MSNBC's Katy Tur on Tuesday called out Sen. Mazie Hirono (D. Hawaii) for "trying to have it both ways" on the Green New Deal vote.
Hirono appeared on Meet the Press Daily, where she was pressed to explain why Senate Democrats voted "present" for the Green New Deal instead voting in support of the resolution, prompting the Democratic senator to call the vote a "sham."
S.J.R. 9, "A joint resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal," failed a cloture vote on Tuesday. Forty-three Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) voted "present." Four Democratic caucus members—Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.), Angus King (I., Maine), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.)—voted "no."
"On the Green New Deal, there was a procedural motion today. Why did so many Democrats vote present on it instead of voting yes for it?" Tur asked.
"Because this was just a sham, so-called debate by Mitch McConnell," Hirono said. "He wanted to divide the Democrats and the bottom line is the Green New Deal is an aspirational document that says we recognize the science behind climate change unlike Trump and the Republicans and all the climate deniers who wants to stick their heads in the sand and make believe that climate change is not happening and all of the growing natural disasters that are taking peoples' lives and costing our cities, our businesses, our people billions of dollars."
Tur was not satisfied with Hirono's response and pressed her on whether Democrats should have voted for the Green New Deal.
"McConnell may be trying to make it a show vote, but if—you signed on to this and you're one of the co-authors of it. If you believe that this is something—even if it's aspirational that needs to get done, why not take a stand and vote yes for it?" Tur asked. "And here's what the Democrats stand for. We don't care that it's a show vote from Leader Mitch McConnell. It seems like you're trying to have it both ways, not be hung by it politically, but also not say that you don't support it."
Hirono denied that this was the case and asked why Democrats should participate in McConnell's "sham shenanigans."
"His goal in life is to try and divide the Democrats. He said that. Meantime, he's just shoving as many of the totally ideologically driven judges through court packing that he can," Hirono said. "If we can engage in an adult-responsible debate on climate change, we will do that. We will have that debate. I will welcome that debate, but that is not what's happening. I am not going to be a fool to to Mitch McConnell's shenanigans."