It is a partisan issue, and if the leaders of that partisan bloc (AOC, etc) saw themselves as a bloc, they'd understand the need for it. A lot of voters don't see them as a separate bloc, and basically believe that Pelosi et al want the same things. Creting that disstinction on the record is important.
AOC was asked on twitter about this and said people should look at the co-sponsors list to get an idea of the priorities of your representative, but someone pointed out that co-sponsrship is less reliable than looking at floor votes when the thing has a chance to pass (since, for example, Kamala was a co-sponsor but dropped it the moment she ran).