During the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio, Democratic nominee Joe Biden told voters he does not support the far-Left Green New Deal.
“The Green New Deal is not my plan,” the former Vice President told Fox News moderator Chris Wallace when asked about the government-managed energy plan. After being pressed further, Biden said, “No, I don’t support the Green New Deal.”
Is it true that Joe Biden doesn’t support the Green New Deal?
-Former Vice President Joe Biden
Mostly false or misleading. Significant errors or omissions. Mostly make believe.
While it’s true the Green New Deal is not Joe Biden’s plan, it’s false for Biden to contend he doesn’t support the plan.
According to his campaign website, “Biden believes the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face.” It goes on to read:
“It powerfully captures two basic truths, which are at the core of his plan: (1) the United States urgently needs to embrace greater ambition on an epic scale to meet the scope of this challenge, and (2) our environment and our economy are completely and totally connected.”
The Green New Deal was authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D–MA), and calls for massively reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions worldwide by 2050. While Biden has his own plan for a “clean energy revolution” and “environmental justice,” his agenda follows the framework of the Green New Deal in calling to achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050.
“I support the Biden plan that I put forward,” Biden said, “which is different than what [Trump] calls the radical Green New Deal.”
Biden’s plan embraces a slower, less aggressive transition away from fossil fuels than the Green New Deal calls to implement. But by mandating strict pollution limits and energy standards on everything from household appliances to new infrastructure, his plan would similarly inflict sweeping new regulations on the American economy and taxpayers.
Furthermore, Biden tapped Ocasio-Cortez to co-chair his campaign’s climate change task force, which is responsible for developing his clean energy agenda. By telling voters during the first presidential debate that he doesn’t support the Green New Deal, it’s clear the former vice president was trying to distance himself from the far-left climate agenda. However, if the former vice president truly doesn’t support the plan, it’s curious why his website speaks so favorably of it, and why he chose to hire the document’s author to lead his own climate change task force.