Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday endorsed the idea of a “Green New Deal” that many House Democrats support, but said Democrats need to chase an “achievable” version of the bill, not a “pie in the sky” version.
“It’s also been so good to see so many Democrats embrace the idea of a ‘Green New Deal.’ That idea has been around for a very long time,” Bloomberg said in a speech at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire.
“A lot of elected officials have embraced the idea of a ‘Green New Deal,’ and that’s great. It’s become fashionable to do so,” Bloomberg said. “But I think it’s time as a party that we started putting some meat on the bone and laying out exactly how a ‘Green New Deal’ — what it should include, and I believe that that plan should be bold and ambitious, and most importantly, achievable.”
“I’m a little bit tired of listening to things that are pie in the sky, that we never are going to pass or never are going to afford,” he said. “I think it’s just disingenuous to promote those things. You’ve got to do things that are practical.”
Among those who have endorsed the plan to combat climate change are Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., all of whom have announced presidential bids.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been the biggest proponent of the idea, and called for a select committee on the topic last year.
[Read more: Greens want 2020 Democrats to go beyond vague ‘Green New Deal’ support]
