.@DickDurbin's reaction to Green New Deal: 'What in the heck is this?' pic.twitter.com/QWTaZJBSeL — David Rutz (@DavidRutz) February 20, 2019

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Senate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R-Ky.) is expected to force a vote on the resolution, which Republicans believe will provide fodder for 2020 elections by forcing a handful of Democratic presidential hopefuls to go on the record for or against the measure.

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The resolution, unveiled earlier this month by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezHouse passes bill to avert shutdown Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' The Memo: Dems face balancing act on SCOTUS fight MORE (D-N.Y.) and Markey, is nonbinding but backs net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the United States while saying it would create millions of “good, high-wage jobs."

Eleven Democrats, including Markey, and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (I-Vt.) have formally signed on to the resolution.

Though the resolution has been championed by progressives and a coalition of outside groups, several Senate Democrats are keeping the measure at arm's length and have declined to say if they would vote for it in its current form.

Durbin sidestepped a question on Wednesday about what he thought about the resolution, quipping that it is "long," but that he agrees "with the premise; global warming is a threat to the planet."

Top Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSenate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' Jacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee MORE (D-N.Y.), have brushed off the GOP tactics and signaled they want to turn the tables on Republicans by trying to shift the spotlight to the GOP record on combatting global warming.

"What we're going to do is ask the Republican leader — what's your position on global warming, while we're at it? Shouldn't you come out on the record and tell us whether you believe that human activity is having an impact on our environment?" Durbin added Wednesday. "Let's get on the record on both sides."

The resolution won't pass in the Senate, where it would need 60 votes and no Republicans will support it. But, Schumer said late last week that if the Senate was able to bring the resolution to the floor, Democrats wanted to be able to offer and get votes on potential changes to the measure.

"We Democrats demand our own amendment votes," Schumer said. "Let's see if anything has changed since 2015 when only five brave Republicans were able to vote yes on a resolution saying climate change is real and caused by humans."