The most surprising fact is that Democrats have stopped talking about the Green New Deal. In 2019, they wanted a massive reorganization of the economy to cut emissions. Now, as energy costs rise, they have changed their tune completely. The Washington Examiner reports that key party members are avoiding words like “climate change” in press releases. They are pushing energy security plans that actually include a role for oil and gas.
This shift happens while families struggle to pay their monthly bills. Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia has focused his reelection campaign on energy affordability. He says rising electricity costs are a major worry for people in his state. Ossoff has also warned that new data centers could raise costs for households. “Groceries, rent, power, a meal out at a restaurant, all of these things hit their all-time record high this year,” Ossoff said in April.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina is taking a similar approach. His website lists lowering costs for utilities, energy, and groceries as a top priority. He spoke at a New York Times conference in 2024 about the need for renewable clean energy. Cooper observed that “most everyday people understand that we need to move to renewable clean energy, we need to take steps to become more sustainable, energy efficient. And we need to have leaders who will do that.” He has not endorsed the Green New Deal either.
The situation in Virginia shows the real cost of these mixed messages. Townhall reports that Democrat lawmakers passed a budget with over $200 million in new spending. Lawmakers authorized a pay increase for themselves while teachers received a modest three percent raise. They also spent money on a retail weed marketplace and research on Atlantic fish. Nearly half of Virginia voters believe the commonwealth is headed in the wrong direction.
A recent Census Bureau report found that 46 percent of Virginians who rent spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. This causes families to lose faith in their financial outlook.
Abigail Spanberger pledged to “lower costs, save Virginians money, and make it easier for people who work hard to get ahead.” She doubled down on that pledge when delivering the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union address. The party claims to care about affordability while spending money on fish research and removing historic statues.
Voters are left with soaring rent and food prices while their leaders focus on other priorities. The facts show a disconnect between what Democrats say and what they do. Families need lower bills, not more government spending on things they do not care about. The question remains why voters should trust promises that ignore the rising cost of living.
