January 05, 2019

Elite Democrats attempt to gut new climate committee

located:	USA
editor:	Yair Oded

The Democrat takeover of the House this week was accompanied by an immense feeling of hope and a plethora of expectations by concerned citizens across America, and all over the world.

One of the most pressing issues facing the new Blue Congress is climate change. In a statement made earlier this week, returning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described climate change as an “existential threat” and announced the revival of a select House committee on the issue, titled the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which will be chaired by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.). Alas, a closer inspection of the negotiations being held regarding the mandate of the committee reveals it will have very little power to promote substantial climate action.

It appears that the main obstacle to the newly resurrected committee (initially founded in 2007) is a turf war among big shot establishment Democrats, who seem to be primarily concerned about maintaining their territory and authority.

This is evident in the fact that the new committee will most likely not have any power to promote climate legislation directly to the floor for a vote, and that its proposals will have to be circumvented through more dominant committees, such as Energy and Commerce (which prove to be hesitant about divesting from oil money and influence). Additionally, it’s been reported that the new committee will not have the power to issue subpoenas for records or summon testimonies.

The gutting of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis by the Democratic establishment is further indicated by the fact that it eschews any mention of The Green New Deal advocated for by prominent progressive Democrats, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

The Green New Deal is an initiative created by Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders that sought to adopt a number of practical policy goals in order to divert the U.S. economy away from oil and towards renewable energy, while utilising the transition into a green economy to create jobs for working-class Americans.

Despite the fact that the Green New Deal has won the support of dozens of incoming Congress members and environmental organisations, the Democratic establishment deemed it too groundbreaking to adopt.

Rep. Castor, the committee’s chair, said in a statement that the committee’s work will be ‘in the spirit’ of the Green New Deal, but went on to suggest that banning politicians who rely on donations from the fossil fuel industry, as proposed by the Green New Deal, would constitute a First Amendment violation. While Castor herself later pledged not to accept fossil fuel donations, there is no indication presently that her committee members will be required to follow suit, and that their work will be siloed from oil industry influence.

In an interview for The Hill, a spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez stated that “This committee, if it turns out that the rumors about it are true, sounds about as useful as a screen door on a submarine… As it’s portrayed it’s going to be completely incapable of solving the greatest threat to humankind.”

Such claims were echoed by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who in an interview for The Intercept stated, “The very industry that has lied about how big a problem climate change is shouldn’t be on a committee tasked with coming up with the solutions to climate change… The committee should have subpoena power, and the ability to haul fossil fuel executives in front of it. I guarantee fossil fuel executives aren’t going to want to appear.”

Discussions regarding the mandate and authority of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis are ongoing at the moment. Yet, should elite Democrats have their way, and the committee will be unable to draft legislation, issue subpoenas, or compel testimonies, it will be rendered utterly ineffective.

It is up to young Americans now to demand that the older establishment take the necessary steps to protect their future, and that of the entire planet.