Cory Booker, Considering 2020 Presidential Run, Comes Out In Support Of ‘Green New Deal’
On Friday, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker became the second likely Democratic candidate for a 2020 presidential run to back the Green New Deal, an environmental plan championed by the party’s more progressive members. According to North Jersey news, the former Newark mayor is seeking to align himself with the more liberal wing of the party and distance himself from the image that he is aligned with corporate interests as he makes an attempt at the party’s presidential nomination.
The Green New Deal would lay out a plan to reach zero carbon emissions in a decade and to use federal funds to back clean energy initiatives and jobs. On Friday, Booker tweeted that he would support the plan, putting him in line with people like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who created a resolution to establish a House committee that would begin outlining legislation for the plan.
“We must take bold action on climate change & create a green economy that benefits all Americans,” Booker wrote. “Excited to support a #GreenNewDeal.”
The Green New Deal idea has gained rapid momentum in the past few weeks after grassroots protesters began demanding action from top party officials, including during a protest outside the office of Representative Nancy Pelosi, which Ocasio-Cortez attended.
With progressive individuals like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders firing up the liberal wing of the Democrat party, Booker seeks to counter arguments that he is too closely aligned with Wall Street and the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to the tweet, he released a statement announcing that he was inspired by activists who are working to make the Deal a focus in politics.
“Climate change is a clear and urgent threat to our communities and our future,” Booker said. “Its effects are disproportionately borne by our most vulnerable populations, namely communities of color and low-income communities. We must take bold action on climate change and create a green economy that benefits all Americans.”
We must take bold action on climate change & create a green economy that benefits all Americans. Thank you to @sunrisemvmt & activists for your inspiring work. Excited to support a #GreenNewDeal. https://t.co/WJxGYZwvWU
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 14, 2018
Booker isn’t new to fighting climate change, however. He has a track record of pushing environmentally-friendly issues as mayor, including a commission aimed at improving the energy efficiency of city buildings, and he worked to create greener homes in Newark.
Booker hasn’t officially stated that he is running for president in 2020, but he has said that he would talk with advisers over the holidays and come to a decision. This latest move shows that serious contenders will need to demonstrate their commitment to addressing climate change.
“It’s clear that any politician who wants to be taken seriously by our generation needs to have the courage to stand up to the fossil fuel billionaires and back a Green New Deal,” said Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the environmental group the Sunrise Movement.
