What's in a Green New Deal?

January 11, 2019

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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Environmental activists and progressives rallying around the "Green New Deal" are hoping to develop details for the plan that will help turn it into a policy platform for Democrats ahead of the 2020 election, Pro's Zack Colman reports this morning.

That means one of Democrats' biggest tasks in 2019 will be to dig into the specifics of fighting climate change and transforming the economy. Progressives and environmental groups are already working to line up a suite a bills that could serve as a policy road map. "It's not going to be necessarily one bill or one piece of legislation or one level of government that makes this possible," said Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement.

Liberal research group Data for Progress has already identified 31 bills introduced last Congress that could be part of the Green New Deal, including Rep. Marc Veasey's bill H.R. 2830 (115) to eliminate methane leaks from natural gas infrastructure and several proposals to put a price on carbon.

There's also concern among backers of a Green New Deal that their aggressive agenda could be diluted through various means. "There's a million and one ways that this could get watered down," Prakash said.

Republicans say a leftward push could benefit them by moving Democrats away from centrist policies. "There are certainly places in America, like where I come from, where those ideas further isolate Democrats from political success," said North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer . Read the full story.

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WHAT WAYS AND MEANS COULD MEAN: Democratic Rep. Don Beyer put the focus on climate change in a statement announcing his appointment to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. The panel "must lead the way on a carbon pricing program, and I am excited to serve on the Committee, which will help develop this and other policies to address climate change," he said. READ MORE

600 groups present 'Green New Deal' demands (E&E News)

Hundreds of environmental groups pressure Congress by backing Green New Deal (The Hill)

Kerry to Trump: Forget 'fictional' border crisis, declare emergency for climate (The Hill)

CONSERVATIVES EYE CLIMATE PANEL'S GOP RANKS: (Poltico's Morning Energy)

Liberals push for a Green New Deal as the way forward on climate change (McClatchy)

AOC'S NEXT CLIMATE MOVE: (Politico's Morning Energy)

Kirsten Gillibrand backs "concept" of Green New Deal (Axios)

Exclusive: Ocasio-Cortez, Markey to unveil Green New Deal bill (Axios)

GREENS HIT THE HILL FOR GREEN NEW DEAL (Politico's Morning Energy)

Excerpts from E&E News: In a letter to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, more than 600 advocacy groups, including Friends of the Earth, Food & Water Watch, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sunrise Movement, laid down a set of principles, fleshing out the "Green New Deal" proposal floated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

At the top of the list is an end to all fossil fuel leasing and subsidies and a transition to all renewables "by 2035 or earlier."

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But the letter is still largely goals, rather than policies, and some of its more specific proposals won't sit well with even some Democrats.

For instance, the groups write that any climate legislation should reinstate the 40-year ban on fossil fuel exports, which ended during the Obama administration.

They also said they would oppose any bill to promote "corporate schemes," including carbon capture and storage, emissions trading, and nuclear energy, all seen in some parts of the climate policy world as viable, if incomplete, solutions to global warming.

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For now, the closest thing to the progressive plan is the "Climate Solutions Act," introduced this week by California Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu (Greenwire, Jan. 9).

And while that won't pass the Senate or be signed by President Trump, progressives are looking to influence Democratic debates in the House headed into the 2020 presidential race. READ MORE

Excerpt from Poltico's Morning Energy: CONSERVATIVES EYE CLIMATE PANEL'S GOP RANKS: Conservative groups like Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Institute for Energy Research are working to get the inside track into shaping the Republicans who get placed on the House's new climate change panel, Pro's Zack Colman reports.

CEI sent GOP leadership a list of lawmakers it saw as best suited for the ranking member spot on the House climate committee. The suggestions fall in line with the ideological views of Republicans who served on the panel's previous iteration, Zack reports.

But they would omit Republicans who could represent a shift in the party's long opposition to acting on climate change. A number of groups on the so-called eco-right that has called for policies to address the changing climate told POLITICO they haven't interacted with House GOP leadership much or at all regarding the committee.

CLIMATE CHANGE NOT KEY FOCUS FOR AG COMMITTEE: Climate change is not among the priorities laid out by Democrats this year on the House Agriculture Committee, despite the role it plays in natural disasters that have taken a toll on farmers and ranchers, Pro Agriculture's Catherine Boudreau reports this morning.

House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson acknowledged in a recent interview with POLITICO that he has felt "some" pressure amid the growing momentum for climate action in his caucus. But he was noncommittal when asked whether he plans to hold hearings on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. He said it would "depend on the context." READ MORE

Excerpts from Poltico's Morning Energy: AOC'S NEXT CLIMATE MOVE: Ocasio-Cortez said Tuesday evening she's in the "drafting phase" of a resolution that would define the scope of a Green New Deal.

"When we're talking about a Green New Deal , what are we talking about?" she said of the goal behind the push. "A carbon tax bill isn't going to be called a Green New Deal. It could be part of a Green New Deal, but we have to be sure that we define the scope of what comprehensive Green New Deal legislation would look like."

Not ruling it out: Ocasio-Cortez said she's not ruling out joining the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, but wants its Democratic members to be divested of fossil fuel money and is wary of taking on too much herself.

"I don't want to be the freshman that overextends themselves into too many clubs," she said. "In order for me to want to be on the select committee, I would need to feel like us as a collective — at least the majority of us — be divested."

She added its Democratic members don't necessarily need to be freshmen. "I don't think it has to necessarily be new members because there are a lot of members that have done phenomenal work on climate already," Ocasio-Cortez said. It's worth noting she joined the powerful House Oversight Committee Tuesday evening and is also on the Financial Services Committee already. READ MORE

Excerpt from Politico's Morning Energy: GREENS HIT THE HILL FOR GREEN NEW DEAL: Environmental groups including Friends of the Earth, 350.org, Greenpeace and the Center for Biological Diversity are launching a week of action today (February 4, 2019) to build momentum for the Green New Deal, calling on lawmakers to halt all new fossil-fuel extraction, transition the country to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 or sooner, and establish a national jobs guarantee.

Organizers will particularly target House Democratic leadership, visiting the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Energy and Commerce Committee leaders Frank Pallone, Bobby Rush, Diana DeGette and Paul Tonko; and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Chair Kathy Castor.

4 NAMED TO DEM CLIMATE TASK FORCE: Virginia Rep. Don Beyer was named co-chair of the Climate Change Task Force for the New Democrat Coalition on Friday, along with Reps. Sean Casten, Susan Wild and Elaine Luria . The task force aims to provide "perspective on combating climate change and building the green economy." READ MORE