Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that she would adopt Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate crisis plan and add in a $1 trillion in investments to help protect workers and to fund a dramatic shift in infrastructure away from fossil fuels if she is elected president, as CNN reported.
Warren said her plan includes a “federal investment of $3 trillion” and “will leverage additional trillions in private investment and create millions of jobs,” as reported by Fox Business.
“One of the most important of these ideas is the urgent need to decarbonize key sectors of our economy,” Warren wrote on Medium yesterday. “Today, I’m embracing that goal by committing to adopt and build on Inslee’s ten-year action plan to achieve 100% clean energy for America by decarbonizing our electricity, our vehicles, and our buildings. And I’m challenging every other candidate for President to do the same.”
Earlier this summer, Warren announced she would invest $2 trillion in her Green Manufacturing plan. That plan, which she also posted to Medium, seeks to pivot the American energy and manufacturing sector toward the $23 trillion market for renewable energy.
“Today I’m embracing that goal by committing to adopt and build on Governor Inslee’s 10-year action plan to achieve 100% clean energy… and I’m challenging every other candidate for President to do the same" – @ewarren https://t.co/6AzNpirGJu
— Carolyn Berninger (@carolyn_bern) September 4, 2019
Last week, Warren met with Inslee, who campaigned for president on the climate crisis issue but recently suspended his campaign after failing to gain traction in polls, as the New York Times reported.
“Jay didn’t merely sound the alarm or make vague promises. He provided bold, thoughtful and detailed ideas for how to get us where we need to go, both by raising standards to address pollution and investing in the future of the American economy,” Warren wrote on Medium yesterday. “While his presidential campaign may be over, his ideas should remain at the center of the agenda.”
Her new plan was released a day before CNN hosts 10 of the Democratic candidates, including Warren, in a town hall dedicated to the climate crisis.
In her latest proposal, which builds on her Green Manufacturing plan, the Massachusetts senator incorporates Inslee’s plan to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and buildings over 10 years. She argues that the spending would easily be paid for by canceling the Trump tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations, according to the New York Times.
Warren’s plan, like Inslee’s, would look to close down coal-fired electricity plants within a decade, but also funds health care and pensions for coal miners. Her plan and Inslee’s share a new federal regulation on cars with the aim of zero-emissions for most cars, pickup trucks and buses by 2030, as the New York Times reported.
New: Elizabeth Warren is endorsing Jay Inslee’s climate change plan. The two met in Seattle last weekend, and in that meeting, Warren told the governor she’s getting behind his climate platform. W/ @GregJKrieg https://t.co/JFP6IEJwGx
— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) September 3, 2019
While Inslee’s candidacy is over, his influence is clear as candidates scramble to release plans to address the climate crisis ahead of the climate change town hall, which Inslee lobbied for. In her maneuver to adopt Inslee’s plan, she has won over some close to the Washington governor.
“Gov. Inslee has made his Climate Mission plan an open source document, and he’s pleased to see Sen. Warren taking up major elements of his plan,” said Jamal Raad, a spokesman for Inslee, as CNN reported. “He is particularly impressed that Senator Warren is adopting his aggressive targets to reach 100% clean energy in electricity, cars and buildings, ending coal power, and making a commitment to investing in good, union jobs and a just transition for front-line communities.”
In addition to Warren, several candidates are releasing their climate crisis plan. California Sen. Kamala Harris unveiled her $10 trillion plans on Wednesday. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former Obama cabinet member Julián Castro presented theirs on Tuesday. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar released hers over the weekend. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders released his plan last week, which is the boldest and most expensive of all at $16.5 trillion. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang also released his $4 trillion plan last week. While South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg unveiled a $1.1 trillion plan earlier today.
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