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Politico
POLITICO
19 May 2023
Kierra Frazier


NextImg:AOC says lawmakers’ relationship with Zients is still a work in progress

Progressive lawmakers’ relationship with the White House has “shifted pretty significantly” since chief of staff Jeff Zients replaced Ron Klain earlier this year, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told POLITICO’s Playbook Deep Dive.

“I do think it has shifted pretty significantly. I don’t think it’s a similar dynamic,” Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in a podcast episode released Friday.

In January, it was announced that Klain would depart the White House as the longest-serving first chief of staff for any Democratic president. Zients took over in February at a time of a divided government, an increasingly contentious debt ceiling fight and the upcoming launch of a reelection campaign.

Zients has tried to develop relationships with Hill allies, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“There’s a transition going on in the administration,” Jayapal said in March. “We were looking forward to developing a good relationship with Jeff Zients, but at this point, we’re not in that place yet. So we’re still working on it.”

Jayapal later added: “We’re getting to know each other, and I’ve been really pleased with how responsive and open they are.”

West Wing Playbook reported last month that Zients was working to improve his relationships with allies on Capitol Hill, routinely calling and texting key members including Jayapal.

Ocasio-Cortez recalled the dynamic with Klain as “very open.”

“Right now, you know, for me personally, it’s hard to tell sometimes what is getting through [to the White House] and what isn’t,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “From what I’ve been hearing with some grassroots partners, they don’t feel the same receptiveness or true partnership … that they had experienced previously.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Listen to the full interview in Playbook Deep Dive here.