New York congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey reintroduced their Green New Deal resolution Tuesday, over two years after it was first unveiled. It now has over 100 co-sponsors in the House. The plan would overhaul U.S. infrastructure, investing in clean energy and creating 20 million union jobs. This is Ocasio-Cortez at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “We’re going to transition to a 100% carbon-free economy that is more unionized, more just, more dignified and guarantees more healthcare and housing than we ever have before. That’s our goal. That’s the goal of a Green New Deal. What we’re going to do is going to make sure that communities like Flint, Baltimore, the South Bronx, St. Louis, rural communities, whose infrastructure was never properly built in the first place, are first in line to rectify the injustices of the past.”
Meanwhile, President Biden is expected to announce plans to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030 — nearly doubling the target the U.S. committed to under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Biden has convened an international climate summit with world leaders, which will kick off Thursday, on Earth Day.