Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren Monday night unveiled her universal child care plan during what was billed as an organizing event for her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in Glendale.
The plan covering children from birth until they are 5 years old would be funded by a 2 percent wealth tax on those making more than $50 million, Warren told a capacity crowd at the Alex Theatre, which seats 1,413.
"We could pay for universal child care and a whole lot more if just asked the one-tenth of 1 percent to pay a fair share," Warren said.
Warren acknowledged that the plan would be "really expensive" -- "about four times more than we have invested in our children, but that's exactly what we need to do."
Warren bills her campaign as "a grassroots movement to fight for big structural change."
In her final tweets Sunday, Warren said, "Our fight is to change the rules so that our government, our economy, and our democracy work for everyone in Nevada and across the country. It's time for Democrats to declare who we are. We are the party of the people. We are the party that believes that every kid should get a fighting chance to build a future. We're going to take 2020 as our chance to build a movement and change this country for the better."
California was the fourth state Warren visited in a three-day span.
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She was in South Carolina and Georgia Saturday and Nevada Sunday.
Nevada and South Carolina will hold early contests that could be crucial in deciding the nominee or at least winnowing down the field.
"As Elizabeth Warren brings her 2020 apology tour to the Golden State, she's desperately hoping voters will forget about the disastrous handling of her false heritage claims that has clouded her campaign," said Christiana Purves, a Republican National Committee regional communications director.
"Californians won't be fooled by her political ambitions and will reject her harmful agenda to raise taxes and push government-run healthcare."
California has moved its presidential primary from June to March to have more impact on the nominating process, although the vast majority of candidate visits over the next few months are expected to primarily be for fundraising.
Warren is the first candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to have an event in the Los Angeles area that is open to the public without an admission charge.
California Sen. Kamala Harris conducted two fundraisers in the Westside Feb. 2, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand had a series of events with potential contributors in January and entrepreneur Andrew Yang held a fundraiser near the Beverly Center on Nov. 3.
Warren was elected to the Senate in 2012 and re-elected in November.
Warren was chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program from 2008-10 and an assistant to then-President Barack Obama and special adviser to then-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from 2010-11.
Warren was an early supporter of creation of the bureau to hold Wall Street banks and other financial institutions accountable.
She was a law professor for more than 30 years, including nearly 20 at the Harvard Law School, teaching courses on commercial law, contracts and bankruptcy.
