Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says her Green New Deal climate plan would cost at least $10 trillion

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday that her ambitious plan to fight climate change, expand the social safety net, and stimulate the economy would cost at least $10 trillion.

Ocasio-Cortez introduced her Green New Deal resolution with Sen. Ed Markey in February, but did not release a price tag estimate at the time.

"I think we really need to get to $10 trillion to have a shot," the freshman lawmaker told The Hill on Wednesday, adding, "I know it's a ton. I don't think anyone wants to spend that amount of money, it's not a fun number to say, I'm not excited to say we need to spend $10 trillion on climate, but ... it's just the fact of the scenario."

The Bronx native acknowledged that proposing $10 trillion in government spending will be unpopular among many Americans.

"It's not politically popular, people are going to call it unrealistic, and I just don't think people understand how bad the problem is," she said.

Ocasio-Cortez has forced the issue of climate change to the forefront of the 2020 Democratic primary, pressuring candidates to lay out their own plans to address a changing climate and its impact. The freshman lawmaker said she supports both Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's $5 trillion plan to fight climate change and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's nearly $2 trillion plan.

She argued Wednesday that the "entire field of climate plans still needs to be pushed."

Her push for a Green New Deal comes as President Donald Trump's administration works to undo Obama-era rules aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. Trump, when asked about climate change by Piers Morgan on "Good Morning Britain" this week gave a confusing answer: "I believe there's a change in weather, and I think it changes both ways."

However, as NASA writes, "97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities."

And according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, extreme weather incidents "are projected to increase as a result of climate change."