Last week, young Kentuckians visited McConnell’s Louisville office but were turned away . He also refused to meet with the protesters on Monday. Student Scotty Monteith, 17, told Refinery29 he traveled to D.C. because the Green New Deal is the "first real big piece of legislation" that adequately matches the dangers posed by climate change — and McConnell should know that. "It’s our only hope right now," he said of the reform. Scotty will turn 18 this summer, which means that he will be able to vote in the 2020 presidential election . He made it clear that he wants candidates to back the Green New Deal and make the issue of climate change one of the main aspects of their platforms. "It should be on both sides of the aisle," he said. "I come from a conservative family and I don’t know if any Republicans currently back the Green New Deal, but I really wish they would. There should be bipartisan support."