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In February 2019, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Green New Deal Resolution to Congress, asking lawmakers to commit to enacting significant environmental reforms over the next 10 years. This proposal could play a large role in the next presidential election because of its widespread publicity and approach toward addressing climate change. So, knowing where the 2020 candidates stand on the Green New Deal may be helpful as you decide who you want to support in the 2020 presidential race and related primaries.
The Green New Deal is a non-binding congressional resolution that commits to obtaining power through 100% renewable energy sources within 10 years and to achieving a net-zero emission of fossil fuels by 2050. In addition to environmental proposals, it also contains many related policy reforms. For example, the Green New Deal proposes universal higher education and health care for all Americans, as well as a jobs guarantee, CNN noted. It also calls for the strengthening of labor laws, the outlet reported.
2020 candidates appear to vary somewhat in their stances on the Green New Deal resolution. Some support the resolution wholeheartedly, but others think its reforms don't go far enough. Some candidates are even in the process of creating their own environmental policy proposals to carry out the tenets of the Green New Deal. Notably, the resolution also has one very outspoken critic — President Donald Trump. The list below offers further insight into all of the candidates' various stances on Ocasio-Cortez and Markey's environmental resolution.
Beto O'Rourke
O'Rourke, a former Democratic congressman from Texas, has previously espoused his strong support for the Green New Deal, calling it the "best" climate change proposal he's seen.
"I'm really excited about the leadership there to meet our commitment [to halting global warming] to the generations that follow," O'Rourke said to BuzzFeed News on Feb. 11. "It [the Green New Deal] is the best proposal that I've seen to ensure that this planet does not warm another two degrees celsius, after which we may lose the ability to live in places like El Paso."
Eric Swalwell
Swalwell, a Democratic congressman from California, announced his presidential run in early April. The congressman has been openly supportive of the Green New Deal and has particularly praised its job creation aspirations. As Swalwell said in an interview with Fox News in January 2019:
When it comes to climate change, we need to advance policies that don’t ask Americans to choose between their jobs and clean air and water ... I welcome a Green New Deal and am excited to offer additional ideas to create meaningful jobs and address the crisis of climate change.
Michael Bennet
Bennet, a Democratic senator from Colorado, generally supports reforms to combat climate change. However, as Danielle Haynes of United Press International (UPI) described, "Unlike some of his fellow Democratic candidates, he was not one of the co-sponsors or vocal supporters of the Green New Deal." Haynes did note that Bennet has indicated that he supports wind and solar tax credits, among other environmental initiatives. Bennet's campaign website also reveals that he supports renewable energy investments.
Joe Biden
Former Vice President Biden supports initiatives to counter climate change, but, as the Washington Post reported, he hasn't specifically backed the Green New Deal. Biden shares his views on tackling climate change on his campaign website, which notes:
Climate change threatens communities across the country, from beachfront coastal towns to rural farms in the heartland. We must turbocharge our efforts to address climate change and ensure that every American has access to clean drinking water, clean air, and an environment free from pollutants.
Seth Moulton
Moulton, a Democratic congressman from Massachusetts, endorsed the Green New Deal back in December 2018. A statement on Moulton's congressional website reveals that he believes that addressing climate change constitutes a top priority:
I am proud to announce my support for the Green New Deal. No issue is more important today for our children and our grandchildren than addressing climate change. And if we do so successfully, our nation will be stronger, our economy will be stronger, our communities will be more resilient, and the futures of our children and grandchildren will be much brighter.
Bill Weld
Weld, a Republican and former governor of Massachusetts, is the first GOP contender who has declared that he plans to run against President Trump in the party's primary. During an interview with the New Yorker on March 5, Weld noted that he needs to learn more about the Green New Deal before he makes a final decision about where he stands on the resolution.
As Weld told the outlet:
You know, I’ve got to study that more than I have. It sounds pretty expensive, and I think some of what’s coming out of the left hand of the Democratic Party is probably more than I could sit still for. But I do think that, at bottom, Europe has its monuments and its cathedrals, and we’ve got our mountains and our valleys and our rivers and our streams, and we better damn well take care of them.
Weld also added that he has firsthand experience with fighting to preserve and protect natural resources. "When I was U.S. Attorney, I brought this suit to clean up Boston Harbor, and it was very expensive, and it took years and years and years," he told the New Yorker. "But the harbor is now swimmable and fishable, which it sure wasn’t when I started. That’s the sort of thing we’ve got to do now."
Donald Trump
President Trump has repeatedly criticized the Green New Deal. For example, as Fox News reported on March 2, the president characterized the resolution as "extreme" and suggested that he looks forward to running against Democrats who support the idea. As Trump described during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (via Fox News):
Perhaps nothing is more extreme than the Democrats' plan to completely take over American energy ... The Green New Deal, or whatever the hell they call it, I encourage it ... No planes, no energy... When the wind stops blowing, that's the end of your electric[ity]. This is the new Democratic platform ... I don't want to talk them out of it ... I just want to be the Republican who runs against them.
As USA Today and CNBC reported, Trump's remarks at CPAC generally mischaracterized the Green New Deal. The resolution doesn't call for ending air travel or eradicating electricity.
Considering how extensively many 2020 contenders have already discussed the Green New Deal, it's likely that the resolution will play a significant role during the presidential campaign season. For voters who consider environmental issues — and related policy areas — a top priority, candidate stances on the resolution could be a deciding factor in determining who they will support as campaign season unfolds.