Walden, GOP seek hearings on Green New Deal
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., called Thursday for Democrats leading the House to call hearings on the Green New Deal, as he and fellow Republicans criticized the proposal for its negative impacts.
Joined by 10 House Republican Committee leaders, Walden said in a letter sent to Speaker Pelosi that “the Green New Deal would hurt Americans struggling to make ends meet — the very people it purports to help. Worst of all, it could permanently put the American Dream out of reach for millions of Americans.”
Walden said he has repeatedly raised concerns about the negative impacts of the Green New Deal, especially on rural communities in Oregon, and has called for bipartisan work on commonsense climate change solutions.
During a news conference Thursday, Walden said he is committed to protecting the environment while also boosting jobs and American innovation.
“We want clean air, clean water, and environmental protection; but those things do not have to be achieved at the expense of jobs, prosperity, and national security,” Walden said. “Republicans are all about innovation, conservation, adaptation, and preparation.”
“We’ve been about it in the Energy and Commerce Committee, certainly in the last Congress. We passed multiple bills that actually help lead to reductions in carbon emissions and more affordable energy, not only for us but cleaner energy for the world.”
According to a new release from Walden’s office, under his leadership Congress last year passed into law the most significant reforms to forest management in more than a decade, which studies show can reduce the carbon emissions from wildfires by up to 85 percent.
It said Walden also helped pass into law legislation to promote renewable energy solutions such as hydropower, which generates approximately 40 percent of Oregon’s electricity.
He said an independent analysis of the Green New Deal estimates that the proposal could cost as much as $93 trillion over a 10-year period and drive up electricity costs by 22 percent. The AFL-CIO has also criticized the Green New Deal, saying that it could hurt American workers.
Walden said Congress has a responsibility to closely examine the Green New Deal to understand its full impact on the American people and our economy.
Walden said in his letter that Congress has “a responsibility to fully understand how the Green New Deal will affect the cost of living and economic mobility of hardworking Americans. We need to get to the facts, the American people deserve answers.”
Click here to read the full letter.
