Moderates “Have Declared War On The Green New Deal”

April 11, 2019

It’s beyond clear that the Green New Deal is terrible policy. It’s not technically feasible. It would bring unprecedented government control over the economy. And of course, it would bankrupt our nation. Not even the plan’s backers can tell us how much it will cost.

Fortunately, there are some on the left who are implicitly pushing back against this craziness.

Bloomberg reports that moderates are now pushing for a balanced budget constitutional amendment.

“At a time when we face $1 trillion annual deficits, and both parties punt on even trying to pass a budget blueprint, we need to consider a new structure to force fiscal discipline,” said Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah.

The eco-left is furious at this proposal.

Why? Isn’t fiscal discipline good?

They’re mad because a balanced budget amendment would make the Green New Deal effectively unconstitutional on its face, as it would preclude deficit spending or printing money to pay for it.

“Fiscally-conservative Democrats have declared war on the Green New Deal,” declared one left-wing opinion columnist, Kate Aronoff, who writes for the far-left site The Intercept.

“If McAdams and other centrist Democrats were actually worried about their children and grandchildren, they’d throw out their amendment and back the Green New Deal that so many young people have rallied behind,” said Aronoff. “For now, they’re more interested in screwing them over.”

Harsh words.

These moderate voices on the left are correct to talk about fiscal discipline. And if their constitutional amendment just happens to make the Green New Deal impossible, that says more about how extreme the Green New Deal is than it does about the value of their amendment.