Democrats unveil climate change plan
WASHINGTON: Democrats yesterday laid out a ‘‘Green New Deal’’ that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race.
The document, unveiled by rising political star Representative Alexandria OcasioCortez and Senator Edward Markey, marks the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define potential legislation to create big governmentled investments in clean energy and infrastructure to transition the US economy away from fossil fuels.
The plan, which takes the form of a nonbinding congressional resolution, outlines some of the most aggressive climate goals ever put forward by Democratic lawmakers and clashes dramatically with the Trump administration’s efforts to advance domestic oil, gas and coal production by rolling back environmental protections.
The name, Green New Deal, references the New Deal of the 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt implemented to aid Americans suffering in the Great Depression by embarking on huge governmentled infrastructure projects.
‘‘Today is the day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to 100% renewable energy and charting that path,’’ OcasioCortez told reporters.
The resolution so far has 64 House cosponsors and nine Senate sponsors — four of whom are Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gilibrand, Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren cosponsored the resolution.
OcasioCortez said she will
❛ Today is the
day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to
100% renewable energy and charting that
path
immediately begin to work on legislation that would ‘‘fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal.’’
Republicans have been quick to criticise the initiative, waving off any kind of proposal as heavyhanded. The Trump administration does not believe action on climate change is necessary and is focused on increasing production of oil, gas and coal on federal and private land.