Polling data indicates that more than 80 percent of Americans now favor some version of the Green New Deal, an ambitious climate-change proposal championed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that aims to achieve net-zero domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Notably, this figure encompasses the support of not only 92 percent of Democrats, but also 64 percent of Republicans—a science-denying cabal whose official stance on the most existential of humankind's various existential crises is, more or less, "If global warming is real, how come it's snowing outside???"

At this stage, the Green New Deal is still a loose framework—a sort of declaration of intent, which Congress would have to distill into a tangible bill for its aspirations to have any effect. The most recent iteration, unveiled last week by Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts senator Ed Markey, takes the form of a non-binding resolution, and the merits of signing on even to that incremental step is something lawmakers are still trying to parse. Thus, in a transparent effort to capitalize on this uncertainty, Mitch McConnell has pledged to bring the resolution to the Senate floor for a vote posthaste.

Since we are talking about Mitch McConnell, this should probably go without saying, but: This is a cynical, bad-faith stunt. He knows the resolution stands no chance of passing the Republican-controlled upper chamber, where even those GOP senators who do understand the scope of the climate crisis would never have the courage to admit as much in public. His goal, instead, is to force Democrats to go on record early with their position, hoping that the presence of dissenters within the caucus—especially from moderates, and/or anyone who is still trying to figure this week-old resolution out—splits it in two. If you were employed as a film critic, this is equivalent of the boss demanding that you turn in your final, detailed review of the movie after watching the first five minutes.

McConnell and company intend to hold up the resolution's presumed failure as evidence that the Green New Deal is less popular than it is, thereby cutting off the burgeoning national conversation around the subject with a de facto obituary. Should you hold out hope that the Senate majority leader is doing anything here other than scheming to Own The Libs, please allow his team to put such delusions to rest.

Who knows whether this unfolds exactly in accordance with his wishes. What his gambit makes clear, however, is that Republican leaders are terrified that Democrats have found a way to talk about the climate crisis that resonates with all voters, regardless of partisan preference. As it turns out, Americans get really excited about a policy that entails a jobs guarantee, and single-payer health care, and a cleaner, safer, more sustainable economy! And in the years to come, the politicians who champion those things—notably, just about every Democratic presidential candidate has incorporated the Green New Deal into their platforms—are the ones who will stand the best chance at winning elections. McConnell knows he has to try and squash Green New Deal right now; if it doesn't, it will be ushering him and his colleagues into retirement before they know it.