HFA Statement on Trump’s Comments Related to Central Park Jogger Case

After Donald Trump doubled down his view that the five men convicted and later exonerated on DNA evidence in the Central Park Jogger case are still guilty, Hillary for America Senior Policy Advisor Maya Harris released the following statement:

“The facts here are clear: These men were exonerated. Another man has admitted to committing the crime, as proven by DNA evidence. Trump rushed to judgment on the case, has refused to admit he is wrong and continues to peddle yet another racist lie, a pattern for him and a clear reason why he is unfit to be president.”

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News Source: ABC News

Clinton Unveils Comprehensive Agenda on Mental Health (Updated)

Hillary Clinton announced her comprehensive plan to better treat people living with a mental illness. The current mental health treatment policies have been criticized for not properly treating patients. Highlights of Clinton’s plan include the expansion of early intervention programs, a national suicide prevention initiative, increased training for police in dealing with the mentally ill, providing mental health care for those who commit non-violent crimes, expanding employment opportunities, and increasing investments in research for the brain and behavioral research. An outline of the plan is below, and the full plan can be read on The Briefing.

1. Early Diagnosis and Intervention
   • Increase public awareness and take action to address maternal depression, infant mental health, and trauma and stress in the lives of young children
   • Scale up efforts to help pediatric practices and schools support children facing behavioral problems
   • Help providers share information and best practices
   • Ensure that college students have access to mental health services
2. Federal Support for Suicide Prevention
   • Create a national initiative around suicide prevention across the lifespan that is headed by the Surgeon General
   • Encourage evidence-based suicide prevention and mental health programs in high schools
   • Provide federal support for suicide prevention on college campuses
   • Partner with colleges and researchers to ensure that students of color and LGBT students are receiving adequate mental health coverage
3. Integrate our Healthcare Systems and Expand Community-Based Treatment
   • Foster integration between the medical and behavioral health care systems (including mental health and addiction services), so that high-quality treatment for behavioral health is widely available in general health care settings
   • Expand reimbursement systems for collaborative care models in Medicare and Medicaid
   • Promote the use of health information technology to foster coordination of care
   • Promote the use of peer support specialists
   • Encourage states to allow same-day billing
   • Support the creation of high-quality, comprehensive community health centers in every state
   • Launch a nationwide strategy to address the shortage of mental health providers
4. Improve Outcomes in the Criminal Justice System
   • Dedicate new resources to help train law enforcement officers in responding to encounters involving persons with mental illness, and increase support for law enforcement partnerships with mental health professionals
   • Prioritize treatment over punishment for low-level, non-violent offenders with mental illnesses
5. Enforcing Mental Health Parity
   • Launch randomized audits to detect parity violations, and increase federal enforcement
   • Enforce disclosure requirements so that insurers cannot conceal their practices for denying mental health care
   • Strengthen federal monitoring of health insurer compliance with network adequacy requirements
   • Create a simple process for patients, families, and providers to report parity violations and improve federal-state coordination on parity enforcement
6. Housing and Job Opportunities
   • Expand community-based housing opportunities for individuals with mental illness and other disabilities
   • Expand employment opportunities for people with mental illness
   • Expand protection and advocacy support for people with mental health conditions
7. Brain and Behavioral Science Research
   • Significantly increase research into brain and behavioral science research
   • Develop new links with the private and non-profit sectors
   • Commit to brain and behavioral science research based on open data

UPDATE (8/30/16): Hillary for America announced that Clinton and Tim Kaine spoke with the mental health policy community including patients, advocates, researchers, policy experts, physicians, counselors, and service providers. The conference call featured people from across the country and allowed Clinton to speak about her plan and hear feedback from experts.

