AOC slams lawmakers controlled by ‘fossil fuel execs’ in response to New York subway floods

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called out GOP colleagues in Congress for blocking her Green New Deal amid flooding in New York and New Jersey.

Torrential rain brought by storm Elsa on Thursday flooded New York City’s subway, with footage shared to Twitter of commuters wading through several feet of water.

Retweeting that footage on Thursday, the Democrat called out the GOP for failing to adopt her Green New Deal, and for taking orders from fossil fuel firms, including Exxon Mobil.

It followed criticism issued by dozens of Twitter users for the astonishing flooding of New York City’s subway — widely cited as a failure in climate adaptation and infrastructure.

“The Green New Deal, which is a blueprint to create millions of good jobs rebuilding infrastructure to stem climate change & protect vulnerable communities, is unrealistic,” the Democrat wrote, in ridicule of the GOP.

“Instead we will do the adult thing, which is take orders from fossil fuel execs & make you swim to work.”

The remarks by Ms Ocasio-Cortez followed a report last week by The New York Times revealing that a lobbyist for Exxo Mobil was trying to weaken the climate agenda of Democrats and the Biden administration in Congress.

Ro Khanna, a Democrat of California, called the recording of the lobbyist “appalling” and evidence of the fossil fuel industry's attempt to “engage in climate denialism and to manipulate public opinion and to exert undue influence in shaping policy in Congress.”

It was alleged that an Exxon Mobil lobbyist targeted members of Congress to reject Mr Biden’s infrastructure bill in recent weeks — and which Democrats wanted to introduce targets to cut back on fossil fuels.

That bill, which still must pass a 60-vote filibuster in Congress, now features little of the fossil fuel reductions that Democrats, including Ms Ocasio-Cortex, had asked for.

She added on Thursday: “I’m so glad the filibuster is here to fix this oh wait”.