Sunrise Movement's Response to Hurricane Ida's Catastrophic Impact in the Northeast: We Cannot Compromise, We Need a Green New Deal Now

In response to Hurricane Ida's devastating impact, hitting the Northeast with catastrophic flooding, Ellen Sciales, Communications Director of Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:

"Last night Hurricane Ida flooded my home. The water was up to my brother's hips, our cars were entirely submerged and my street became a river as my family watched in horror as all of our family belongings got destroyed by Hurricane Ida's path. I wasn't there this time, but I'm all too familiar with the sight, having lived through both Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene in that same house. How many more once in a lifetime storms do we have to weather before our politicians realize they're not doing enough?

"I am angry because this was preventable. As a result of politicians' inaction, the climate crisis caused homes to be destroyed and over 20 people lost their lives. And instead of working to rebuild, politicians like Senator Sinema and conservative House Democrats are working with climate deniers to scale down investment to our infrastructure. New York is collapsing, New Orleans is still powerless, our loved ones are still missing and compromise on our infrastructure is still on the table. This is unacceptable, and yet we're forced to face this reality again and again.

"We cannot compromise. Biden and Congress must pass at least a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package so we can finally bring relief to hard hit communities, invest in clean infrastructure and pay people for the labor they put in to rebuild. We are running out of time to act on the climate crisis and we need a Green New Deal now."