Following the meeting, Clinton said, “I have heard heartbreaking stories for years about these incredible challenges, but during this campaign, it has seemed like a floodgate has opened from parents and students, from veterans, nurses, doctors, police officers. But I’ve also heard stories of hope and courage – people getting the help they needed, being able to lead happy, healthy, and thriving lives. And cities and states are deploying innovative programs, and that’s what we want to hear more of. We’ve got to break through and break down the stigma and shame. We’ve got to make clear that mental health is not a personal failing. Right now, it is our country which is failing people with mental health issues.”

Kaine said, “I am really happy that today when our campaign rolled out this proposal with respect to comprehensive mental health improvement, that we decided one group of people that we really want to talk to is college students. Most mental health challenges do first present themselves during adolescence or college. So, while even a mental health challenge of an adult later in life may become more manifest, there are early signs about it. One in four college students today do acknowledge that they are dealing with mental health challenges at some point along the way. And it is very important that we are aware of that and that we make clear that it’s normal, there is no stigma associated with it. And we want to make sure that there are appropriate resources, innovative resources, community-based resources so that people can access help, and that the response of society is treatment rather than judgment or pretending that it doesn’t exist.”

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News Source: The Briefing, USA Today

Clinton Campaign Statement on Trump Doubling Down on Insulting African Americans

Hillary for America Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall released the following statement in response to comments made by Donald Trump at a rally in Akron, Ohio.

Today during a rally in Ohio, Donald Trump doubled down on his insults to the African American community, which he leveled during a Friday speech in Michigan. There, he posed the question to African Americans, “What do you have to lose? You’re living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs.” Today, in Akron, Trump continued: “You can go to war zones in countries that we’re fighting and it’s safer than living in some of our inner cities… I ask you this. Crime. All of the problems. To the African Americans who I employ so many — so many people… What the hell do you have to lose? … You’ll be able to walk down the street without getting shot. Right now, you walk down the street. You get shot.”

Hillary for America Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall released the following statement in response:

“It could not be clearer how much African Americans have to lose under Donald Trump. He is doubling down on insults, fear and stereotypes that set our community back and further divide our country. But again this is not surprising, this is a man who questions the citizenship of the first African American president, has a disturbing pattern of courting white supremacists, and has been sued for housing discrimination against communities of color.

As demonstrated by his bigotry and actions, Donald Trump is unfit and unqualified to be President. We cannot afford this out of touch and divisive thinking in the White House, which is why we must take nothing for granted and work as hard as we can to make sure Hillary Clinton is our next president.”

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News Source: The Columbus Dispatch

Tim Kaine Addresses the National Urban League

Tim Kaine spoke at the National Urban League Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday. During his speech, he said that a Hillary Clinton administration would combat social and economic issues in the country’s cities. He spoke about the need to “end the era of mass incarceration” and vowed that as president, Clinton would work toward passing criminal justice reform. As a part of the reform, Kaine called for additional police training and increasing the collection of data on crime. He said, “A profound distance has grown up between law enforcement and communities in too many places in America, and that distance is dangerous. Let’s support independent data collection, investigation, and, if necessary, prosecution of police involved in deaths.” While in Baltimore, Kaine met with Representative Elijah Cummings, and they discussed voter ID laws, the economy, and their work as civil rights attorneys. A video from his speech is available on C-SPAN.

Fundraisers were held on behalf of Hillary for America in two states today. The first was in McLean, Virginia and included a conversation with Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor Bishop Garrison, Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matt Olsen, and Foreign Policy Advisor Laura Rosenberger. The event was held at the home of Andrew Borene. The second event was held in New York City and included a conversation with Assemblyman Michael Blake and Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall.

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News Source: The Baltimore Sun, CBS Baltimore

Bill Clinton Campaigns in Bay Area

On the day before California’s Democratic primary, Bill Clinton campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton in the San Francisco area. Bill has been focusing his efforts on smaller events and has spoken to supporters by standing in the back of a truck. His first two events today were a Get Out the Vote rallies in Oakland and Hayward. At each event, Bill spoke about Hillary’s experience and a number of platform points including growing the economy, focusing on clean energy, and expanding health care. In his speeches, he also criticized Republican nominee Donald Trump for a number of his positions and rhetoric saying that Hillary is a better candidate to continue the progress of the last eight years. A video from today’s event in Oakland is below.

