In an interesting turn of events, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic Representative who is recognized for her role in pushing the controversial Green New Deal into mainstream dialogue, finds herself on the cusp of chairing the House subcommittee overseeing America’s oil and gas drilling on public lands, as reported by E&E News on Tuesday.
Currently, Ocasio-Cortez is the ranking member of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, thereby positioning her as a likely candidate for leading the committee. If the Democrats manage to secure control over the House in 2024, she could use this platform to propel an assertively progressive climate agenda.
This development comes as she reintroduces the Green New Deal, a proposal met with substantial criticism from Republicans since its 2019 introduction due to its radical stance and cost implications.
Fellow progressives, California’s Rep. Ro Khanna and Massachusetts’ Sen. Edward Markey, concurrently unveiled an associated healthcare initiative, the “Green New Deal for Health.”
“We’ve already scored a number of wins, such as breaking down some parts of the Green New Deal and integrating them into other crucial legislations, like the Inflation Reduction Act,” Ocasio-Cortez was quoted by the outlet.
Ocasio-Cortez’s office, alongside Democratic Sen. Ed Markey’s, keep a rolling document that outlines the application of Green New Deal’s core principles within the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
As a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, a climate law spearheaded by President Joe Biden, we’re seeing a pronounced decline in coal-fired power in the United States. Meanwhile, China, seemingly unperturbed by climate concerns, continues its aggressive expansion of new coal plants.
Interestingly, Goldman Sachs analysts now project that this bill will incur approximately $1.2 trillion for green energy projects over the next decade. This figure dwarfs the government’s initial cost estimate of $370 billion, raising legitimate questions about fiscal responsibility.
Looking ahead to a possible Democratic House takeover in 2024, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, the ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee, stated, “What was once a fringe element in the Democratic Party would ever become inside-baseball people.”
High-ranking roles could potentially be occupied by climate-focused progressives like Missouri’s Rep. Cori Bush, California’s Rep. Khanna, and Ocasio-Cortez herself.
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Khanna, the former chair of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on the Environment, made a salient point to E&E News, saying, “The key to Congress is you just have to win, and then you have to stick around a bit.” This suggests an intention to consolidate progressive power in the House.
Were Ocasio-Cortez to chair the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, she would be able to oversee energy production, mining, and drilling on federal lands.
This possibility is made more pertinent as the Biden administration has recently taken sweeping action to block mining and drilling projects, while concurrently promoting conservation efforts on federal lands.
The office of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was contacted for comment by the Daily Caller News Foundation but has yet to respond.
