Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx and attended Boston University where she majored in international relations and economics. She was elected to the House of Representatives in January of 2019 at the age of 29, making her the youngest congresswoman ever. She is up for re-election in 2020, representing New York's 14th Congressional District.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the Issues
Platform: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promises to tackle the multifaceted issue of climate change through her proposed “Green New Deal”- a job-creation and infrastructure plan aiming to bring the U.S carbon footprint to net-zero emissions, and prevent future climate crises.
On her website, she outlines her plan for the Green New Deal (GND) as follows:
- Jobs: AOC’s GND for Public Housing Bill aims to create over 240,000 jobs per year across the U.S and improve living conditions for 2 mil residents. She wants to ultimately provide living-wage union jobs to all workers, that would include benefits such as adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, & retirement security. Jobs would be in service of preventing climate change crises.
- Justice for Workers in Fossil Fuel Industries: Rather than displace millions of workers employed in industries that emit the largest amounts of greenhouse gases, through the GND, workers will be offered ‘first-dibs’ on union jobs in more sustainable, growing ‘Green’ industries. Job benefits and pay equal to their old jobs included.
- Justice for Communities of Color: By taking action against climate change, AOC will guarantee clean air, water, healthy food, quality healthcare, and affordable housing for communities of color that have been most disproportionately impacted by the worst impacts of climate change- including air pollution, destruction caused by hurricanes and other climate crises, rising sea levels, erosion, etc.
- deCarbonization: The GND ensures that the U.S’ carbon emissions will be brought down to net-zero by 2030, through a large-scale government investment program that will achieve 100% of the U.S power demand with zero-emission energy sources.
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- Green Deal Resolution- Plan to combat climate change by: increasing green industries, new energy system, and new infrastructure
- Climate Equity Act- ( Along with Kamala Harris) She believes the federal government should take into consideration that environmental laws are needed for the community.
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Platform: Ocasio-Cortez platform is titled “Housing is a Human Right” Ocasio-Cortez believes that everyone should be able to afford housing. She wants to ensure people have stable housing by cancelling rent during the ongoing pandemic and curbing rent increases that are driving people out of their homes. To add to that she wants to stop unjust evictions, pass the Places to Prosper Act to prevent landlords from refusing to rent to federally-assisted tenants, and pass the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act to create more jobs and safe and carbon-zero homes.
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