Senator Kristen Gillibrand. (file photo)
Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand is taking aim at fossil fuel companies in her new climate plan.
Gillibrand says the goal is to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and work toward 100 percent “clean energy” in the next decade.
“How about take on the whole globe, the whole world community and say: ‘This is going to be a measure of how successful you are as an economy, how successful your engineers and mathematicians are, how big your vision is,'” Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand unveiled her climate plan in Cedar Rapids yesterday. She estimates her plan would cost $100 billion and she wants fossil fuel companies to help pay.
“If you put a price on carbon, it allows market forces to work for you because if you’re a polluter, you’re going to pay,” Gillibrand said, “and if you’re not and you’re an innovator and you’re in renewables, you’re going to get a lower tax rate. It’s going to be much less expensive to produce all things that you want to produce.”
Gillibrand and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar discussed labor issues at a “Woman Leaders Rising” forum last night in Iowa City.
A handful of presidential candidates are in the state through the weekend. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is in western Iowa, with a midday stop in Greenfield. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be in Ankeny later today to discuss his plan to membership and protect freelancers and others who do short-term contract work. Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro will campaign on the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama this afternoon.
(Thanks to Iowa Public Radio’s Kate Payne)
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