Rep. Alexander Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in Washington, April 20, 2021, to reintroduce the Green New Deal.
U.S. radical Democrats on Tuesday (April 20) reintroduced the Green New Deal, calling it “not just a resolution, but a revolution. Republicans denounced it as a “socialist super-package”.
The Green New Deal was first introduced in the House of Representatives in 2019 as a non-binding resolution. The Senate version, introduced Tuesday, is essentially the same, seeking to eliminate U.S. greenhouse gas emissions within a decade; wean the economy off fossil fuels; include “climate change” considerations in any infrastructure bill considered by Congress; and radical social justice priorities in areas such as race relations and income disparity.
In a statement, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Texas), the senior Republican on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said, “There’s a new green disaster. ” He said, “The best way to protect our air, water and communities is free market innovation, not brutal government regulation or taxation.”
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, declared at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday that the Green New Deal is a “revolution” that “provides the framework we need to address the cross-cutting crises facing our nation — climate change, public health pandemics, racial injustice and economic inequality.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., joined Markey at the relaunch.
“We will transition to a 100 percent carbon-free economy that is more unionized, more just, more dignified, and guarantees more health care and housing than we’ve ever had before.” Ocasio-Cortez said at the press conference, “Do we intend to send a message to the Biden administration that we need to go bigger and bolder? The answer is absolutely.”
Republicans: Green New Deal is a socialist super package
After the Green New Deal was relaunched on Tuesday, Republicans were quick to push back.
“The Green New Deal is a socialist super package that will only put hard-working taxpayers in debt and put millions of Americans out of work.” Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the senior Republican on the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement that “Democrats will stop at nothing to push their radical pet projects on the American people.”
“True to its name, the Green New Deal is the most amateurish resolution that can be thought of in recent memory.” Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, the senior Republican on the Environment Subcommittee, said in a statement that “this legislation will change every aspect of American life – what we eat; how we travel; how we heat our homes; and even What jobs. This is not the way to govern. Simply put, the Green New Deal is an attempt to mask its socialist (nature) in the name of environmental protection.”
Democrats: hope to go further than Biden’s plan
It is unclear whether the plan will be well received by the Biden administration. Former President Donald Trump (R-Texas) had accused the Green New Deal in 2019 of harsh wording.
“It will kill millions of jobs. It will crush the dreams of poor Americans and disproportionately hurt minority communities. I will not support it.” Trump said at the time, “We will defend the environment, but we will also defend American sovereignty, American prosperity, and we will defend American jobs.”
When Biden ran for president, he tried to distance himself from the Green New Deal, saying he had his own “Biden plan” that was different from the so-called “radical Green New Deal. Still, the Biden Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice builds on that controversial legislative proposal.
Biden will host an online climate summit this week. in January, he announced that the United States would rejoin the 2015 Paris Agreement to address climate change. He also pledged to put the U.S. on a net-zero emissions trajectory by 2050 – much later than the deadline set by the Green New Deal.
Markey confirmed to reporters at a news conference that he hopes to go further than Biden’s plan.
“Yes, we believe that this is a time when we need to take bold action, think boldly, and have a plan that matches the magnitude of the problems we face.” Markey said, “We can transform our economy and our democracy for all Americans by addressing the challenges of climate change.”
Morano: Green New Deal would lead to “climate blockade” if it gets its way
In addition to strong condemnation from Republicans, the Green New Deal could also face opposition from moderate Democrats, such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who voted against the deal in 2019. He reportedly said on April 20 that the Green New Deal was “not practical.
“If you’re talking about global climate, it really doesn’t work.” Manchin said, “You can’t ‘eliminate’ your way to a cleaner environment, you have to be innovative.”
The Green New Deal calls for 100 percent of electricity demand to be achieved through zero-emission energy sources such as wind and solar; modernizing transportation infrastructure; reducing carbon emissions from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors; and making buildings and homes more energy efficient. It also aims to create an economic safety net for communities affected by climate change and a shift away from fossil fuel use, achieved through guaranteed health care, jobs and job training, among other things.
Since its announcement two years ago, the Green New Deal has become the focus of accusations from conservatives and industry experts. Some critics have called it a socialist push – one that pushes the economy away from its free-market foundation.
Marc Morano, author of Green Fraud: Why the Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think, says the overall goal of the Green New Deal is to control “every aspect of your life.”
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