Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) voted against the socialist Green New Deal proposal. Among other things, the Green New Deal would require zero emission energy, limiting the use of oil, natural gas, coal, and combustion engines that typically power planes and automobiles. This would require many Americans to replace their cars and would significantly hinder our ability to transport goods by rail, truck, or plane. The proposal goes further to require the federal government to provide housing, health care, and an education to all individuals, regardless if they choose to work. Estimates show the Green New Deal could cost up to $93 trillion in the first 10 years alone. Senator Risch issued the following statement regarding his opposition to the plan:

“The socialist principles espoused in the Green New Deal are absurd and unrealistic, and would bankrupt the country. Our founding fathers gifted us with a free capitalist society, and it has produced the greatest, most advanced nation on the face of the Earth. This should be celebrated. Instead, the Green New Deal reverses decades of U.S. policy and puts the federal government in the middle of every decision from the moment an individual is born until the day they die. This proposal comes from people who want to remove our ability to make free choices and impose their supposed superior and elite knowledge on us. Idahoans want the federal government out of their way and I agree. 

“We all want to be good stewards for our natural resources and environment, but this proposal was not serious, practically doable, nor would it achieve that goal. From our earliest days as a state, Idaho has proudly been powered by clean, renewable energy—not because an overreaching federal government told us to do so, but because our local and state governments along with free market forces were and are perfectly capable of managing our communities. I would encourage my friends across the aisle to seek solutions that give deference to our local entities instead of attempting a shift of all power to Washington D.C.”