'A Radical, Top-Down, Socialist Makeover': GOP Forcing a Vote on Dem's 'No Cows, No Planes' Green New Deal

Freshman US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) Green New Deal came up short in the US Senate Tuesday, failing to garner the 60 votes necessary to begin debate on the non-binding resolution. 

Senators voted 57-0 against a procedural motion to take up the nonbinding resolution, which calls for the US to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power.

Forty-three Democrats voted "present," refusing to take a stand, protesting the GOP's action.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put the plan up for a vote to force Democrats to vote on the record on the multi-trillion-dollar proposal. 

"I could not be more glad that the American people will have the opportunity to learn precisely where each one of their senators stand on the 'Green New Deal' - a radical, top-down, socialist makeover of the entire US economy," McConnell said in a tweet Monday evening. 

Ocasio-Cortez said the vote is a scheme by Republicans to waste time in Congress. 

"The GOP's whole game of wasting votes in Congress to target others 'on the record', for (legislation) they have no intent to pass, is a disgrace," she tweeted. 

"Stop wasting the American peoples' time + learn to govern. Our jobs aren't for campaigning, & that's exactly what these bluff-votes are for," Ocasio-Cortez added. 

The controversial bill, which was released in a six-page proposal on the congresswoman's website last month, lists several expensive proposals including getting rid of all fossil fuels. 

The deal presents a 10-year-plan that shifts America to 100 percent renewable energy "to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions" without nuclear energy. 

The measure calls for every building in the United States to be replaced or refurbished to be more environmentally friendly. It also calls for the US to "fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes."

The proposal guarantees that each American will have a job with full benefits, free education, free healthcare, housing, and "economic security for all who are unable and unwilling to work."

When addressing how to pay for it, the proposal says: "At the end of the day, this is an investment in our economy that should grow our wealth as a nation, so the question isn't how we will pay for it, but what will we do with our new shared prosperity."

Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) removed the document from her website following the backlash.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged McConnell not to allow a vote on the deal. "Let's not do a sham vote that's meant to embarrass one person or another. This is too serious an issue for that," said Schumer. 

Democrats who don't want to be tagged as supporting the bill plan to vote "present" instead of "for" or "against" the plan which requires 60 votes to advance.