Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) Green New Deal is a new proposed bill that would allow the government further control over economic regulation. This would include giving every American the right to employment through an Economic Bill of Rights. This economic bill of rights will also give workers the "right to a living wage" and obligatory access to health care that would be given by the Medicare for All bill. There's also a "right" included to tuition-free, federally funded college education. It would also give them the power to make a "Green Transition," basically prioritizing environmentally friendly businesses and jobs.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on who you are), the bill has been struggling to gain support from other Democrats. Only a few representatives including Brendan Boyl (PA) and Joaquin Castro (Texas) have helped sponsor the Deal. Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has described climate change as her "flagship" issue, chided the bill and its supporters.
"It will be one of several or maybe many suggestions that we receive," she said. "The green dream or whatever they call it, nobody knows what it is, but they're for it right?"
Her pessimism regarding the Deal seems to stem from her years of watching Democrats trying to pass a sweeping climate law. "This time it has to be Congress-wide," Pelosi said.
Ocasio-Cortez has not taken well to Pelosi's lack of support. In November of last year, Ocasio-Cortez joined a group of youth protestors outside Pelosi's office urging the Democrats to take a more decisive stance on climate change.
"We need a Green New Deal," Ocasio-Cortez told reporters, "and we need to get to 100 percent renewables because our lives depend on it."
While it looks unlikely now that the Green New Deal will be passed, nobody knows what could happen in the next few years or even months. More Democrats could decide it's in their own best interests to support the Deal. We'll just have to watch and see.
