Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday questioned the viability of the “Green New Deal,” an environmental proposal in Congress being pushed by the party’s left flank.
“I have some concerns with the Green New Deal, and about some of the vagueness of the language in there, so I have not co-sponsored that resolution,” the Hawaii congresswoman told ABC’s “The View.”
But Gabbard, 37, touted her environmental credentials since joining the House in 2013. Prior to becoming Congress’ first Samoan-American and Hindu member, she served in local and state politics, as well as completed two overseas deployments with the Hawaii Army National Guard. In the last Congress, she introduced a bill that would require steps to be taken to ensure 100 percent of the country’s electricity in 2035 is produced via clean sources.
“I first got involved with politics as an environmentalist,” she said. “I fought very hard to make sure that everyone has clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and I think we need to take serious action to address climate change.”
On Wednesday, she also said that universal healthcare and free four-year college tuition were “achievable” policy goals.
Gabbard’s comments about the “Green New Deal,” a nonbinding resolution advanced in by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., reflect skepticism among usually reliably progressive Democrats. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Wednesday distanced himself from the environmental framework, which calls for a reduction in carbon emissions across the U.S. by 2030 by substituting fossil fuel with green energy technology.
“To be honest with you, I’ve read it, and I’ve re-read it, and I asked Ed Markey, ‘What in the heck is this?'” Durbin said during a segment with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “It is an aspiration. It’s a resolution aspiration.”
The “Green New Deal” so far has 68 co-sponsors in the House and 11 co-sponsors in the Senate, including a host of Democratic presidential hopefuls.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., sees the proposal as a political liability for Democrats. This month vowed to bring the measure to the Senate floor for a vote, a move intended to put Democrats on record about the idea.
[Opinion: Under the ‘Green New Deal,’ we’d all have to eat like Cory Booker]
