With Sunrise Movement national day of action, Rep. Ted Lieu joins Rep. John Lewis and 10 House Democrats in backing Ocasio-Cortez’s Select Committee for a Green New Deal
Sunrise Boston
NATIONWIDE – Young people flooded the offices of over 50 members of Congress today to ask them to support the Green New Deal proposed by Rep-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In just one week, the Green New Deal has received backing by 12 leaders in the Democratic party, including Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33), who agreed to back the proposal after young people came to his Los Angeles office today, and civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis (GA-05).
Over 75 young people visited Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s California offices wearing masks to protect them from air pollution caused by forest fires. California’s climate-change induced Camp Fire continues to cause devastation, including the loss of at least 79 lives, and unsafe air quality across the Bay Area.
“We are here outside Barbara Lee’s office in our smoke masks because we have some of the worst air in the world right now,” said Oakland resident Morissa Zuckerman, age 24. “The message from our generation is clear. We need bold action on climate change.”
Sunrise California
The day of action follows last week’s protest in Washington DC, when nearly 200 young people and Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sat in at Nancy Pelosi’s office to demand that Pelosi create a select committee to develop a plan for a Green New Deal. The group of young people also demanded that no members of the committee accept campaign contributions from the fossil fuel CEOs, lobbyists, and PACs. So far, 76 organizations have backed Sunrise Movement’s call for a Green New Deal including 350.org, Green For All, CREDO, MoveOn, Good Jobs Now, New York Communities for Change, and most all climate-focused organizations.
“In just one week, we have seen more than 12,000 young people join our movement demanding a Green New Deal to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in this country,” said Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement. “If Democrats needed any more evidence to prove that young people will mobilize to support candidates that fight like hell for our future, I invite them to look at what we have accomplished in one week.”
The select committee proposed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be tasked with drafting a 10-year plan for a justice-oriented economic mobilization plan that would decarbonize the US economy by 2030.
This Green New Deal platform would put millions of Americans to work transforming our society away from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy on the timeline demanded by science and justice. The resolution itself states this is a “historic opportunity to virtually eliminate poverty in the United States and to make prosperity, wealth and economic security available to everyone participating in the transformation.”
Sunrise NYC
“As a Bay Area resident, I stand in solidarity with the young people bringing the reality of the climate crisis to the doorsteps of Democrats,” said May Boeve, 350Action Executive Director. “As wildfires rage, climate change is already impacting our health and safety. For any shot at averting further climate catastrophe, all elected officials must reject dirty fossil fuel money and fight for a Green New Deal that puts climate and communities first. It’s not enough to acknowledge the reality of climate change — we need our Congress members to walk the talk and support equitable solutions to this global crisis.”
Sunrise will host a massive open virtual call next Tuesday, November 27th to announce the next phase of the strategy to advance the Green New Deal.
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Sunrise is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We are building a movement of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.