Van Hollen, Green New Deal Co-Sponsors: Republican Bad-Faith Amendment Meant to Politicize Climate Action Right When We Need it Most

Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) – Senate co-sponsors of the Green New Deal -- released the following statement today after Senate Republicans introduced a straw-man amendment to the $3.5 trillion budget resolution that attempted to manufacture opposition to popular climate action proposals.

“Right out of the gate, the first vote Republicans and Mitch McConnell want to take with the budget resolution was an attempt to take aim at the Green New Deal by lumping it in with fictitiously frightening consequences. This cynical, sham vote comes on the precipice of our country’s largest investment in climate action in history, and on the heels of yesterday’s IPCC report that unequivocally stated that the human-driven climate crisis is destroying our planet. The budget reconciliation package will allow us to unleash millions of good-paying, union jobs in wind, solar, and clean energy technologies—good policies with broad public support. It will give workers power, and it will be paid for by the corporations – including Big Oil – who have polluted our planet for generations,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Senate Republicans clearly do not believe climate change is an existential threat to humankind, but they know that the goals of the Green New Deal are an existential threat to Big Oil and their corporate polluter allies. The power of the Green New Deal has struck a chord in this country -- Americans see how a Green New Deal can transform our economy and democracy to address climate change. This amendment is a tired and failed Republican attempt to throw speed bumps on the road to climate action."