Former secretary of housing and urban development Julian Castro believes liberal congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) is a "breath of fresh air" for the Democratic Party.
Castro, who is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, made the comment Tuesday during an appearance on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront. During the segment, Burnett questioned if Castro's support for Ocasio-Cortez's controversial Green New Deal would backfire with "people who voted for President Obama and then voted for President Trump."
"Is congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez hurting your chance to win the White House?" Burnett asked.
Castro, who has embraced much of Ocasio-Cortez's political agenda—including the Green New Deal, "Medicare for all," and a 70 percent marginal tax rate—said he "didn't think so."
"First of all let me say that congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has been a breath of fresh air for the Democratic Party," Castro said. "She has brought a lot of great ideas, new ideas. Not only that, you know, she's lived a life with the ability to understand families that are struggling."
"I'm a fan of the Green New Deal," he continued. "I agree with the concept of it. Now, between the time when it's proposed and if it were to be implemented, of course, there will be negotiation that's involved in that."
Castro's remarks came on the same day that a majority of the Senate Democratic caucus refused to vote on a resolution supporting the Green New Deal. The proposal, which was introduced by Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey (D., Mass.) last month, aims to drastically reduce carbon emissions through radical "economic transformation." Included on Ocasio-Cortez's list of prescriptions is the replacement or "upgrading of all" buildings to achieve energy and water efficiency, elimination of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and a federal jobs guarantee, among others.
Since it's unveiling, the Green New Deal has been panned by Democrats and Republicans alike for being too ambitious and overly vague about cost and implementation. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, who is himself weighing a 2020 Democratic run, has called the proposal "unrealistic." The response has been no less muted from core Democratic constituencies. The nation's largest labor group, the AFL-CIO, has lambasted the Green New Deal as neither "achievable" nor "realistic."
Likewise, concerns have arisen over other policies on Ocasio-Cortez's agenda. The congresswoman's proposal for a 70 percent marginal tax rate has been compared to wealth confiscation. Meanwhile, her support for "Medicare for all" has ignited a debate on the merits of banning private health insurance plans.
All of the attention appears to have hit Ocasio-Cortez's standing with voters. A Gallup poll from February found that 41 percent of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of the congresswoman. A similar poll by Siena found her unfavorability (44 percent) was even higher in her home state of New York.
Despite such sentiment, Ocasio-Cortez's profile within the Democratic Party has only risen, as exhibited by 2020 candidates like Castro.