Today, Hillary Rodham Clinton released her plan for campaign finance reform. In a release on her website, Clinton outlined points to her plan to cut untraceable money and the influence of wealthy individuals and corporations from politics. The proposal has three main points. First, overturn the Citizens United ruling by appointing Supreme Court Justices dedicated to overturning it and passing a Constitutional amendment. Next, end the flow of unaccountable money that requires public disclosure of donations and spending by outside organizations, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose contributions, and require all federal government contractors to report all political spending. Finally, she hopes to make the voices of everyday Americans heard over those who contribute large amounts by enacting a donor matching program, lower contribution limits, and enforce all campaign finance laws.
The goal of the plan is to ensure that average Americans have a voice in choosing their elected leaders and not allowing those with the deepest pockets to call the shots. Clinton has been a critic of the Citizens United ruling. Clinton’s campaign released a video (above), and you can read the full details of Clinton’s plan by clicking HERE.
Tonight, ABC will air an interview by David Muir with Clinton that will cover a number of topics including the agreement with Iran, her use of a private email server as Secretary of State, and her campaign. Details from the interview will be posted later this evening.
6/13 UPDATE: A full transcript of the speech is available from Time by CLICKING HERE.
In her first official campaign rally held at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island in New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined what she called the “four fights” of her campaign. Throughout the 45 minute speech, Clinton made references to her experience as a lawyer, Senator, Secretary of State, and as a mother and grandmother. The theme of the speech was the prosperity of Americans, and she shared stories from people she has met and her mother to make her points. In her speech, Clinton also criticized Republicans for not looking forward and believing too much in “yesterday.” She vowed to fight for everyday Americans and prepare the United States for the future.
The key to her speech was the “four fights.” She outlined what those will be, but said that said will outline specific policy changes in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, her vision is clearly outlined by the four fights:
Economy: Clinton outlined a number of changes that would serve to strengthen the economy including strengthening the middle class, increasing the minimum wage, providing equal pay for women, making it illegal to discriminate against LBGT workers, rewriting the tax code, and focusing on lifelong learning that will allow works to adapt to a changing workplace. She also called for more affordable college for everyone and improving the infrastructure by creating an infrastructure bank that would sell bonds to help fund improvements roads, bridges, power grids, and broadband Internet. She called for protecting the environment by investing in clean energy and ending the denial of climate change. All these changes, which she will continue to outline in the coming weeks, will create jobs and improve the lives of American workers.
Family: Families have struggled since the recession and Clinton believes that more attention needs to be paid to helping families by guaranteeing paid sick days, paid family leave, pre-school and child care. She also wants to focus on the uneven incarceration polices and provide help to those suffering with mental health issues and addiction.
America’s Leadership: America has long been the leader in the world, but for America to maintain its leadership and influence, Clinton argues that we have not only show strength in our military, but we have to create economic and diplomatic partnerships across the globe. At the same time, we have to stand up to our adversaries and stand by our allies. We need to be better prepared against cyber attacks and provide better services to our veterans after they have served our country.
Governmental Reform: Clinton argued that now is the time to take government out of corporate hands and back into the hands of Americans. She called for stopping the flow of unaccountable campaign funds, undoing Citizens United, and improving government technology so it is more open to the pubic. She also called for improvements to voting including universal registration, longer early voting periods, and ensuring that voting rights are protected despite the Supreme Court’s recent decision.
Clinton’s speech is only the beginning of the next phase of her campaign. Over the coming weeks, Clinton will travel across the country to spread her message and continue to flesh out her campaign platform. We will follow along and continue to cover her campaign events as she continues to build a strong platform for America’s future.
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Hillary Clinton Speeches 