Bill then spoke at a Get Out the Vote event in Antioch. Speaking to a crowd of supporters at Marsh Elementary School, Bill spoke about Hillary’s experience and her plans to keep moving America forward. He explained how important the 2016 election is to continue to the progress of the last eight years, and that electing Trump is a certain way to undo most of that progress. A video of the speech is below.

In Richmond, he spoke spoke about similar topics, but he was confronted by a group of protestors who interrupted his speech. Instead of having the protesters escorted out, Bill answered their questions. He was asked about Hillary’s ties to Wall Street and the crime bill that passed during his administration. He has admitted that that parts of that bill were not perfect saying, “When the crime bill in 1994 came over from the House, it had stronger incarceration procedures than I originally asked for. They cover about 8 percent of total people in prison. When we got to the Senate, the Senate included an assault weapons ban with an ammunition clip limit.” A partial video from the event, including Bill’s exchange with the protester, is below.

His final event of the day was in San Francisco where he spoke about the city’s important position in the country saying, “San Francisco is uniquely positioned to understand that every American should care about the implications of our elections and our choices and the rest of the world.” He then went on to speak about a number of Hillary’s platform points and making an argument why she is a better candidate for president than Democratic rival Bernie Sanders or Trump. He asked for voters’ support in the primary saying that California would be a big win for Hillary. A video from the event is below.

Great crowd in North Bergen, NJ! Thanks to all who joined & don’t forget to vote tomorrow! hrc.io/Locate https://t.co/ELQw1f7MU0—
Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) June 06, 2016

Chelsea Clinton and Senator Cory Booker also campaigned for Hillary in New Jersey. They appeared at several events and spoke about a number Hillary’s platform points and the importance of the 2016 election. They both urged voters to vote in tomorrow’s New Jersey primary.

Meanwhile, Tokyo, Japan, a fundraiser was held for American citizens living in the region. The event featured a conversation with former Under Secretary of State Bob Hormats. The topic of the conversation was economic growth, energy, and the environment.

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News Source: ABC 7 (Antioch), ABC 7 (San Francisco), CBS News,  ABC 7 (Oakland)

Bill, Chelsea Campaign for Hillary in New Jersey

On Friday, Bill Clinton campaigned on behalf of Hillary in New Jersey. Speaking to a crowd of supporters at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, Bill was confronted by a small group of protestors, but he turned his focus to Hillary’s platform and how her plans focus on “bridge-building, not wall building.” He criticized presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for his rhetoric, and argued that it was better for everyone to work together to achieve our shared goals. He said, “We need the good freedom-loving, terror-hating Muslim-Americans to help us to lead the fight. We gotta live together and be citizens, together. We gotta protect everybody’s rights: Religious rights, women’s rights, voting rights and labor rights. We gotta prove to that we can do this together.”

Bill then traveled to Ewing Township where he spoke at the College of New Jersey. He, again, spoke about Trump and his plans to shut the borders of the United States to outsiders. Bill argued that does not work because of modern technology and social media. He said that we have to have a multi-front strategy that includes the internet. He said, “San Bernadino, our latest terrorist incident, was because of people converted over the Internet. America desperately needs its Muslims who love freedom and hate terror and want to be a part of this country.” Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.

Continually grateful for the enthusiastic support of @SEIU. Thanks for joining me today in Bloomfield! https://t.co/XXsXBaZELG—
Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) May 13, 2016

Chelsea Clinton also attended two events in New Jersey. She took part in the opening of Hillary for America office in Metuchen and Bloomfield. At each event, she addressed local supporters and volunteers who came out for the event. Chelsea spoke about the importance of the 2016 election and why Hillary is best qualified for the White House. She thanked everyone for their support and asked for their vote on June 7.

Hillary, meanwhile, was in California where she spoke to CBS San Francisco. During the exclusive interview, she spoke about her platform and plans should she become president. She was asked about Trump a number of times, and she expressed her concern saying, “I’ve never seen a candidate like Donald Trump; that’s fair. And I’ve never seen so much concern – even in his own party – by Republicans about their nominee.” She also spoke about the importance of immigration reform, the need to upgrade the country’s infrastructure, and her thoughts on legalized marijuana. A full video of the interview can be viewed HERE.

Two California fundraisers were held on behalf of Hillary for America. The first was in San Francisco and focused on LGBT issues. The conversation featured Robby Mook, Campaign Manager; Teddy Goff, Chief Digital and Technology Strategist; and David Plouffe, Campaign Manager, Obama 2008. The second event was held in Santa Monica and was hosted by Roberta Conroy, Ashley Kennedy and Rosezetta Cummings, Claire Lucas and Judy Dlugacz, Andrea Meyerson, and Valerie Ploumpis. The event featured a conversation with Senator Tammy Baldwin, Lily Tomlin, Meredith Baxter, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Stephanie Miller, and Billie Jean King.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: CBS SFBayArea, Woodbridge Patch, NJ.com, Politico, Philadelphia Inquirer

Hillary Clinton and the CNN Democratic Town Hall

On Tuesday evening, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders took part in a CNN Town Hall live from Columbia, South Carolina. The event was held before Saturday’s primary. During the event, Clinton spoke about battling societal racism saying that white people should recognize “that our experiences may not equip us to understand what a lot of our African-American fellow citizens go through every single day.” She was also asked about her speeches for Wall Street firms and how she is the best candidate to work with Republicans in Congress get things accomplished. A video from the event is below.

Earlier in the day, Clinton held a “Breaking Down Barriers Forum” at the Central Baptist Church in Columbia. The event included speeches by mothers who have lost their children to gun violence and former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly. The topic of the forum was gun violence and policing policies. She spoke about systemic racism saying, “Something is very wrong when we have these incidents where kids can get arrested for petty crimes and lose their lives. Something is wrong when African Americans are three times more likely to be denied a mortgage as white people are, when the median wealth of black families is just a fraction of the median wealth for white families.” A video from the event is available on C-SPAN.

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: CNN, Time, Mashable

Clinton Interviewed by Rachel Maddow

This evening, Hillary Rodham Clinton was interviewed on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. During the show, Maddow and Clinton discussed yesterday’s testimony before Congress and Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks saying that if Clinton is elected president, he will begin impeachment proceedings on day one of her term. Maddow then asked Clinton about several of her policy points including equal rights for women, LGBT discrimination, crime legislation, Syria, and a number of other topics. The full interview is above.

Tomorrow, Clinton heads to Iowa for a rally and the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: MSNBC

Clinton Interviewed on PoliticsNation

On Sunday’s episode of PoliticsNation on MSNBC, Hillary Rodham Clinton was interviewed by host Reverend Al Sharpton. During their conversation, Clinton and Sharpton discussed a number of topics including the differences between her and President Barack Obama, her supporters, her Republican rivals, police reform, gun control, President Bill Clinton’s crime bill, Syria, and the politicization of the Benghazi investigation in Congress. Clinton criticized recent comments by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in which he said the investigation was successful for Republicans because it was hurting Clinton’s campaign. Clinton said, “When I hear a statement like that, which demonstrates unequivocally that this was always meant to be a partisan political exercise. I feel like it does a grave disservice and dishonors not just the memory of the four that we lost, but of everybody who has served our country.”

Videos from the interview are available on MSNBC’s website by clicking the following links (these videos may only be available for a limited amount of time): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Tomorrow, Clinton will participate in a Town Hall event in New Hampshire. The event will be broadcast live during NBC’s Today show. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The Washington Post, The Hill