FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Sumer Shaikh, sshaikh@greennewdealnetwork.org, 774-545-0128
Laredo, Tex.—The Green New Deal Network announced today that it endorses Jessica Cisneros for election to Congress from Texas’ 28th Congressional District, in advance of the district’s competitive March 1 primary.
GNDN, a cross-movement network of 15 national organizations and 25 state coalitions, is committed to progress in the areas of climate, care, and justice, and supports candidates who, like Jessica, are committed to advancing a Green New Deal for our country, including a just transition that ensures fossil fuel workers aren’t left behind.
Cisneros’ priorities include investments that make Texas a leader in renewable energy jobs. As she says:
“Climate change is a local, national, and global issue that cannot be underestimated. When hundreds of Texans died during the freeze and subsequent power failure, we saw firsthand that Texas’s power grid is not equipped to endure the climate crisis. I know that our future and the next generation’s future is dependent on bold leaders who will step up to defend our planet. As climate change continues to worsen and threaten our health, safety, and prosperity, we see the global effects from our community right here in South Texas. Unfortunately, Congressman Cuellar has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fossil fuel industry during his career and has consistently supported policies that roll back protections that keep our water drinkable, our air breathable, and our communities safe from environmental threats.
“I support a Green New Deal because the way we address climate change needs to be as aggressive as the threat it poses. We need a just transition that empowers and guarantees opportunities for workers in the renewable energy industry, and I will be a voice for workers in the fossil fuel industry to ensure no one gets left behind. Texas is uniquely equipped with enough sunlight and wind to compliment each other and make a 100% renewable power grid cheaper and more reliable. Through a Green New Deal, we will create countless new jobs in our community and protect our planet and the future of South Texas while diversifying our workforce.”
As a child of Mexican immigrants who grew up in Laredo, Jessica has seen her family and community struggle with overlapping crises and challenges: lack of access to health care, too few job opportunities, the impacts of pollution, and a broken immigration system. As an immigration lawyer, Jessica has demonstrated her commitment to fighting for justice for the families in South Texas. She is committed to prioritizing families and communities instead of pandering to polluting fossil fuel corporations, big pharma companies, and other corporate special interests.
Organizations in the Green New Deal Network will mobilize their members to turn out on Cisneros’ behalf, and are contributing funds to support an independent door-to-door canvass in the district. The primary election is March 1, and in-person early voting starts February 14.
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About the Green New Deal Network
The Green New Deal Network is a nationwide network of organizations committed to transforming our politics and economy with policies that address the climate crisis, that create good, union jobs, and that repair past harm and advance justice. The Network includes coalitions in 25 states, as well as a coordinating team of 15 national organizations: Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Greenpeace, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible, Movement for Black Lives, MoveOn, People’s Action, Right To The City Alliance, Service Employees International Union, Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, US Climate Action Network, and the Working Families Party.