GRANDPARENTS, THEIR SPOUSES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, KRISTEN
WELKER, THANKS FOR THAT UPDATE
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
>>> WASHINGTON GOVERNOR DEMOCRAT
JAY INSLEE JOINS ME, THANK YOU,
GOVERNOR, VERY MUCH FOR BEING
WITH ME.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SIDELINED DR.
FAUCI AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS
LAUNCHED A SMEAR CAMPAIGN
AGAINST THE COUNTRY’S TOP
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SCIENTIST IN
THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
YOUR REACTION TO THAT.
>> WE HAVE ALWAYS HOPED WE CAN
HAVE A PARTNER TO EXERCISE SOME
LEADERSHIP IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
WE HAVE NOT HAD THIS.
UNFORTUNATELY THE PRESIDENT
STARTED DENYING THIS PROBLEM,
THEN HE DISENGAGED, AND
UNFORTUNATELY HE’S CONTINUED TO
USE DECEPTIVE MESSAGING THAT’S
BEEN VERY PROBLEMATIC.
BUT THAT IS NOT STOPPING US FROM
OUR EFFORTS IN WASHINGTON STATE
AND OTHER STATES.
WE ARE MASKING UP BIG TIME IN
WASHINGTON STATE.
WE WERE THE FIRST STATE TO HAVE
A REQUIREMENT THAT BUSINESSES
ONLY SERVE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE
MASKED UP.
AND I’M PLEASED TO TELL YOU THAT
THIS IS REALLY WORKING IN
WASHINGTON STATE.
WE’VE HAD SOME COMMUNITIES WITH
90, 95% MASKING USAGE ALREADY.
AND WE THINK THAT THIS IS A SIGN
THAT WASHINGTONIANS ARE
COMMITTED TO THIS NO MATTER WHAT
THE PRESIDENT SAYS.
WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON THE
BALL, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE
MISSION IN MY STATE AND IT
SHOULD BE NATIONALLY.
>> YOU ARE ON THESE CALLS WITH
THE VICE PRESIDENT, PRESUMABLY.
WE’RE TOLD THAT HE AND THE TASK
FORCE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED, EVEN
THOUGH WE DON’T SEE IT.
ARE YOU GETTING A DIFFERENT
MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT
THAN THE ONE THE PRESIDENT IS
PROJECTING?
>> WELL, I SPOKE TO THE VICE
PRESIDENT ALONG WITH OTHER
GOVERNORS YESTERDAY AND URGED
HIM TO CONTINUE EFFORTS TO
CONVINCE THE PRESIDENT AND
HIMSELF TO GIVE THIS MESSAGE TO
AMERICANS THAT MASKS WORK.
HE RESPONDED BY SAYING HE’S
WEARING A MASK NOW, AND WILL
CONTINUE TO DO SO.
I THINK THAT’S HELPFUL.
I SAID I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT
TINY LITTLE BABY STEP FOR THE
PRESIDENT TO WEAR A MASK IN A
PICTURE.
BUT LOOK, WE CAN’T HAVE THIS
PARTISAN DIVIDE ON MASKS.
THIS VIRUS DOESN’T KNOW
REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS.
AND WE KNOW MASKS WORK BOTH FOR
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
AND WE COULD USE THE PRESIDENT’S
LEADERSHIP ON THIS TO GET OVER
THIS REALLY SILLY DEBATE WHERE
THERE IS NO DEBATE AT ALL.
I DO BELIEVE IT’S THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING FOR THE HEALTH
OF AMERICANS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE
IT IS OUR NUMBER ONE TOOL, AS WE
MAKE A TRANSITION HOPEFULLY TO
CONTINUE A PACE UPWARD RATHER
THAN BACKWARD.
SO WHAT I CAN REPORT TO YOU --
>> I WANT TO --
>> -- THAT WE ARE DOING IT IN
WASHINGTON.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT JOE
BIDEN AND HIS NEW ENERGY
PROPOSALS WHICH HE’S GOING TO BE
MAKING AT 1:30 TODAY.
