The Green New Deal proposed by freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) has been embraced by a large part of the Democratic caucus in the U.S. Congress, including several Senators vying for their party's 2020 presidential nomination.
But while Democrats are praising Ocasio-Cortez's "bold" deal, Republicans have scoffed at it calling it nothing less than "socialism" and "radical."
The Sierra Club states this about the GND:
A Green New Deal is a big, bold transformation of the economy to tackle the twin crises of inequality and climate change. It would mobilize vast public resources to help us transition from an economy built on exploitation and fossil fuels to one driven by dignified work and clean energy.
The status quo economy leaves millions behind. While padding the pockets of corporate polluters and billionaires, it exposes working class families, communities of color, and others to stagnant wages, toxic pollution, and dead-end jobs. The climate crisis only magnifies these systemic injustices, as hard-hit communities are hit even harder by storms, droughts, and flooding. Entrenched inequality, meanwhile, exacerbates the climate crisis by depriving frontline communities of the resources needed to adapt and cope.
Climate change and inequality are inextricably linked. We cannot tackle one without addressing the other. A Green New Deal would take on both.
Republican Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) wants to force the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives to vote for the "radical policy," hoping that Americans will see how their respective representatives stand on the proposal that many Republicans feel is a threat to national security.
Hice's Republican colleague in the House from Florida, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, told HISPOLITICA that Ocasio-Cortez's "Green New Deal" is "destructive to the United States."
Whether its oil or national gas, any impartial person will tell you that it would be destructive to the United States…You can kiss manufacturing goodbye.
“That is the dream come true for Iran, for Russia, for the enemies of the United States, “said Diaz-Balart.
I've introduced a resolution to begin the process of forcing a vote on the #GreenNewDeal→ https://t.co/wtemKcg4M9.
The American people deserve to know where their Member of Congress stand on such a radical policy. It’s as simple as that. @AOC, I hope you're the first to sign!
— Jody Hice (@JodyHiceFRCA) February 15, 2019
