The “Green New Deal” proposal introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Thursday will provide “economic security” for those who are “unwilling to work,” according to talking points distributed by her office.
The legislation, introduced by Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed. Market (D-MA) aims not only to move the U.S. to 100% renewable energy sources in the next ten years, but also to guarantee “a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security to all people of the United States.”
The “frequently asked questions” sheet provided to NPR by Ocasio-Cortez’s staff adds that the plan will provide “[e]conomic security for all who are unable or unwilling to work.”
The talking points also claim: “This is a massive transformation of our society with clear goals and a timeline”; “This is massive investment in our economy and society, not expenditure”; “Americans love a challenge. This is our moonshot.”
The legislation itself claims that “human activity is the dominant cause of observed climate change over the past century,” and calls on massive government intervention into the economy, including the upgrading of every building in the U.S. to meet new standards, and the phasing out of air travel, to be replaced by high-speed rail.
The “Green New Deal” also aims toward “repairing historic oppression” allegedly suffered by various groups.
NPR noted Thursday that implementing the “Green New Deal” “could cost trillions upon trillions of dollars.”
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), a frontrunner for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 2020, announced Thursday that would be a co-sponsor of the legislation in the Senate.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.