Dem Rep. DelBene on Harris’ Support of Green New Deal: There’s ‘Clear’ Contrast with ‘Extreme’ GOP

On Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) responded to 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris’ past support of fracking and offshore drilling bans and the Green New Deal by stating that there’s a “clear” contrast between her and “extreme” positions by Republicans.

Co-host Kate Bolduan said, “Republicans are definitely making clear that, in terms of talking about extreme, that is how they are describing Vice President Harris. Republicans are leaning hard on a 60-second ad, which started running, I believe yesterday, in Pennsylvania by the Republican Senate candidate there. Part of it, a laundry list of statements that Harris has made in the past, in 2019 and 2020. Listen to this.”

Bolduan then played part of the ad, which included a reference to Harris being rated as the most liberal member of the Senate by GovTrack and contained video of Harris expressing support for getting rid of the filibuster to pass the Green New Deal and supporting banning fracking and offshore drilling.

Bolduan then asked, “Now, Harris’ campaign has said that she no longer — she would not ban fracking, but I think the question then becomes, as The New York Times put it, does Harris of four years ago, — is Harris about to haunt the Harris and the down-ballot of 2024 with those statements?”

DelBene responded, “Well, I actually think when we talk about extreme, Republicans are the definition of extreme and we’re going to drive that contrast. We’re not in session this week in the House because Republicans who are in the majority are incapable of governing, they can’t even agree with each other. We’ve seen chaos and dysfunction this entire Congress. They want to put in place a nationwide abortion ban. They are continuing to undermine our economy. You’ve heard Donald Trump talk about wanting to put tariffs and basically raise costs for American families. This is the Republican agenda. And so, I think the contrast is very, very clear.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett