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Stephen O’Hanlon, press@sunrisemovement.org
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Leading Progressive Organizations Back Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey's Green New Deal Resolution; Plan to Assemble Unprecedented Coalition.
Following Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey's release early Thursday morning of a Green New Deal resolution, leading labor, economic justice, racial justice, indigenous, environmental, and community organizations announced their joint support for the Green New Deal Resolution.
Following Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey's release early Thursday morning of a Green New Deal resolution, leading labor, economic justice, racial justice, indigenous, environmental, and community organizations announced their joint support for the Green New Deal Resolution.
"These organizations coming together to campaign for this resolution shows the momentum behind the Green New Deal and its ability to bring together an unprecedented political coalition," said Stephen O'Hanlon, Sunrise Movement Co-founder and Communications Director. "We're planning over 600 Congressional office visits this week to kick start our campaign to build the political and public support for the Green New Deal, which will include getting thousands of organizations signed on to back the resolution."
Statements from supporting organizations can be found below, including: Sunrise Movement, Justice Democrats, 32BJ SEIU, Green for All, 1199SEIU, Center for Popular Democracy, People's Action, Working Families Party, Dream Corps, Presente.org, Demos, Sierra Club, 350.org, CREDO, Bold, Organic Consumers Association, Honor the Earth, Seeding Sovereignty, American Sustainable Business Council President, and NextGen.
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"In 2018, young people put the Green New Deal on the national agenda. The historic support for this resolution, especially among 2020 contenders, shows how far the movement has shifted the political conversation. The Green New Deal is now a litmus test for progressive leadership in 2019. Any politician who wants to be taken seriously on climate and earn the support of young people needs to support Ocasio-Cortez and Markey's resolution." -- Varshini Prakash, Sunrise Movement co-founder and Executive Director
"Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal represents an earthquake in the Democratic Party and American politics where a working class Latina bartender from the Bronx is now proposing and leading the most serious solution to rewrite America's social contract and stave off climate disaster. Any Democrat running for President who wants to be taken seriously on climate and economic policy needs to back Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution. -- Alex Rojas, Justice Democrats Executive Director
"For labor unions like ours, climate change is an environmental issue, an economic opportunity and a political challenge that we know can destabilize our communities. This is an opportunity to tackle economic inequality, re-industrialize America with a green economy, with jobs that, with the right training, can provide career ladders for many low-wage workers who struggle to afford the high cost of living. For the first time, our elected officials recognize that our climate and economic crises are both intertwined and can only be solved with bold and effective government action. We reside in coastal cities that have been flooded by storms like Hurricanes Sandy and Maria, so we know this kind ambitious, large scale vision to reduce greenhouse gasses, switch to renewable energies is both doable and indispensable." -- Hector Figuero, 32BJ SEIU President
"Communities of color, who are the most impacted by climate pollution, and low-income families, who spend the highest percentage of their incomes on energy and transportation, have the most to gain from a Green New Deal. That's why Green For All is proud to support Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Markey in introducing a new resolution for Congress to act now and develop a Green New Deal that uplifts all Americans." -- Michelle Romero, Green For All National Director
"As healthcare workers and responsible citizens, we understand the importance of being good stewards of our natural resources. We also understand the necessity of ensuring that working men and women have the tools and training necessary to succeed in a changing, global economy. Our communities are becoming all too familiar with the devastating effects of hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, and other extreme weather patterns and events that claim innocent lives, and cause physical damage to buildings, roadways, and other important pieces of our infrastructure. We applaud Congressmember Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Markey for taking a stand to protect our planet from irreparable damage, while fighting to create good, family-sustaining jobs that will help protect working people and our communities for future generations." -- Maria Castaneda, 1199SEIU Secretary-Treasurer
"Our network is proud to endorse the Green New Deal because we know that now is the time to be bold and unapologetic in our demand for solutions to rampant economic insecurity and the climate crisis. The Green New Deal helps build climate resilience in communities of color who have been most impacted by climate change, and ensures that Black and Latinx people will have direct access to good, family-supporting jobs in the new green economy. " -- Jennifer Epps-Addison, Center for Popular Democracy Network President and Co-Executive Director.
"Rarely has an idea like the Green New Deal exploded into political consciousness so rapidly and I am excited to see this new resolution moving forward. Our country no longer has the luxury of time to debate the best strategies to reduce energy prices and economically help people, or what the right ecology for our planet might be. We need immediate action and bold leadership. I am grateful that Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Markey are taking this important step. It is time we deliver fully on the promise of a green economy that provides increased work, wealth, and health for cash-strapped, economically fearful families." -- Vien Truong, Dream Corps President
"Famed labor leader and trade unionist Eugene Debs once said, 'The earth is for all the people. That is the demand.' We couldn't agree more. Clean air, fresh water, and safe housing are fundamental human rights, which are under constant threat from the unrelenting climate crisis. Families across the country deserve to live in safe communities, free from climate devastation and harmful fossil fuel production; and we deserve a Congress who is not afraid to protect our climate and all the people. A strong Green New Deal would set us on a path toward the world we want and need." -- Matt Nelson, Presente.org Executive Director
"Finally we have real momentum around a solution that's big and bold enough to meet the scale of our current crisis. The Green New Deal could save our planet and transform our economy. A group of brave young leaders sparked this movement, and now working class people from racial, generational, and geographic differences are coming together to make their vision a reality." Maurice Mitchell, Working Families Party National Director.
At a time when communities are already facing the real life impacts of climate change, when inequality is at record proportions, and America is falling further behind in the potential of an energy revolution - this is our chance to move the kind of legislation that could reshape the future of the United States. It also will ensure that these same communities are first in line to reap the benefits of the economic opportunities harnessed by a game-changing commitment to ending all extraction and dirty energy, and moving full throttle toward 100 percent renewables. -- George Goehl People's Action Director
Climate change poses an existential challenge to the planet, accelerated by a coalition of corporations, donors, and policymakers who have adopted a willful blindness toward these dangers to our communities and our planet. Combating climate change will require a radical transformation of our economy and our democracy, dramatically shifting our economic investments and empowering grassroots communities to have a stronger voice in our political system. The Green New Deal can accomplish this while meeting the needs of our most vulnerable communities - supporting health and resiliency, equitable renewable energy investment, inclusive job creation programs and community control over policy decisions. The Green New Deal not only addresses the urgent crisis of the moment, but also expresses a bold new progressive vision that is sweeping the country. -- K. Sabeel Rahman, Demos President
"These Green New Deal resolutions offer a bold plan to tackle the climate crisis and inequality -- two of the defining crises of our time -- at the speed and scale that science and justice demand. The Sierra Club applauds Senator Markey and Representative Ocasio-Cortez for outlining a Green New Deal vision that would create millions of high-paying jobs, counteract systemic injustices, ensure access to clean air and water, and support community-led efforts to prevent climate disasters. " -- Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director
The Green New Deal is a critical opportunity to stand up to fossil fuel billionaires while kickstarting a just transition to renewable energy and creating millions of family-sustaining jobs. For too long, we've seen legislative action fail to live up to the scale and scope of the climate crisis. We need bold policies that address climate change as an issue that is deeply rooted in health, prosperity, and justice for communities everywhere." -- May Boeve, Executive Director of 350.org
"A Green New Deal that helps this country rapidly transition to a renewable future is the only way we can hope to tackle climate change. All communities and workers must have a chance to join in building that future, especially those negatively impacted by, and historically disenfranchised in, today's economy. Acting on this resolution isn't the only step we need to take to reach that future, but it's a giant step and we need to take it now." -- Brandy Doyle, CREDO Campaign Manager.
"Bold works with family farmers and ranchers who confront climate change every single day implementing solutions ranging from biofuels to installing wind and solar. Fossil fuel corporations have abused eminent domain for their private gain hurting farms and increasing climate change. Rural communities are proud to be at the table to ensure the Green New Deal lifts up all of our families on the frontlines and we stand with other communities like Tribal Nations ready to provide solutions for the climate crisis facing our nation." -- Jane Kleeb, Bold President
"Organic Consumers Association backs this resolution because it has the potential to both drastically reduce emissions and draw down and sequester carbon already in the atmosphere. The Green New Deal is the only solution that matches the scale of our multiple crises, including global warming, corporate control of our food system, income inequality and the general decline of our environment and our democracy." -- Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association International Director
"If we are to reorient ourselves from this disastrous course fueled by greed, we must steward our country with brave, diverse voices. Our trajectory is not immobile, but inertia must be overcome. Renewable energy by and for employed people is what we can build, together. Food systems that feed people and not climate change must be a priority. As future ancestors, we back the Green New Deal ten year plan for action today on climate, justice and for thriving communities that will set a course for generations to come." -- Janet MacGillivray, Seeding Sovereignty Executive Director
"The 'Green New Deal' is yet another wake-up call to take action now in order to prevent global heating from exceeding to 1.5C and to reduce greenhouse gases like carbon from oil pipelines by 40-60 percent in the next 10 years. That's not a lot of time! The 'Green New Deal' legislation will create real long-term jobs, replace aging infrastructure, protect volatile ecosystems and move us away from the extractive fossil fuel industry and other harmful and antiquated processes." -- Winona LaDuke, Honor the Earth Co-founder and Executive Director
"The Green New Deal offers a bold, new opportunity to build our nation's infrastructure and tap American business innovation, while also addressing climate change and broadening economic prosperity. Investing in clean manufacturing, energy efficiency, renewable energy, quality water, transportation and agricultural systems will create more resilient communities, better jobs and a thriving economy. " -- David Levine, American Sustainable Business Council President.
"Our society needs to turn dramatically and immediately towards the shared goals of environmental justice, broad-based prosperity and health. The Green New Deal is that turn. While fighting the ravages of climate change, the Green New Deal simultaneously creates a more just and prosperous country. It proves that we can build a system where all Americans benefit from clean air and water, good paying jobs and the infrastructure of a sustainable future. Every day that we delay the transition to a sustainable future is an act of injustice against the most vulnerable members of our society." - Tom Steyer, NextGen America President
Sunrise Movement is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.
As New Campaign Implores Him to 'Pass the Torch,' Biden Rejects Calls to Drop Out
"I don't think anybody's more qualified to be president or win this race than me," the incumbent declared in a televised interview.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday delivered a defiant response to those within the Democratic Party urging him to drop out of the 2024 race, characterizing his abysmal debate performance against Donald Trump as a "bad episode" rather than validation of longstanding concerns about his age and cognitive health.
At a rally in Wisconsin and in a later sit-down interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, Biden acknowledged his poor debate showing but said emphatically that he's staying in the race, a message that came as Democratic activists and organizers launched a campaign imploring the president to step aside in the interest of ensuring Trump's defeat in November.
"I don't think anybody's more qualified to be president or win this race than me," Biden declared Friday, downplaying recent polling data showing him faring worse against Trump than potential Democratic alternatives, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
Asked how he would feel if he stayed in the race and Trump—a would-be authoritarian who's plotting a devastating attack on basic freedoms and the planet—won another four years in the White House, Biden suggested he would be at peace "as long as I gave it my all."
"That's what this is all about," the president said.
Stephanopoulos: If you stay in, and Trump is elected and everything you're warning about comes to pass, how will you feel in January?
Biden: I'll feel, as long as I gave it my all, and I did as good a job as I know I can do, that's what this is about. pic.twitter.com/79HSyGcOI2
— nikki mccann ramĂrez (@NikkiMcR) July 6, 2024
Hours before the ABC News interview, a network of Democratic organizers, activists, and voters teamed up to launch the "Pass the Torch" campaign in a coordinated attempt to push Biden to "make good" on his 2020 pledge to be a "transition" president.
"President Joe Biden has achieved great things. His administration led us out of the pandemic and has been rebuilding our economy, standing up to corporate greed, taking urgent climate action, and so much more—domestically, he is arguably the most accomplished progressive Democratic president in generations," the campaign's website states.
"All of that—and much, much more—will be lost if Donald Trump takes back the presidency," the website continues. "Democrats need the strongest possible ticket to maximize our chances of winning in November. It has become very clear, based on both long-term polling and the recent debate, that Democrats' current ticket is not the strongest one we can put forward."
The campaign includes a petition urging Democratic members of Congress and delegates to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to join calls for the president to step aside.
Today Democrats across the country are launching a grassroots campaign to call on Biden to #PassTheTorch, step aside as the nominee and support the candidate best able to beat Trump. Follow the campaign at @PassTheTorch24 and sign our petition at https://t.co/2dftntqMR3
— Aaron Regunberg (@AaronRegunberg) July 5, 2024
Thus far, five sitting Democratic lawmakers—Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), and Angie Craig (D-Minn.)—have urged Biden to drop out of the race, but more are expected to do so in the coming days as the party's August convention approaches.
The Washington Postreported Friday that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is "attempting to assemble a group of Democratic senators to ask President Biden to exit the presidential race." Earlier in the week, Reutersreported that "there are 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside if he seems shaky in coming days."
