Senate Votes on Green New Deal

On Tuesday, “Senators voted 57-0 against [taking] up the nonbinding [Green New Deal] resolution, which calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power… Three Democrats and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, joined all 53 Senate Republicans in opposing the climate plan. Forty-three Democrats voted ‘present’ to protest the GOP’s action.” (AP News)

The left acknowledges that the specifics of the Green New Deal have yet to be determined, but accuses Republicans of focusing on political stunts rather than offering good-faith solutions to climate change.

“McConnell wanted to put moderate Senate Democrats on the spot by making them publicly vote yes or no on the resolution. It’s a way to sow chaos in the party and create fodder for political ads ahead of 2020 Senate elections.” )Li Zhou and Ella Nilsen, Vox)

Fortunately, “the ploy fell flat. Most Democrats agreed ahead of time to go with a noncommittal vote of ‘present,’ thus denying Mr. McConnell his desired drama and any meaningful vote count… The Green New Deal is by no means a fully baked proposal for combating climate change. But for all its flaws, it is a more promising first step than the Republican leaders’ chosen strategy of inaction and sneering denial.” (Michelle Cottle, The New York Times)

The right accuses Democrats of hypocrisy for voting against a resolution they claim to support and argues for alternative solutions to climate change.

“If the measure is simply a resolution laying out goals, why can’t all members of the Senate say whether or not they support the goals now, as Markey, Ocasio-Cortez, and the Senate Democrats running for president had done when the Green New Deal was first introduced? ‘We haven’t had any witnesses or expertise or science,’ Markey replied… But if further study is required before senators should be expected to take a stand on whether the goal makes sense, then the decision by Markey and Ocasio-Cortez to establish those goals in February doesn’t make sense.” (John McCormack, National Review)