BUT I ALSO, FIRST, QUICKLY WANT
TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE THREAT FROM
WASHINGTON TO CUT OFF MONEY FOR
SCHOOLS THAT HAVE VIRTUAL RATHER
THAN IN-CLASSROOM LEARNING IN
THE FALL.
HOW IS WASHINGTON STATE
RESPONDING TO THAT?
>> WELL, THIS IS LIKE A LOT OF
NOISE COMING OUT OF THE WHITE
HOUSE, AN EMPTY THREAT.
WE DON’T BELIEVE IT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
IF IT DID HAPPEN, WE WOULD SEE
HIM IN COURT AND OUR EXCELLENT
ATTORNEY GENERAL BOB FERGUSON
HAS BEATEN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION 24 TIMES IN A
ROW.
SO WE BELIEVE IT’S KIND OF AN
EMPTY THREAT AND IT’S LIKE A LOT
OF THE NOISE THAT WE TRY TO
IGNORE.
LOOK, WE’RE GOING TO MAKE
DECISIONS IN WASHINGTON BASED ON
SCIENCE AND THE HEALTH OF OUR
CHILDREN.
THOSE DECISIONS WILL BE MADE IN
WASHINGTON STATE, NOT ON
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
I’M CONFIDENT OF THAT.
WE’VE GOT SOME VERY CREATIVE
SOLUTIONS THAT OUR SCHOOL
EDUCATORS AND PARENTS ARE
WORKING ON.
WE’RE GOING TO BE BASING IT ON
SCIENCE AND HEALTH IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
>> I DO WANT TO ASK YOU,
SPEAKING OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH,
YOU AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
MADE CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLEAN
ENERGY THE CENTERPIECE OF YOUR
CAMPAIGN.
IT WAS SOMETHING, FRANKLY, GREAT
TO HEAR.
NOW JOE BIDEN IS NOW ANNOUNCING
HIS $2 TRILLION PLAN, HIS CLEAN
ENERGY PROPOSALS.
YOU HAVE SAID IT’S MORE THAN A
STEP, THIS IS NOT JUST TOKENISM.
TELL ME WHAT’S RIGHT ABOUT THIS
AND WHY YOU’RE VALIDATING IT.
>> I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU, I AM
THRILLED WITH WHAT JOSEPH
BIDEN’S VISION IS THAT HE WILL
BRING TO AMERICANS TODAY.
JOE IS ABOUT JOBS AND
FUNDAMENTALLY THIS IS A CLEAN
ENERGY JOBS PROGRAM.
I THINK HE HAS HIT IT OUT OF THE
PARK ON THIS PLAN BECAUSE IT’S
BASED ON A VERY REALISTIC
ASSESSMENT AND A VIGOROUS,
ROBUST, AND VERY COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH ABOUT HOW AMERICANS CAN
GET BACK TO WORK, IN GOOD UNION
JOBS.
HE GETS IT BIG TIME.
I’M THRILLED HE’S EMBRACED
THINGS THAT I’VE BEEN ADVOCATING
FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE
THEY’RE BASED ON, NUMBER ONE,
STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE.
NUMBER TWO, IT’S CENTRAL TO HIS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
NUMBER THREE, IT EMBRACES EQUITY
THROUGHOUT.
AND NUMBER FOUR, IT’S BASED ON
GOOD UNION JOBS FOR PEOPLE TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE GOOD ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH UNION
JOBS.
SO ON ALL CYLINDERS.
AND I THINK IT GOES THROUGHOUT
THE ECONOMY.
I COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED WITH
WHAT HE IS PROPOSING BECAUSE
THIS IS NOT SOME SORT OF MODEST
PROGRAM.
IT IS A GO-TO-THE-MOON PROJECT
TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK.
BY GUM, WE NEED THAT BIG TIME
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE
COLLAPSE OF THE ECONOMY BECAUSE
OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.
THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD PLAN
A YEAR AGO.
IT’S A GREAT PLAN NOW, BECAUSE
IT ANSWERS THE NEEDS OF THE