Jay Inslee calls Biden's climate plan 'too little, too late'

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has made fighting climate change his campaign's top priority, and he wasn't afraid to tell former Vice President Joe Biden that his "too little, too late" plan doesn't do enough to solve the crisis.

Inslee's climate plan is based on four principals: power the economy with clean energy; invest in jobs, infrastructure, and innovation; fight for environmental justice; and end fossil fuel subsidies. "Climate change is not a singular issue," he said. "It has all the issues that we Democrats care about — it is health, it is national security, it is our economy. Middle ground solutions like the vice president has proposed or middle, average-sized things are not going to save us. Too little, too late is too dangerous and we have to have a bold plan." He added that it "doesn't matter what your ZIP code is, doesn't matter what your color is, you ought to have clean air and clean water in America."

Biden responded that he will take immediate action, and his plan calls for the United States to rejoin the Paris climate agreement and invest $400 billion in research for new alternatives to deal with climate change. When asked by moderator Dana Bash if there is room for fossil fuels in his plan, Biden said no, and he'd "work it out. We would make sure it's eliminated, and no more subsidies for any fossil fuel."

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"We cannot work it out!" Inslee shot back. "The time is up. Our house is on fire and we have to stop using coal in 10 years and we need the president to do it or it won't get done. Get off coal, save this country and the planet."