Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made her mark as a freshman Congresswoman when she introduced the Green New Deal resolution in February, and since then, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been supporting or opposing the radical plan that would transform the American economy, infrastructure, and way of life.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for a vote on the resolution Tuesday, and the vote revealed the divide and indecision on the Green New Deal — a 0-57 vote against, with three Democrats and one independent voting “no” and 43 Democrats voting “present.”
On Wednesday, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) announced the launch of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) to counter the Green New Deal by promoting an “all of the above” energy agenda and to put lawmakers on the record about what energy future they want in the United States.
“We have a robust economy in this country, it’s growing every day and it relies on a stable, reliable, 24/7 baseload power supply and as we focus on an ‘all of the above’ approach to energy, we also need to focus on what works and what works is fossil fuel generated power, hydro, nuclear power,” Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), co-chair of HEAT said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) said at the press conference that he is going to put forward a discharge petition after the Easter break to press for a vote on the $93 trillion Green New Deal on the House floor.
“Ninety-two [Democrats] said they support this,” Hice said. “The American people need to know where their representatives stand on this radical proposal. And if they put their name to co-sponsor then they ought to have the courage to want to vote for it.”
Democrats who are running for president in 2020 have embraced the Green New Deal, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand, Corey Booker (D-NJ), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Breitbart News asked the Republican lawmakers if they were concerned that the Green New Deal is forcing them to come up with their own climate change plan, thus embracing the idea of manmade global warming.
Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), also a co-chair of HEAT, said that the Green New Deal needs to be taken seriously.
“It isn’t about energy,” Mullin said. “It says very little about fossil fuels.”
Instead, Mullin said, it is Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to push a socialist agenda.
“If you look at how they’re going to fund education,” Mullin said. “They’re going to do it by taking over our universities. How are they going to take over our universities? By eminent domain — by climate change — by saying it’s important so you got to tear down the buildings that can’t afford it.”
“The government takes them over,” Mullin said.“When you start talking about Medicare for all … well, how are they going to pay for it?”
“They’re going to take over our hospitals,” Mullin said.
“It’s not a secret,” Mullin said. “Everybody knows it’s a socialist platform.”
“That’s why you saw the senators run from it,” Mullin said.
Mullin said the Green New Deal seeks to fundamentally change the way the government is run in this country, and Democrats who support it need to step up and vote for it. “Because that says I’m openly an unapologetic socialist when I vote for that,” Mullin said. “So that’s what the discharge petition is all about. Putting them on record.”
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