In a blow to creating a Green New Deal, the Democratic leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives instead proposes a Select Committee on the Climate Crises. There is no prohibition against members of the committee from taking fossil fuel money. No plan for economic or racial justice, or a just transition to renewable energy.

Incremental changes to address climate change cannot work, because our entire economy is based upon increasing consumption and growth, when we need to drastically cut consumption. Our economy is “fueled” by resource depletion at a time when radical resource conservation is required. Incremental changes that are narrowly targeted don’t address the fundamental inequalities and injustices of a failed economic model. Incremental changes mean more of the same, when a complete overhaul is our only hope.

A Green New Deal now is our only hope. Our youth clearly understand this. Their whole lives have been lived in environmental and economic chaos, and they understand the consequences of continuing to ignore the causes. They understand the urgency of making these changes right now.

If you care for today’s youth and future generations, you need to listen to what they are saying, which is “we need a Green New Deal today.” And the way to get that is to demand that Congress appoint a Select Committee for a Green New Deal. #GreenNewDeal

The new progressive members of the House of Representatives owe their election in large part to the youth who worked on their campaigns. Establishment members of Congress should take note. Supporters of the Green New Deal will never support anyone who takes fossil fuel money.

#NoFossilFuelMoney

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But in their first day of power in the new Congress, Democrats must stave off a liberal rebellion after prominent Democrats said they would oppose the entire rules package that has been carefully assembled by Rep. Nancy Pelosi and a top lieutenant.
Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) and Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) said they would vote against the rules changes — in the second vote Democrats will take in the majority after ostensibly electing Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the new speaker — because of the inclusion of a fiscal measure known as “pay as you go,” or paygo. That rule, echoing a provision in federal law and in the Senate’s rules, would require the House to offset any spending so as not to increase the budget deficit.

The liberal hard-liners argue that paygo amounts to a legislative straitjacket that could impede their efforts to pass ambitious social programs. And they are especially dubious of its necessity after congressional Republicans waived the law in 2017 to pass a tax bill that added more than $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over its first decade.

Liberal revolt threatens to derail House Democrats on their first day in charge.
Mike DeBonis, Jeff Stein The Washington Post, January 2, 2019

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