Elizabeth Warren touts ‘another plan’ at campaign rally in Elkhart

June 05-- Jun. 5--ELKHART -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren kicked off her campaign rally Wednesday at the RV/MH Hall of Fame by announcing, "I have another plan."

The crowd, estimated at 600 by campaign staff, laughed and applauded for the Democratic presidential candidate known for proposing intricate and detailed policies to address the nation's problems.

America must become a world leader in addressing a global "climate crisis," Warren said, drawing applause. Her plan would create 1.2 million jobs by increasing federally funded research and development "tenfold" into ways to reduce carbon emissions, and increase spending on green building solutions by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

Warren said she would pay for the program by ending subsidies to the oil and gas industry, and forcing more "giant corporations" to pay their fair share of taxes.

Warren came to Elkhart after holding events Tuesday in Lansing and Detroit, and she was scheduled for a rally Wednesday night in Fort Wayne.

Cyrus and Danielle Dubash, both Goshen High School teachers, said they hoped coming to see her would help them decide between her and their other two favorite Democratic candidates, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders.

"I'm making up my mind, trying to hear different viewpoints," Cyrus said. "I am supportive of the general Democratic platform at this point. The condition in Washington right now where one party has been in control of everything... I don't know how much farther we'll go down the road that we're on now so I'm hoping we can turn that around in the near future."

Danielle said she is most interested in environmental issues.

"I like watching her and hearing anything she has to say," Danielle said. "It just motivates me that we've got to fight."

The couple said they were surprised Warren came to an area as heavily Republican as Elkhart County. Cyrus said the GOP under President Donald Trump is not his "father's Republican Party," for example, the current anti-abortion rights push, "so there might be an opening for some alternative viewpoints at this point."

Campaign spokeswoman Kristin Orthman noted Elkhart's reliance on manufacturing as a major reason she came.

"Over the past few years, there have been plant closures that have resulted in the loss of manufacturing jobs," Orthman said, "and Elizabeth Warren has a plan to address this issue through her recently announced Green Manufacturing and Economic Patriotism proposals."

___

(c)2019 the South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Ind.)

Visit the South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Ind.) at www.southbendtribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.