Green New Deal dies in Senate and Democrats helped kill it

WASHINGTON – The Green New Deal, Democrats' aspirational proposal to confront climate change and address social justice, died Tuesday in the Senate.

And Democrats helped slay it.

No senator voted for it; 57 (including all Republicans and a handful of Democrats) voted against it; and the remaining 43 (all Democrats) voted "present" as a protest.

The vote was on a procedural matter to continue debate on the bill crafted by liberal firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. At least 60 votes were needed to keep the bill moving, meaning the legislation is dead – for now.

Congressional Democrats viewed the effort by Republicans – who ridicule the plan as socialist fantasy – to bring the ambitious plan to the floor as little more than a political ploy to divide Democrats rather than a serious effort to confront an impending planetary crisis.