Cooper Changes His Mind on Green New Deal

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) now supports the Green New Deal and a new bill, the 100% Clean Economy Act, which sets a 2050 goal for net-zero global emissions.

Cooper previously told the Scene that he loves “the energy and the aspiration of the Green New Deal,” but it isn’t a legislative proposal, and he’s “in the legislature business.” 

Since that statement, he’s drawn a primary challenge from Justin Jones, a local activist who included support for the Green New Deal as a primary policy platform when he launched his campaign earlier this week.

Cooper’s decision also follows a presentation by former Vice President Al Gore, who also once represented Nashville in Congress and calls Cooper a “close personal friend.”

When asked by the Scene on Wednesday, Gore said he still supported Cooper because he is “kind of biased on Jim’s race.” Gore, a longtime climate activist and Green New Deal supporter, said he supports climate-focused primary challenges more generally, though.

“In general, I have been supportive of progressive challenges around the country when they're based on the climate issue,” he said. “My impression is that Jim has been pretty good on the climate issue.”

“The campaign's not until next year, and you can't ever tell how the campaign itself will affect the positions these candidates have,” Gore added.

Cooper’s statement:

Al Gore was ahead of his time and has been warning us about climate change for decades. His new presentation is a sobering reality. Our climate is changing faster than anyone expected, and we need bold solutions to help save our planet. 

I have always said that the Green New Deal is an important call to action, but it’s not a legislative proposal and our job as legislators is to implement things and make them work. Well today the 100% Clean Economy Act sets forth parameters that help to confront the crisis head-on. The Green New Deal is quite ambitious in that it tries to solve many of society’s problems, including the health care system, housing policy, living wages. But, its bold environmental goals can’t be ignored just because the initiative might be a bit too expansive. So, supporting the combination of both of these measures – bold proposals and legislative text – makes a lot of sense to me.