Barasso's Amendment Is a Political Distraction That Shows the GOP Is Terrified of Our Movement for a GND

Today, Senator Barasso proposed a pathetic amendment to limit funding for the Green New Deal in an attempt to distract from GOP inaction on stopping the climate crisis. Sunrise Movement and its partners responded sharply.

"The fact that this was the first amendment the GOP brought up shows how threatened they are by our movement. As Republicans are busy arguing about climate change - even as they see heat waves killing people, fires burning down cities and storms destroying homes - our movement is fighting for millions of good jobs to stop the climate crisis," said Ellen Sciales, Communications Director for Sunrise Movement. "This is a sad attempt to distract from their Party's criminal climate denial and lack of any real plan to address the existential crisis of our time. Yesterday, the UN's IPCC issued a harrowing 'code red for humanity.' Today, the Republican party is doing what they've done for a decade on this issue -- absolutely nothing."

Barasso's amendment is a "deficit neutral reserve fund," which means it's a messaging amendment that doesn't actually touch the budget. Sunrise Movement backed Senator Ed Markey and Senator Bernie Sanders as they coordinated with Senator Schumer to direct their Senate Democratic colleagues to vote yes on this ridiculous amendment, to dispel the Republican led political distraction and continue the work of delivering on climate priorities through reconciliation.

"This amendment is a mere show-vote, messaging amendment. It doesn't actually touch the budget, doesn't force the Budget Chairman to do anything -- and Chairman Sanders has made it clear how he feels about this amendment," added Sunrise Movement's Political Director, Evan Weber. "Moreover, Senator Barasso's phony amendment describes the Green New Deal as something that 'ships jobs overseas, raises electricity prices, and increases dependence on foreign energy sources.' The Green New Deal would do the opposite on all fronts. We applaud Senator Sanders, Senator Markey, and their Democratic colleagues for not succumbing to Republican scare tactics and continuing forward with the work of delivering urgent climate action."