U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said Monday he supports the Green New Deal and plans to add his name to the list of 70 House Democrats who have co-sponsored the legislation.
The resolution was written by fellow New Yorker, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens), and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
Suozzi’s support of the Green New Deal, which he discussed in an interview Monday with the Huffington Post, is important due to his position on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. The chief-tax writing body in the House of Representatives also oversees revenue-related policies and programs and would cover many of the initiatives laid out in the plan
His role as vice chairman of the Problem Solvers’ Caucus, a conglomerate of 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans, could also aid in garnering support from across the aisle.
Suozzi declined to issue a statement at the time of publication.
The Green New Deal is an ambitious piece of legislation designed to better the welfare of U.S. citizens through social services and policies to combat climate change.
Proposals include universal high-quality health care, free higher education, a guaranteed job with living wages and benefits, the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, infrastructure upgrades, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an overhaul of the transportation sector with heavier financing of high-speed rail and public transportation.
While the initiative has been met with support from a number of lawmakers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was less enthusiastic of the resolution.
She said of the Green New Deal in an interview with Politico: “It will be one of several or maybe many suggestions that we receive. The green dream, or whatever they call it, nobody knows what it is, but they’re for it, right?”
