Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti revealed the true intentions behind the lawmaker’s signature Green New Deal: to change the entire U.S. economy.
The news was revealed in a Washington Post report on Chakrabarti’s recent meeting with Sam Ricketts, the climate director for presidential candidate Jay Inslee, who released a comprehensive climate plan in May.
Chakrabarti reportedly said to Ricketts, “The interesting thing about the Green New Deal is it wasn’t originally a climate thing at all. Do you guys think of it as a climate thing? Because we really think of it as a how-do-you-change-the-entire-economy thing.”
Ricketts replied, “I think it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s dual. It is both rising to the challenge that is existential around climate and it is building an economy that contains more prosperity. More sustainability in that prosperity — and more broadly shared prosperity, equitability and justice throughout.”
The Free Beacon points out that AOC’s plan would cost trillions and have “no effect” on the climate:
A study found that the Green New Deal, if adopted, would cost up to $94 trillion, and a report suggested that it would have “no effect” on the climate while imposing massive social and economic costs. Despite this, Democratic presidential candidates have spoken favorably about and endorsed the legislation, with Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) comparing it to fighting Nazis or putting a man on the moon.
Sanders also defended the deal, saying, “You cannot go too far on the issue of climate change. The future of the planet is at stake.”