Major Democratic donors, meanwhile, have "undertaken a number of initiatives to pressure" Biden to drop out of the race, according toThe New York Times.
"A group of them is working to raise as much as $100 million for a sort of escrow fund, called the Next Generation PAC, that would be used to support a replacement candidate," the Times reported. "If Mr. Biden does not step aside, the money could be used to help down-ballot candidates, according to people close to the effort."
But Biden still has the support of top congressional Democrats, with both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) backing the president in the wake of the debate.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the upper chamber's leading progressive, has also declined to join calls for Biden to end his reelection bid.
"He's not a great debater, he’s not necessarily a great speaker," Sanders toldSemafor. "People are just gonna have to say: Okay, you know what? Yeah, he's old. Yeah, he's not as articulate as he should be. But you're voting for somebody whose policies will impact your life."
"Biden is the candidate," the senator added. "I suspect he will be the candidate. I'll do my best to get him elected."
House progressives, too, have thus far not backed the push for Biden to drop out and pave the way for an alternative candidate.
"There has been not a peep from the Squad or the other members of Congress known for barnstorming progressive activism," Slate's Alexander Sammon noted Saturday. "The reason is that the question of whether Biden should run again is an internecine fight within the centrist wing of the party. Joe Biden has, for his lengthy, decadeslong career, always been the man in the middle, if not slightly to the right, of the Democratic continuum."
"Now many of the same centrists who previously pushed for Biden are freaking out about his ability to win the election," Sammon wrote. "There's no real upside for Squad members to put themselves in the line of fire during an already bitter public deliberation."
The Timesreported late Friday that Biden's interview with Stephanopoulos appears to have done little to change the minds of people on either side of the question.
"A handful of current and former Democratic officials who had called on Mr. Biden to end his reelection campaign said the interview had done little, or even nothing, to address their concerns," the Times observed. "Reliable supporters of the president's reelection campaign similarly fanned out to television networks, declaring once more that they were sticking with Mr. Biden."
"Other Democrats who had raised concerns about the president's performance, but had not gone as far as to call for Mr. Biden to drop out, said the interview did not significantly change their views of his candidacy," the newspaper continued.
Doggett, who was the first congressional Democrat to urge Biden to step aside, toldCNN following Biden's Friday interview that "the need for him to step aside is more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday."
The Texas Democrat warned that "every day he delays" dropping out "makes it more difficult for a new person to come on board who can defeat Donald Trump."
Biden, Doggett added, "does not want his legacy to be that he's the one who turned our country over to a tyrant."
This story has been updated to include additional House Democrats who have called on Biden to step aside.
As Other Governors Boost Biden, Maura Healey Says 'Listen to the American People'
"Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump," the Massachusetts Democrat said.
While other Democratic governors across the United States reiterate their support for President Joe Biden amid calls for him to be replaced as the party's nominee for the November election, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Friday suggested that he should consider some of the criticism.
"President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years," Healey said in a statement, recalling his previous win over former President Donald Trump, who is now the presumptive Republican nominee.
"I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes," Healey continued. "The best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump. Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump."
Despite mounting calls for Biden to step aside—and "pass the torch" to Vice President Kamala Harris or another top Democrat—since his poor performance in a CNN-hosted debate against Trump last week, the president has remained defiant, declaring at a campaign event in Wisconsin on Friday that "I am running and going to win again."
"I am running and going to win again."
President Joe Biden addressed the pressure to end his campaign during a rally in Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/N1y6Pidkqp
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 5, 2024
After a Wednesday gathering with Democratic governors—including Healey—at the White House, the Biden-Harris reelection campaign sent out an email that said, "Coming out of the meeting, the message was clear: Joe Biden has governors' backs, and they are proud to have his."
The email highlighted recent supportive statements from Govs. John Carney of Delaware, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Green of Hawaii, Kathy Hochul of New York, Dan McKee of Rhode Island, Wes Moore of Maryland, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Gavin Newsom of California, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
The president told governors at the meeting that "he needs to get more sleep and work fewer hours, including curtailing events after 8:00 pm," The New York Timesreported. "Biden also told the governors that he had been examined by his physician at some point in the days after the debate because of the cold he was suffering from and that he was fine."
