Democrats Go Silent on the Green New Deal
The Green New Deal was once the main climate push for Democrats. Now it’s barely mentioned in Washington.
According to a Quorum chart posted by Axios, in the past three months, Democrats in Congress used the term only a handful of times on social media or in speeches. That is the lowest count since 2018, when it was first introduced.
Meanwhile, Republicans are still talking about it — a lot. They brought it up more than 300 times in the same period, using it as proof that Democrats back costly and extreme policies.
Axios: “Democrats aren’t explicitly disavowing the Green New Deal, but they’ve abruptly stopped talking about it” pic.twitter.com/mVM4F19SJD
— Steve Everley (@saeverley) August 1, 2025
Big Names Drop the Plan
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, the lawmakers who first pushed the Green New Deal, have not reintroduced it since April 2023. Many Democrats are moving away from strict climate mandates. Instead, they are talking about jobs, cost savings, and energy security. (MORE NEWS: Energy Department Admits Millions Of Americans Are At Risk Thanks To Grid Vulnerabilities)
Some governors are supporting natural gas projects. Even a few lawmakers have traded in their electric cars for gas‑powered SUVs. The tone is different now, and the Green New Deal is no longer the centerpiece it once was.
The 2009 EPA Climate Ruling That Started It All
In 2009, the Obama‑era EPA issued the Endangerment Finding — a ruling that labeled carbon dioxide and several other greenhouse gases as a danger to public health and welfare.
That single decision became the legal basis for almost every major climate regulation in the years that followed. It opened the door to:
- Federal electric vehicle production mandates
- Restrictions on gas‑powered appliances
- Strict tailpipe emission rules
- Airline emission standards
- Power plant shutdown orders
By declaring CO₂ a threat, the EPA gave itself broad power to regulate entire industries. That authority survived multiple court challenges and was used heavily by both the Obama and Biden administrations.
Zeldin Moves to Kill the Endangerment Finding
On July 29, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a plan to repeal the Endangerment Finding entirely.
He called it “the largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States.”
Zeldin said:
“Many stakeholders have told me that the Obama and Biden EPAs twisted the law, ignored precedent, and warped science to achieve their preferred ends and stick American families with hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden taxes every single year.”
The EPA also stated:
“We heard loud and clear the concern that EPA’s GHG emissions standards themselves, not carbon dioxide … was the real threat to Americans’ livelihoods. If finalized, rescinding the Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations would end $1 trillion or more in hidden taxes on American businesses and families.”
An August 3rd X post further solidified Zeldin’s stance on the Endangerment Finding.
The Trump EPA won’t play along with the MANY mental leaps the Obama & Biden Admins used with the 2009 Endangerment Finding to creatively hoard themselves max power to jam through trillions of dollars of regulation, EV Mandates, and economic strangulation.pic.twitter.com/Mk5cTCzAX0
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) August 3, 2025
A Blow to Costly Climate Rules
Zeldin’s proposal would wipe out more than $1 trillion in regulations tied to the Endangerment Finding. These rules have hit vehicle manufacturers, power plants, heavy industry, and working Americans with higher costs and fewer choices.
If the repeal is finalized:
- Federal climate mandates would be removed
- Electric vehicle quotas would be ended
- Regulatory control would shift back to states and local communities
- ESG‑driven industry restrictions would take a major hit
The EPA under Zeldin is moving aggressively, framing this as a return to energy freedom and economic growth. It will lift the crushing burden from businesses and households. Critics warn it would remove key protections against climate change. (MORE NEWS: Texas Dems Flee to Stop Redistricting Map)
Green Groups Lose Power
While the EPA moves to dismantle its own authority, public enthusiasm for sweeping climate plans is also fading. Wind and solar still have majority support, but not as much as before. Republicans now strongly favor fossil fuel expansion.
Environmental groups are struggling. The Sunrise Movement — once one of the most aggressive Green New Deal backers — raised less than $30,000 in the first half of 2025. That’s a fraction of what they raised during Trump’s first term.
The Bottom Line
Trump’s second term is changing climate politics at every level. Democrats are talking less about the Green New Deal. The EPA’s main legal authority to regulate greenhouse gases is under direct challenge.
If Lee Zeldin’s repeal succeeds, the Endangerment Finding — and the regulations built on it — will be gone. That would mark the end of an era for federal climate policy and a dramatic shift in how the U.S. approaches energy, industry, and the environment.
The once‑loud Green New Deal is now just a faint echo in Washington.
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