Dem Sen. Markey: AOC's Green New Deal Is 'In the DNA' of Dems' $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan
Sen. Ed Markey said in an interview Monday that the “Green New Deal is in the DNA” of the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan.
“Without question, the Green New Deal is in the DNA of this green budget resolution. All of the things that are in [it] we talked about in the Green New Deal,” the Massachusetts Democrat told MSNBC.
“Now, we have to go even further in the years ahead. We can’t stop here — and it includes increasing the fuel economy standards for the vehicles which we drive.”
Markey and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez initially introduced the Green New Deal in 2019, but it was defeated by Republicans in the Senate.
They reintroduced the measure in April, hoping to move it through the Democrat-controlled Congress.
“The Green New Deal isn’t just a resolution, it is a revolution,” Markey said at a news conference for the reintroduction.
“In the past two years, the Green New Deal has become the DNA of climate action, and the principles of jobs, justice and climate action are now widely represented in legislation and state and local actions across the country.
“The Green New Deal provides the framework we need to confront the intersecting crises our country faces — climate change, a public health pandemic, racial injustice and economic inequality.”
The Democrats released the massive budget plan on Monday, outlining investments in social programs and climate policy, according to CNBC.
The proposal seeks to provide everyone two years of tuition-free education at a community college, expand Obamacare, and create a universal pre-K funding stream, according to a summary of the proposal.
So far, the plan only consists of a broad framework.
In the coming week, the Senate and its committees will start filling in the blanks, with the goal of completing the package by Sept. 15, Politico reported.
Democrats will ram their proposal home through a process known as budget reconciliation, so they can avoid needing any Republican support.
Democrats want all 50 senators in their caucus to support the bill and then have Vice President Kamala Harris break a tie vote in their favor.
“You cannot preach climate temperance from a barstool,” Markey told MSNBC.
“You can’t be the worst polluter in history and simultaneously tell other countries to stop unless you are doing so yourself.”
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