Gov. Inslee rips into Joe Biden’s climate change plan
Jun 5, 2019, 8:53 AM | Updated: 11:57 am
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Gov. Jay Inslee spoke out against a recently-released climate change plan from Vice-President Joe Biden, saying it “lacked teeth … and ambition.”
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Inslee’s run for presidency has been defined by his position on climate change. His platform to combat the global crisis has even been been touted by some as the best of any candidate.
Conversely, Biden’s has faced flack from both the left and the right.
“I have to express disappointment that the vice president’s proposals really lacked teeth and they lack ambition that is necessary to defeat the climate crisis,” Inslee said on Tuesday.
.@JayInslee reacts to @JoeBiden's climate plan in front of MI oil refinery: "This is our last chance. We don't have 30 years to get this job done… I believe we have to have a President who will look at the CEOs of the oil and gas and coal industry and tell them to stand down." pic.twitter.com/yB6zsBz26k
— Jamal Raad (@jamalraad) June 4, 2019
Others have accused Biden of plagiarizing his plan, pointing to passages that appear to be lifted directly from environmental groups like Blue Green Alliance and Carbon Capture Coalition.
“Joe Biden has been plagiarizing for longer than I’ve been alive,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News on Wednesday.
Biden’s campaign countered by claiming it had inadvertently left proper citations out of the 22-page plan.
The bigger issue for Inslee regards the lengthy timeline laid out by Biden. A recent climate change report pointed to a “high likelihood of human civilization coming to an end” by 2050, pushing the issue front and center for the Washington governor.
“This is our last chance,” said Inslee. “We don’t have thirty years to get this job done. We’ve got to start acting now.”
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The former Vice-President’s $5 trillion proposal would have the U.S. return to the Paris Climate Accord, but also cedes enforcement to Congress, rather than the White House or EPA.
All criticism aside, Biden’s climate change grade from Green Peace jumped from a D-, all the way up to a B following the announcement of his plan. The environmental organization’s rankings on climate change now place him ahead of Beto O’Rourke, Kamala Harris, and Pete Buttigieg. Inslee still holds the highest grade of any presidential candidate.
