Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued Thursday that the Green New Deal actually “costs us $0 if passed” because it is just a “non-binding resolution of values.”
Ocasio-Cortez had tweeted about billionaires needing to pay a “modest percent” of their earnings to fund infrastructure, hospitals and public systems.
“Man this is so dumb and dishonest. You could confiscate every penny held by every billionaire and multimillionaire in America and it wouldn't cover a fraction of your Green New Deal fantasy,” Jonah Goldberg, editor of The Dispatch, shot back on Twitter.
“Hey there! Totally get it if you’ve never bothered to read the legislation you’re commenting so authoritatively on,” Ocasio-Cortez replied. “The Green New Deal is a non-binding resolution of values. It does not have a price tag or CBO score and costs us $0 if passed.”
AOC'S TOP AIDE ADMITS GREEN NEW DEAL ABOUT ECONOMY, NOT CLIMATE
The Green New Deal calls for a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, creating millions of jobs and rebuilding U.S. infrastructure by launching a 10-year mobilization phase to spur the transition to clean energy. The ultimate goal is net-zero global emissions by 2050.
It also includes a jobs guarantee plan that would provide “all people” in the U.S. a family-sustaining wage, family and medical leave, paid vacations and retirement security.
AOC READS ENTIRE GREEN NEW DEAL ON HOUSE FLOOR TO CLEAR UP 'MISINFORMATION'
While the nonbinding resolution doesn't dive into specifics or outline costs, one study suggested the type of investment needed to achieve the goals -- including $36 trillion for universal healthcare -- would be pegged at $93 trillion in the first 10 years.
Some on Twitter were left scratching their heads at Ocasio-Cortez’s defense.
“The best defense @AOC could conjure up for her #GreenNewDisaster is that it’s actually useless,” wrote one Twitter user.
“So it's just Legislative Virtue Signaling? How appropriate for your most famous accomplishment,” wrote another.
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“This may be the most disingenuous tweet ever,” wrote Manhattan Institute fellow Brian Reidl. “She's saying ‘my legislation calling for a massive, WWII-size Green New Deal is actually free to taxpayers -- because calling for anything is just words, and words are free...we wouldn't do any of this.’”