Not one Democratic senator, including sponsor Ed Markey (Mass.), voted on Tuesday to support the resolution "recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal." Instead, most, but not all, Democrats voted "present."
The sweeping Senate joint resolution, S.J. Res. 8, also addresses social goals such as ensuring high-quality health care and "guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage" in addition to climate change goals such as achieving "net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers."
Voting "present" is considered to be a "rare step," enabling Democrats "to avoid an intraparty fight on the issue," write Washington Post reporters Dino Grandoni Felicia Sonmez in an analysis of the politically-driven vote orchestrated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), "who called the plan a 'far-left wish list.'”
Nonetheless, three Democrats, Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.), Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), as well as Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, joined with Republicans to oppose the resolution.
Taking a swipe at both the Green New Deal and the Majority Leader, King wrote:
"I am frustrated and dispirited that the Senate Majority Leader’s first vote on climate change mitigation isn’t a serious attempt to solve the problem facing our future generations, but rather a cynical act of political theater that did not include hearings or an amendment process to provide the opportunity to improve this flawed resolution."
Joining Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) in co-sponsoring the actual Green New Deal resolution in the Senate, S.Res. 59, are the six declared Democratic presidential candidates who are U.S. Senators, all of whom voted "present:" Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y), Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Cory Booker (N.J.), and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.). [McConnell sponsored the joint resolution which was voted on Tuesday.]
The reporters discuss the candidates' positions on the Green New Deal delivered at a press event on Tuesday in front of the Capitol.
"One irony of the Green New Deal proposal is that it is forcing some Republicans to put forward their own climate proposals after being led for two years by Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed the overwhelming consensus among climate scientists that humans are warming the world," write Grandoni and Sonmez in the final paragraph.
Related in Planetizen:
-
Climate Action and the Green New Deal: Interview with Rep. Mike Levin, February 28, 2019
-
Updated: What the Green New Deal Means for Planning, February 11, 2019
-
Green New Deal Resolution Introduced in Congress, February 8, 2019
Hat tip to Kelsey Tamborrino, POLITICO Morning Energy.
FULL STORY: Senate defeats Green New Deal, as Democrats call vote a ‘sham’
Democrats Take Steps to Address Climate Change in 116th Congress
Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi has selected Rep. Nancy Castor (D-Fla.) to chair the new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Two bills that could advance in the House: the Green New Deal and a carbon tax-and-dividend bill, H.R. 7173.
The Surprising Oil Tax in the Inflation Reduction Act
President Biden has made reducing gas prices paramount in his administration, so it was likely a surprise to hear a Republican senator last Sunday warn TV viewers that a revived and increased oil fee in the climate bill will increase their gas costs.
Missing From the Climate-Energy Legislation: Bikes!
Missing from the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act, the significant climate legislation which passed the Senate on a 51-50 party-line vote on Sunday with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote, is any mention of bikes.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)