Green New Deal advocates see imprint on Biden's climate agenda

Washington — The Green New Deal has been a cause of controversy since it was first introduced in 2019, with progressives touting it as a last-ditch effort to stave off a climate disaster, and conservatives decrying it as government overreach. In right-wing circles, the Green New Deal has become shorthand for supporting socialism.

Although Congress has never voted on the legislation, it nonetheless has an outsized influence in shaping other, more moderate climate change measures, as well as President Biden's ambitious climate agenda. Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the bill's two lead Democratic sponsors, reintroduced the Green New Deal last month. While it may not advance in Congress, the proposal has become a blueprint for Democrats as they look to address the threat of climate change.