The Green New Deal is one of the first major policy proposals to come from the spate of new Democrats elected to Congress. It's an homage to the New Deal, which helped lift Americans out of the Great Depression by creating jobs while helping boost US infrastructure. The Green New Deal pledges to pull "America quickly out of crisis into a secure, sustainable future."
The GND drew a caustic response from the President on Twitter.
"I think it is very important for the Democrats to press forward with their Green New Deal. It would be great for the so-called ‘Carbon Footprint’ to permanently eliminate all Planes, Cars, Cows, Oil, Gas & the Military — even if no other country would do the same. Brilliant!”
In fact, the GND seeks to eliminate unemployment by investing in sustainable and environmentally friendly businesses and encouraging research into green technologies, as well as investing in more public transportation. Its ultimate goal is the transition to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030.
Here are the policies Democrats propose to meet these goals.
The legislation will aim toward "building resiliency against climate change-related disasters, such as extreme weather, including by leveraging funding and providing investments for community-defined projects and strategies" and fixing US infrastructure.
It calls for a massive investment in energy efficient public transport. "Overhauling transportation systems in
the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector as much as is technologically feasible, including through investment in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing and clean, affordable, and accessible public transportation and high-speed rail."
On the education front, the GND seeks to provide "resources, training, and high-quality education, including higher education, to all people of the United States, with a focus on frontline and vulnerable communities, so those communities may be full and equal participants in the Green New Deal mobilization."
When it comes to jobs, the GND promises "high-quality union jobs that pay prevailing wages, hires local workers, offers training and advancement opportunities, and guarantees wage and benefit parity for workers affected by the transition."
It guarantees "adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security."
The GND considers quality health care a human right. It also pledges "affordable, safe, and adequate housing."
That also means "spurring massive growth in clean man- ufacturing in the United States and removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing and industry as much as is technologically feasible, including by expanding renewable energy manufacturing and investing in existing manufacturing and industry."
The GND also seeks to work with farmers to institute more sustainable farming practices.
Read the legislation here.