Montana’s Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte accused Washington Gov. Jay Inslee of killing Colstrip during a heated exchange on climate change Tuesday at a House Energy Committee hearing.
The exchange between Inslee and Gianforte occurred when Montana’s Republican lawmakers interjected Colstrip into broader discussions about climate change and energy on Capitol Hill, first in the House and later in the Senate, where Steve Daines pressed Energy Secretary Rick Perry about a federal investment in Colstrip.
Inslee, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, was testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the need for an effective federal policy on climate change. Over two hours, the governor discussed how climate change policy in Washington was improving the environment and the economy through green energy jobs.