Congressman Dan Goldman Fights for a Green New Deal

The Green New Deal Meets the Moment of an Existential Climate Crisis, Protects Our Planet for Future Generations

Washington D.C. - Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today joined Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) in reintroducing the Green New Deal to advance a bold agenda to fight the existential threat of climate change. The Green New Deal would address climate injustice, economic inequality, greenhouse gas emissions, and create millions of good-paying union jobs. The Green New Deal builds off the success of the Inflation Reduction Act to address the twin crises of climate disaster and economic inequality.

“Climate change poses an urgent, existential threat to our communities and we owe it to our children to take decisive, effective action to solve the climate crisis,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “I am proud to stand with my colleagues as we spotlight environmental justice, facilitate an equitable green energy transition and fight for the future of our planet, by reintroducing the Green New Deal.”

This landmark legislation aims to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2035. This would require a significant investment in wind, solar, hydro, and other forms of clean energy and power. The Green New Deal plan recognizes that the climate crisis requires robust investment in infrastructure upgrades, and other measures to ensure that workers and communities are not left behind in the transition to a clean economy.

After passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last Congress, the most prominent climate investment in the nation’s history, the Green New Deal serves as a logical next step in the fight against climate change. The Green New Deal reaffirms commitments to advancing laws and policies that support clean energy innovation, addresses climate change, protects our natural environment, and promotes environmental justice.

The Green New Deal emphasizes environmental equity and justice, with provisions to ensure that low-income communities and communities of color like the Lower East Side, Sunset Park, and Red Hook in NY-10, which have historically borne the brunt of pollution and environmental injustice, benefit from the transition to a clean economy.

The Green New Deal would also invest in U.S. infrastructure and industries to ensure clean and affordable housing, transit, healthcare, education, and electricity for all New Yorkers and across the country. These elements reflect a bold and ambitious vision for tackling the climate crisis holistically, equitably, and economically soundly.

Congressman Goldman understands that climate change presents some of the most pressing dangers to our future and is committed to doing everything in his power to create a clean energy future for our families. Communities across NY-10 were devastated by Hurricane Sandy a decade ago and still remain vulnerable, not only to the hazards of increasingly frequent and more dangerous coastal storms, but also inland flooding from heavy rains. The dangers of these risks are multiplied further by more than 150 years of industrial pollution that has only recently begun to be addressed.

In March, Congressman Goldman cosponsored the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act to claw back windfall profits to the largest oil companies while lowering consumer costs with relief rebates. He also cosponsored the Energy Resilient Communities Act to maintain critical infrastructure in the aftermath of extreme weather events.

During his first month in office, the Congressman filed the Green Equity Amendment to replace the special interest fossil fuel giveaway requirements of the Republican Big Oil Bill with requirements that meet President Biden’s greenhouse gas reduction and climate justice goals. This amendment would have overturned the Republican fossil fuel giveaway and required certification that the Paris Climate Accords and Justice40 Initiative Targets were being met before tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Congressman Goldman also offered the Coastal Communities Amendment to the Republican ‘Polluters Over People’ Act to prevent the polluter handout bill from going into effect if it would have a negative impact on coastal resiliency, pollution levels, coastal communities.

Congressman Dan Goldman is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), joining the effort to address climate change and fight for environmental justice.

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