Green New Deal: A Democratic Scheme To ‘Cause Immediate Harm To Millions’

Labor Unions: Green New Deal ‘Could Cause Immediate Harm To Millions Of Our Members And Their Families’

AFL-CIO ENERGY COMMITTEE: “We will not accept proposals that could cause immediate harm to millions of our members and their families. We will not stand by and allow threats to our members’ jobs and their families’ standard of living go unanswered.” (Cecil E. Roberts and Lonnie R. Stepehnson, AFL-CIO Energy Committee, Letter to Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, 3/08/2019)

• “[The Green New Deal resolution] is not rooted in an engineering-based approach, and makes promises that are not achievable or realistic.” (Cecil E. Roberts and Lonnie R. Stepehnson, AFL-CIO Energy Committee, Letter to Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, 3/08/2019)

Letter signed by:

United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA!)

United Association (UA)

United Steelworkers (USW)

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB)

Ironworkers (IW)

Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA)

International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU)

(Cecil E. Roberts and Lonnie R. Stepehnson, AFL-CIO Energy Committee, Letter to Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, 3/08/2019)

‘Solar And Wind Firms Call The “Green New Deal” Too Extreme’ And ‘Too Politically Divisive’

“Solar and wind firms call the ‘Green New Deal’ too extreme … Representatives of America’s clean energy companies are withholding their support for the [Green New Deal], calling it unrealistic and too politically divisive …” (“Solar And Wind Firms Call The 'Green New Deal’ Too Extreme,” Reuters, 3/21/2019)

• “The feasibility of the proposal has been a source of concern for the clean energy industry ‘… we need to operate in political reality,’ said Dan Whitten, vice president of public affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association, the solar industry’s main lobby group.” (“Solar And Wind Firms Call The 'Green New Deal’ Too Extreme,” Reuters, 3/21/2019)

• “Another concern is the fact that the plan extends beyond energy and climate policies to include guarantees of jobs, training and healthcare … said Greg Wetstone, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy, a non-profit organization promoting renewable energy industries. ‘It creates controversy and complexity, tying this to issues that are not in our sphere,’ he said.” (“Solar And Wind Firms Call The 'Green New Deal’ Too Extreme,” Reuters, 3/21/2019)

The Washington Post Editorial Board Recognizes The Green New Deal Pushed By Leading Democrats Is A ‘Bad Idea’ And Is Built Around ‘An Impossible Goal’

THE WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD: “There are a lot of bad ideas out there. The Green New Deal that some Democrats have embraced is case in point. In its most aggressive form, the plan suggests the country could reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030, an impossible goal.” (Editorial, “Want A Green New Deal? Here’s A Better One.,” The Washington Post, 2/24/2019)

• “The plan’s proposal to retrofit all existing buildings is also astonishing in its implied scale, and its promise to invest in known fiascos such as high-speed rail reveal deep insensitivity to the lessons of recent government waste.” (Editorial, “Want A Green New Deal? Here’s A Better One.,” The Washington Post, 2/24/2019)

• “No matter what the United States does to fight global warming, it won’t matter as long as China, India and the rest of the world do nothing…. If the United States puts a price on greenhouse-gas emissions, other countries would lure U.S. manufacturers with the promise of lax environmental rules. Relocated manufacturers could then export their goods to the United States. The net effect would be no benefit for the planet but fewer U.S. manufacturing jobs.” (Editorial, “Want A Green New Deal? Here’s A Better One.,” The Washington Post, 2/24/2019)

• “At the same time, the Democratic plan would guarantee every American ‘high-quality health care’ and ‘a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security.’ These expensive aspirations … would do nothing to arrest greenhouse-gas emissions. As ostensible parts of a Green New Deal, they divert money and attention …” (Editorial, “Want A Green New Deal? Here’s A Better One.,” The Washington Post, 2/24/2019)

Some Democrats Rebuke The Green New Deal, With Obama’s Energy Secretary Saying ‘It’s Just Impractical’

ERNEST MONIZ, Former Obama Administration Secretary of Energy: “Now, when we come to the Green New Deal, I’m afraid I just cannot see how we could possibly go to zero carbon in the 10-year timeframe. It’s just impractical.” (“Former Energy Secretary Weighs In On Green New Deal Legislation,” NPR, 2/07/2019)

REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): “[W]e’re not going to do 100 percent [renewable energy] over 10 years.” (“Dem Divisions Deepen Over Approach To Climate Change,” The Hill, 3/22/2019)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA): “[T]here’s no way to pay for it.” (“Grilled By Children, Feinstein Tries To Teach Lesson In Politics,” NBC News, 2/23/2019)

• “Of the Green New Deal, Feinstein says, ‘Well the reasons why I can’t, ‘cause there’s no way to pay for it.’” (“Grilled By Children, Feinstein Tries To Teach Lesson In Politics,” NBC News, 2/23/2019)