Schumer slams 'stunt' Green New Deal vote as moderates fret

[riversedge]

Source: Politico



"I challenge Leader McConnell to say that our climate change crisis is real, that it’s caused by humans, and that Congress needs to act," Sen. Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. | Alex Wong/Getty Images



02/14/2019 03:01 PM EST


Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would not be intimidated by the “cynical stunt” of voting on the Green New Deal resolution, even as moderate members of his caucus distanced themselves from the sweeping climate change goals.

Schumer said the "amazing irony" of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell bringing up a resolution Republicans intend to vote against is a sign of why the American people hate Congress. He demanded the Kentucky Republican acknowledge the scientific consensus around climate change and commit the chamber to tackling the problem.

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Schumer's clap back comes on the heels of McConnell saying his chamber would vote on the ambitious Green New Deal resolution floated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). That move is expected to show internal divisions within the Democratic caucus about how to tackle climate change with some lawmakers recoiling at the resolution's aim of decarbonizing the U.S. economy within a decade.

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Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, said at an Axios event this morning that she was not ready to back the resolution in its current form.


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Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/14/schumer-green-new-deal-1175513

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https://twitter.com/RepCasten/status/

Link to tweet

[oldsoftie]

1. For Gods sake, that plays right into McConnells hand.

[madville]

2. Of course the vote is a stunt

But now you have most of the Senate Democrats running for President on record as supporting it. Now they have to vote for it.

[YOHABLO]

3. A stunt to divide the Dems? It won't work.

[Mr. Frost]

4. It'll take the stamina of the fillabuster.

[DeminPennswoods]

5. A hint for moderates

Americans like big and bold, not wishy-washy-ness and hand-wringing.

[SKKY]

6. They're voting on a "declaration", not a "resolution"...

...big difference. A declaration is non-binding and, in this case, is meant as an end goal. Kind of a "shoot for the stars, and miss, but still hit the sky."

[Apollyonus]

7. I don't think any sane person would vote for it in its current form

Legislation needs to be realistic.

It is the US Senate and not a library of fantasy Sci-Fi