no constituent services operation,” one Congressional Democratic aide told The Post. “If you’re a grandma in Queens who needs help with her Medicare and you call AOC’s ‘district office’ you get a recording that tells you to visit the website instead.”
“What kind of elitist nonsense is that?” the aide said. “Shameful, it’s all shameful.”