WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) – New York liberal Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a junior Congressman, became Friday's youngest woman to preside over the US House of Representatives.
Sitting in the Speaker's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as part of a routine rotation of House members, Ocasio-Cortez played her turn with the mallet and headed the room for about an hour. This duty is shared daily by members of the majority in the House, currently the Democrats.
In this case, Ocasio-Cortez did not have much to do. She presided over "special orders", which are usually brief speeches by members of the House at the end of the day of legislative work, often on issues of concern in their districts.
RELATED: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the State of the Union 2019
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the state of the Union 2019
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US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), dressed in white in tribute to the women's suffrage movement, arrives for the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 5 February 2019. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (The photo credit should correspond to SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images)
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, speaks with colleagues during a speech on the state of the Union delivered by US President Donald Trump at A joint session of Congress held at the United States Capitol in Washington, United States, on Tuesday. February 5, 2019. President Donald Trump presented his fight against illegal immigration to the United States as a moral struggle. He was charged in his second speech on the state of the Union with threats of partisan investigations threatening economic progress under his administration. Photographer: Aaron P. Bernstein / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Representative Nydia Velazquez, a New York Democrat from left to right, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, and Representative Judy Chu, a California Democrat, speak up ahead of the speech on Thursday. State of the Union delivered by US President Donald Trump, photo taken at a joint congressional session held at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC, United States on Tuesday February 5, 2019. President Donald Trump has described his fight against illegal immigration in the United States as a moral struggle. second state of the Union addresses that partisan investigations threaten economic progress under its administration. Photographer: Aaron P. Bernstein / Bloomberg via Getty Images
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) smiles, dressed in white in tribute to the women's suffrage movement, while she arrives for the State of the Union speech at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, February 5, 2019. – Omar is wearing a lapel pin of Jakelin Caal, a Guatemalan migrant girl who died in the United States after crossing the border illegally with her father. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (The photo credit should read: SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images)
The representative of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, smiles as US President Donald Trump, unrepresented, delivers a speech on the state of the Union at a public meeting. Joint Session of the Congress at the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC, USA, on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. President Donald Trump presented his fight against illegal immigration to the United States as a moral struggle and declared in his second speech on the state of the Union that partisan inquiries threatened economic progress under his administration. Photographer: Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Washington, DC – February 05:
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) meets with other women dressed in white before the State of the Union address, in front of Congress members, to US Capitol House on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. Democratic women wore white in reference to the suffragette movement. This year marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage. (Photo by Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Washington, DC – February 05:
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.), high-five other women in Congress after President Donald J. Trump recognized the newly elected women's congressmen during the State of the Union speech. before members of Congress in the US Capitol House in February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 5: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) met with Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) prior to the pronounced speech on the state of the Union in the United States Capitol House Building on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Trump's second speech on the state of the Union was postponed for a week due to the partial closure of the government. (Photo by Zach Gibson / Getty Images)
United States – February 05: front row from left, representatives Nita Lowey, DN.Y., Nydia Velazquez, DN.Y., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., Judy Chu, D-Calif., And Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, DD.C, appears in the House when President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. (Photo by Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call)
US – Feb. 5: Marks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., right, senior five Nydia Velazquez, DN.Y., while Democratic members celebrate in the House while President Donald Trump acknowledged that they had managed to elect a record number of women in Congress, during the State of the Union address delivered on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. (Photo by Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call)
United States – February 5: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., right, walks with her guest the state of the Union Ana Maria Archila to the House Chamber for State Speech of the President Donald Trump's Union to a joint session of Congress in the Capitol on Tuesday February 5, 2019. (Photo By Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 5: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) looks at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address delivered in the United States House of Representatives on Capitol Hill United States on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. A group of women Democratic legislators chose to wear white for the speech in solidarity with women and a nod to the movement of suffragettes. (Photo by Alex Wong / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 5: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) looks at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address delivered in the United States House of Representatives on Capitol Hill February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. A group of women Democratic legislators chose to wear white for the speech in solidarity with women and a nod to the movement of suffragettes. (Photo by Alex Wong / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 5: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other legislators applaud during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in the House of Commons Chamber of Commerce and Industry US House of Representatives at the US Capitol on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. A group of women Democratic legislators chose to wear white for the speech in solidarity with women and a nod to the movement of suffragettes. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
United States – February 05: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., attends a group photo of House Democrats in the Capitol Visitor Center, who are considering wearing "white suffragette" at the address of the State of the Union Women's Agenda on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call)
United States – February 05: Front row from left, representatives Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, President, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., And Alma Adams, DN.C., pose for a photo group of the House of Democrats at the Capitol Visitor Center, which plans to wear a "white suffragette" during the State of the Union speech to show solidarity with women's agendas on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. (Photo by Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call)
United States – February 05: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., on the right, greets the Rep. Nita Lowey, DN.Y., after a group photo of House Democrats at the Capitol Visitor Center that will carry white suffragette & # 39; to the State of the Union address to show solidarity with the women's agenda on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams / Roll call)
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Ocasio-Cortez, 29, called the members as they stood up to speak, stumbling a couple of times on their original statements. "For what purpose does the gentleman from Ohio – uh, from Illinois, excuse me, seek to be recognized?" she said as a representative, Sean Casten, a first-year Democratic colleague, spoke.
"It was my first presidency.And it's exciting.It's definitely a sight.I wish we could, I'd like to be able to take pictures," she said. to the press after the session.
Ocasio-Cortez describes herself as a democratic socialist and is the most prominent member of a group of Democratic women elected to the House for the first time last November, thus strengthening the party's liberal wing.
She became a social media star, making headlines for dance and defending the Green New Deal, a package of proposals to combat climate change.
She is the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress, representing the 14th district of New York in the Bronx and Queens. (Report by Susan Cornwell edited by Kevin Drawbaugh and Alistair Bell)
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