The Green New Deal does not lead to the Senate vote, while dozens of Democrats vote "present"

The Green New Deal, a radical Democratic proposal to fight climate change, fell to the first hurdle on Tuesday as the Senate failed to gather the 60 votes needed to begin the debate on the non-binding resolution, with 42 Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Voting "present".

No senator voted to begin the debate on the bill, while 57 legislators voted against filibuster breakage. Democrats Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona joined 53 Republicans to vote "no". Senator Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, also voted "no".

The vote was organized by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., In an effort to convince Democratic Senators – including several candidates in the 2020 presidential election – to report on this issue. measured. McConnell called the proposal a "radical, socialist and radical transformation of the entire US economy."

The Green New Deal calls on the United States to move away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power. It calls for the virtual elimination by 2030 of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming. Republicans protested the proposal, saying it would devastate the economy and lead to massive tax increases.

Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, described the Green New Deal as "ridiculous" and presented images of dinosaurs, cartoons and babies in the Senate. He said that he was treating the plan "with the seriousness it deserves".

The Democrats, led by Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, called McConnell's proposal a "fake vote" aimed at diverting attention from a real debate on the consequences of climate change. Besides Sanders, the Meaning. California's Kamala Harris, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York – all Democratic nominees who endorsed the Green New Deal – voted "present" on Tuesday.

"Today's vote #GreenNewDeal is a partisan move that bypasses the debate on climate action and gives Republicans coverage to put control of the oil lobby on our kids. Gillibrand tweeted earlier on Tuesday, adding … jokes of bad faith. "

However, Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper said on Tuesday that he opposed the Green New Deal. The former Colorado governor said the proposal set "unrealistic goals" and avoided the private sector.

While explaining his "no" vote, Manchin said in a statement: "This climate problem is huge and we must act, but the ambitious documents will not solve this crisis." Concrete solutions focused on innovation will be … The truth is that even we will reduce the use of fossil fuels by our country tomorrow, we must consider the facts that other countries have invested in and will continue to use fossil fuels to develop their economy during decades to come, which countries have pledged to use. "

Senator Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Said the Democrats were hypocritical in refusing to vote for their own plan. "I have never seen a bill sponsored by a dozen people who do not want to vote," he said.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, McConnell said that he thought climate change was real and partly caused by man, but that the real issue to which legislators were confronted was: "How to fix it?"

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"The way to proceed, in accordance with American values ​​and American capitalism, is through technology and innovation," McConnell said. "… do not close your economy, put people out of work, force people to rebuild their homes, get out of their cars, you have all the drift here." It's absurd, and if you agree to nonsense, you must vote for nonsense. "

"[McConnell’s] The stuntmen are turning against them and it is becoming increasingly clear to the American people that the Republican Party is lagging behind clean energies and that the Democrats are ready to act, "said Schumer, DN.Y. .. What is the proposal of the Republican Party? Is it more coal? "

Chad Pergram of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.