Climate Protest in Pelosi’s Office Shows Challenges to Party Unity

If there were any doubts about the challenges facing House Democrats seeking to forge unity, just ask the 200 or so protesters who swarmed Nancy Pelosi’s office to demand action on climate change.

Bolstered by an appearance by political celebrity congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old political newcomer who beat a 10-term incumbent for a House seat from New York, the protesters staged a “sit-in” in the Democratic leader’s office in the Cannon House Office Building. Their demands included formulating a plan to address climate change, a transition to 100 percent renewable energy, and reject donations from the oil and gas industry.