States with poor climate policy ‘overlap’ with those seeking to limit rights, Kamala Harris says
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) told a group of Democratic voters in an elevator that states with poor climate action “overlap” with those seeking to limit rights.
“I’m from a state that’s not doing a whole lot in terms of climate,” said the Harris campaign’s climate campaign manager, Amy Kempe, who is also an organizer for California’s Green Party. Harris’s state has more stringent and more inclusive policies on climate than other states, Kempe said.
Asked why her home state doesn’t do more to address climate change with its renewable energy goals or to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner sources, Harris said, “We have a lot of things going on in our state, and I think I do it fairly well.” She said that by focusing on a few specific topics, that is “all you get.”
Harris’s pitch seemed to mirror a common criticism of Democratic presidential candidate South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s climate plan: that it takes credit for actions that are led by states and localities. The plan, unveiled at the Democratic National Committee’s 2020 platform committee meeting this week, has been criticized by groups like the League of Conservation Voters for only mentioning local-level solutions to climate change. Buttigieg is expected to unveil a second plan at his next campaign launch in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The mayor’s pitch was part of a series of events this week aimed at addressing climate change, which is a top issue for voters of both parties. Harris, who is considering running for president in 2020, will attend the New York City Climate Action Summit on Friday and the Climate Week Democratic National Committee meeting on Monday in Washington, D.C.
Harris on climate: ‘We have a lot of things going on in our state, and I do it fairly well.’
While she isn’t the first presidential candidate to highlight climate action and not mention efforts by local communities, it was her first time commenting on the topic in