On Capitol Hill, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) "is attempting to assemble a group of Democratic senators to ask President Biden to exit the presidential race," The Washington Postreported Friday. The newspaper noted that "Warner spokeswoman Rachel Cohen would neither confirm nor deny that the senator thinks Biden needs to drop out of the race."
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democrat in Congress to call on Biden to withdraw from the race on Tuesday. The following day, Congressman RaĂşl Grijalva of Arizona became the second.
Biden is also facing pressure to drop out from some major donors. In a lengthy statement to CNBC on Thursday, Abigail Disney said: "I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high."
Democrats and other critics urging Biden to reconsider his run have pointed to growing concerns about a second Trump term considering a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling giving the president king-like powers, the Republican's desire to be a dictator on "day one," and fears that Trump will work to impose the far-right's Project 2025 policy agenda.
In an effort to reassure voters, Biden's team has set up a televised interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, which is set to air Friday at 8:00 pm ET. Viewers will also be able to watch the interview on the ABC application for smartphones or tablets, or online at ABC.com.
'Bullsh*t': Trump Slammed for Trying to Distance Himself From Project 2025
"Trump is now desperately trying to run from his deep ties to Project 2025... MAGA extremists' radical wish list for a second Trump term," President Joe Biden's campaign said.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday attempted to distance himself from a conservative coalition's agenda for a far-right takeover of the federal government, prompting derision from observers who underscored close ties between the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee and the blueprint's authors.
Trump took to his Truth social media platform to claim the knows "nothing about Project 2025," a sweeping initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation to boost the power of the presidency and purge career federal civil servants, who would be replaced with Trump loyalists.
"I have no idea who is behind it," Trump added, a claim that numerous observers quickly countered.
In an email entitled, "Donald Trump & Project 2025: One and the Same," Democratic President Joe Biden's reelection campaign said that "Trump is now desperately trying to run from his deep ties to Project 2025—the Heritage Foundation's 900-page deeply unpopular manifesto drafted by former Trump officials that offers Americans a preview of MAGA extremists' radical wish list for a second Trump term."
"Project 2025 is the extreme policy and personnel playbook for Trump's second term that should scare the hell out of the American people," Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement. "Project 2025 staff and leadership routinely tout their connections to Trump's team, and are the same people leading the [Republican National Committee policy platform, Trump's debate prep, campaign, and inner circle."
"Trump's Supreme Court and Project 2025 have designed the playbook for Trump to achieve his dream of being a dictator on day one, with unchecked, imperial power," Moussa added. "Allowing a self-absorbed convicted felon that kind of power would be devastating for our democracy and middle-class families. This November, voters must stop Trump from turning the Oval Office into his throne room."
As CNNdetailed Friday:
Paul Dans, the head of Project 2025, was chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management during the Trump administration, and the group's roadmap for the next administration includes contributions from others who have worked for the former president, including his former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, former acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, and former deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn. John McEntee, Trump's former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office and one of his closest aides while in office, is also a senior adviser for the project.
Mother Jones Washington, D.C. bureau chief David Corn said: "This is B.S. Christian nationalist Russell Vought, who is one of the Trump allies in charge of the GOP platform effort, is a coordinator of Project 2025. Trump is gaslighting once again."
Others noted that Trump's own Make America Great Again, Inc. super PAC is running ads highlighting Project 2025.
Critics have called Project 2025 a "blueprint for autocracy"—an assessment bolstered by last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling bestowing the president with what experts described as king-like powers, which Trump's advisers have reportedly vowed to exploit if he wins November's election.
The Associated Pressreported last month that a right-wing group allied with the presumptive GOP nominee was drafting a list of federal employees who are disloyal or insufficiently dutiful to Trump, an undertaking compared with the McCarthyite anti-communist crusade during the second Red Scare in the 1950s.
Kevin Roberts, who heads the Heritage Foundation, raised eyebrows earlier this week after he said that the coming right-wing "revolution" will "remain bloodless if the left allows it to be," which some observers took as a thinly veiled threat of violence.
In his Friday Truth post, Trump said that he disagrees with some of Project 2025's agenda and that "some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal."
"Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them," he reiterated.
Journalist Mehdi Hasan responded to Trump's claim in a social media post saying, "What's revealing about Donald Trump loudly disavowing Project 2025 and falsely denying any knowledge of it is that clearly he knows how damaging it can be to his election bid."
"So why on earth did neither Biden nor the CNN moderators bring it up at the debate last week?" he asked.