'Green New Deal' no laughing matter, says congressman

A Republican lawmaker in Congress says the massive environment proposal being circulated by Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is actually socialism in disguise.

During a press conference last week outside the U.S. Capitol, several GOP lawmakers suggested the "Green New Deal" be renamed the "Green Pipe Dream." In fact, one of them made his case that the proposal has nothing to do with the environment – and everything to do with making America a socialist country.

Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) (pictured speaking above) pointed out that while many have laughed about the Green New Deal, he argued it should be taken seriously.

"It has nothing to do with fossil fuels. It has nothing to do with energy. It has to do with socialism," he stated.

The Green New Deal, proposed by freshman Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), has been embraced by many Democratic presidential candidates.

"Think about it," Mullin continued. "We all laugh when they say that you've got to replace all the buildings in ten years. We sit there and [say], Really?

"No, it's about taking over the buildings in ten years. It's about taking over our universities, our office buildings, our apartments.

"How else are they going to guarantee housing for all? How else are they going to pay for education for all?

He didn't stop there. "We all laugh when they say they're going to take away air travel in ten years. But how else are they going to control the movement of individuals – like China, through high-speed rail."

It's no laughing matter to Mullin. "… We should wake up and understand this has nothing to do with energy and everything to do with Cortez's plan to taking America to a socialist style of government," he concluded.