Ocasio-Cortez slams Dems for deeming climate goals ‘too controversial’

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is ripping her fellow Democrats for failing to take up her proposed special climate change committee called the Green New Deal because it was deemed “too controversial.”

Ocasio-Cortez in a Twitter thread Monday blamed House leadership for rejecting the idea behind the Green New Deal, which aimed to create a plan to get the country on a 100 percent renewable energy electric grid.

“A few weeks ago, I joined youth activists in a specific demand for a Green New Deal Committee. It had 3 simple elements: 1. No fossil fuel money on climate cmte 2. Offer solutions for impacted communities 3. Draft sample #GreenNewDeal All 3 were rejected as “too controversial,” she tweeted.

Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to tweets asking her to name the person who labeled the committee controversial.

{mosads}

Future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Monday that Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) will chair a different special committee on climate change they are calling the Select Committee on Climate Crisis.

The announcement was met with heavy skepticism from progressives, including Ocasio-Cortez, who sought a committee that would be made up of members who promised to reject donations from the fossil fuel industry and would work on legislation to help the economy by transitioning the U.S. electric grid to be run on clean energy. 

Castor has previously told reporters that she would not make members on the committee commit to rejecting fossil fuel donations–citing their first amendment rights.

It’s also anticipated that the new committee will lack legislative authority and subpoena power.

In DC + even in our own party, it‘s apparently too controversial to ask that we keep oil+gas co’s away from enviro policy.

It’s too controversial to talk about the socioeconomics of Flint, WV, PR & the Bronx.

It’s too controversial to plan for disasters that are already here.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 31, 2018

{mosads}The rising progressive star campaigned heavily on tackling climate change once she took office and has championed the Green New Deal–an idea created by The Sunrise Movement, a millennial-run activist group. A week after the midterms Ocasio-Cortez engaged in a sit-in at Pelosi’s office with activists to protest in favor of the Green New Deal’s establishment.

More than 43 Democratic House members have since announced their support for the Green New Deal committee.

While she did “applaud” the creation of the new select committee that will focus on climate change, Ocasio-Cortez argued that the committee will be weak without subpoena power.

“There is still time to strengthen it,” she said. “For all our sake, I hope that we do.”