Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is drawing attention for suggesting that the wealthiest Americans ought to pay a marginal tax rate of as high as 70% in order to fund a “Green New Deal.”

The freshly seated Democratic congresswoman from New York City noted there is historical precedent for a high tax rate for the superwealthy, as she said the following:

“ ‘You look at our tax rates back in the ’60s, and when you have a progressive tax-rate system, your tax rate, let’s say, from $0 to $75,000 may be 10% or 15%, etc. But once you get to the tippy tops, on your 10 millionth dollar, sometimes you see tax rates as high as 60% or 70%.’ ” — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Her remarks came in an interview with Anderson Cooper for the CBS show “60 Minutes.” Excerpts for her appearance were released Friday ahead of a full broadcast Sunday evening.

“That doesn’t mean all $10 million are taxed at an extremely high rate, but it means that as you climb up this ladder, you should be contributing more,” said the lawmaker, who also got attention this week thanks to a dance video from her college years that went viral.

When Cooper said Ocasio-Cortez’s agenda is “radical” as compared with how politics is currently practiced, the 29-year-old congresswoman, whose district includes portions of the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, embraced that word.

“It only has ever been radicals that have changed this country,” she said. “Abraham Lincoln made the radical decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the radical decision to embark on establishing programs like Social Security.

“If that’s what radical means, call me a radical.”

Read more:Ocasio-Cortez slams budget rule pushed by Democratic leaders

The term “Green New Deal” refers to a stimulus program backed by many progressives that intends to address both climate change and economic inequality.

House Democrats on Thursday created a new select committee on climate change, but it has been denounced by environmental activists preferring a bolder approach.

This report was first published on Jan. 4, 2019.