Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., could notch an early win in the new Congress with legislation outlining the “Green New Deal” proposal, which could be unveiled as early as next week.
Ocasio-Cortez, a key champion of the ambitious environmental platform, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., have been working on a bill that includes measures aimed at transitioning the U.S. away from fossil fuels within a decade, Axios reported Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for Markey, a longtime player in energy policy on Capitol Hill, told the outlet the legislation was still being drafted and the precise timing of its release was not yet known. But the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led activist group who has been influential in the process, said it is due as soon as next week.
Many Democrats see the “Green New Deal” as an important step to signal the party’s focus on climate change. The framework has already won the support of top-tier 2020 presidential hopefuls, Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
The proposal will possibly require the country to use 100 percent renewable energy across all sectors by 2030 and make massive public investments in clean energy infrastructure. It may also include a federal job guarantee to anybody seeking work during the transition.
