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Beto O'Rourke Looks to Regain Steam with Climate Change Proposal

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Democratic presidential candidates are trying to break out from the two-dozen opponents by going specific with their agendas.     

After an initial hot start, Beto O'Rouke has been steadily losing steam in the polls. Now the one-time top contender is out front with the first comprehensive proposal.

"Muy Buenos Dias ( A very good morning) from Yosemite Valley here in California where we are announcing the most ambitious climate plan in the history of the United States," O'Rouke said Monday. 

The former Texas congressman is trying to reignite his once bright but fading star as the first candidate to lay out a major policy plan. And his focus is on climate change.

"I want you to be part of this effort," he told supporters. 

The 10-year, $5 trillion plan, he says, would require the participation of all Americans and touch every sector from housing to health care, transportation, and pensions.

The four-part proposal would start on day one of an O'Rourke presidency by recommitting to the Paris Climate Accord and undoing the Trump administration's environmental agenda.

It would also raise taxes on businesses and the wealthy to fund the sweeping plan, which aims to cut carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050 and get halfway there by 2030.

"It's hard to argue there's anything more important facing this country - this generation today," O'Rourke said. 

He named climate change the "greatest threat" America faces.

The plan gives O'Rourke the chance to potentially avoid recent characterizations as a political lightweight.

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About The Author

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John
Jessup

John Jessup serves as the main news anchor for CBN, based at the network's news bureau in Washington, D.C. He joined CBN News in September 2003, starting as a national correspondent and then covering the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. His work in broadcast news has earned him several awards in reporting, producing, and coordinating election coverage. While at CBN, John has reported from several places, including Moore, Oklahoma, after the historic EF5 tornado and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He also traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the height