See Feinstein Lecture Kids Asking Her To Support Green New Deal

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, is facing criticism after video of an encounter with a group of activists shows the senator responding in a condescending manner when the group, a majority of which were children, asks her to support the Green New Deal legislation that addresses climate change.

A video posted by the Sunrise Movement shows the encounter unfold at Feinstein's San Francisco office. In the video, Feinstein tells a 16-year-old student that she didn't really vote for her and lectures the children that it can't be "my way or the highway."

"We are trying to ask you to vote yes on the Green New Deal," a boy in the group says.

"Okay, I'll tell you what," Feinstein responds. "We have our own Green New Deal piece of legislation." She then proceeds to ask a staffer to bring each person in the group a copy of the legislation she supports.

A video posted by Sunrise Movement to Twitter on Friday has received thousands of retweets. (You can watch the full video of the encounter at the bottom of this article.)

When the children push back, Feinstein says that there is no way to pay for it and asks them to judge the legislation she does support.

An older student in the group then makes her case to Feinstein for why the Green New Deal is needed to address the issue of climate change.

"That resolution will not pass the Senate," Feinstein responds. "And you can take that back to whoever sent you here." She further explains that the legislation does not have a single Republican vote and that the United States Senate is controlled by a GOP majority.

"The key is to get something passed that puts us on the right foot and we're able to deal with the problem that's happening instead of something that won't get passed," Feinstein says.

When the group asks Feinstein why that stops here from voting "yes" on the legislation anyway, Feinstein says that she may still do that.

"You know what's interesting about this group is I've been doing this for 30 years," Feinstein says after more back-and-forth. "I know what I'm doing, you come in here and you say it has to be my way or the highway. I don't respond to that."

The same older student who questioned Feinstein earlier then says "we're the people who voted you, you're supposed to listen to us."

"How old are you?" Feinstein asks.

"I'm 16, I can't vote," the student says.

"Well you didn't vote for me," Feinstein says.

At one point, an adult in the group tells Feinstein that any plan that doesn't take full transformative action is not going to be what we need.

"Well you know better than I do, so I think one day you should run for the Senate," Feinstein says in response.

"Great, I will," the woman responds.

Towards the end, the children present Feinstein a letter and the group makes its case for why they want her to vote yes on the legislation even if it doesn't pass, which is to send a message of what kind of action is really needed to address climate change. When the children try to read out the letter, Feinstein and one of her staffers suggest that they are capable of reading it themselves.

Feinstein also seems to offer the 16-year-old student an internship at the very end of the encounter.

In a statement, Feinstein said that while the meeting was brief, she wanted the children to know that they were heard "loud and clear."

"I have been and remain committed to doing everything I can to enact real, meaningful climate change legislation," Feinstein said in the statement.

Watch the full video below: