The Green New Deal 2.0 is More of the Same

July 13, 2020

Two weeks ago, Democrats unveiled their “new” plan to fight climate change. Similar to the original Green New Deal, this plan was made with no intention of making real change – it is just the Democratic Party’s newest political tool.

The first version of the Green New Deal was lauded by the eco-left, but, within the halls of Congress, it was a disaster. The radical legislation was never even brought to a vote in the House; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) never even signed on to the bill; and, when the bill was brought to a vote in the Senate, not a single Democratic Senator voted in favor of it. Still, despite all of this, Democrats are making the same mistake again.

PTF Western States Director Larry Behrens, in an op-ed for The Daily Caller, wrote:

The goal is clear: Democrats are betting this proposal will appear more reasonable than the original Green New Deal and Biden won’t look like an AOC climate puppet. However, it’s just as much a threat to America’s middle-class families, or even worse.  

Right now, a significant amount of American families are struggling in the wake of Covid-19’s economic fallout. Under this new proposed plan, all of these American families would have to start budgeting for a new electric vehicle in the years ahead; electric bills would immediately increase 17 percent; and millions of jobs would be lost.

That’s exactly why not all House Democrats are on board with Green New Deal 2.0. New Mexico Democrat Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small, who represents an energy rich district, has come out against the new plan calling it “out of touch with the reality on the ground in New Mexico.”

It’s clear that this legislation was written with no intention of passing Congress – this proposal is a means of providing Vice President Joe Biden with political cover. Biden has been struggling to appease far-left, Bernie Sanders voters since day one of his campaign, and this is just his most recent attempt at showing a desire for “real change.” This time his empty political rhetoric is codified, but it’s not likely to make a difference.

The House Democrat plan allows Joe Biden to pretend he’s flexing green muscles while also distancing himself from the first Green New Deal. The problem for Biden and House Democrats is that no one was fooled by the original Green New Deal, and not even his own party will buy into this one.