03.26.19

Hoeven Statement on Green New Deal

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement today after voting against the Green New Deal resolution. 

“We all want good environmental stewardship, but the Green New Deal is not the right approach. Not only is it a massive government overreach, but it would bankrupt our country with an estimated cost between $51 and $93 trillion over 10 years. In comparison, the United States total GDP is about $20 trillion dollars annually. The Green New Deal calls for the complete elimination of traditional energy sources like coal and natural gas that provide affordable energy as well as good jobs for American families. 

“The Green New Deal goes far beyond an energy plan and is in reality a socialist agenda run by the federal government that would cost trillions of taxpayer dollars and purports to pay for health care, jobs, paid vacation, college and housing for everyone. In reality, the Green New Deal would increase costs for consumers, for example it could increase electric bills by $3,800 per year, and require families to spend up to $30,000 on mandatory home energy efficiency renovations.

“Both during my time as governor and as member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I’ve worked to build an all-of the-above energy policy for North Dakota and our nation. Today, North Dakota is a powerhouse for our nation, producing both traditional and renewable energy sources to power our homes, businesses and economy. Since 2005, the United States has reduced CO2 emissions by about 10 percent.

“That’s the right approach to encourage innovation and private investment to develop and deploy new technologies – such as carbon capture, utilization and storage – to produce more energy with better environmental stewardship.”  

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