Chelsea Clinton campaigned for her mother today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She spoke about Hillary Clinton on a personal level and how she was raised. “I’m really glad (my parents) made sure I knew how lucky and how privileged I was. Because my mom has been driven my whole life, and even longer than I’ve been alive, to do all the good we can for all the people we can in all the places we can for as long as I can. And that’s the bedrock for her campaign.” Chelsea then outlined a number of Hillary’s platform proposals including her plan to create new jobs and build an economy that works for everyone and not just those at the top. “My mom has ambitious goals, but she’s never going to say anything that’s unconstitutional. She’s never going to promise something she knows is impossible because of our structure of government, but she is going to work her heart out to push the limits of what is possible for our children, for our families and for women’s rights and human rights,” she said. Chelsea asked everyone to vote for Hillary on Tuesday. Watch a video of Chelsea’s speech below.
On Thursday, Hillary for America responded to an ad from Donald Trump that characterized a number of Trump’s key policies. Hillary for America Deputy Communications Director Christina Reynolds responded to the ad with the following statement and breakdown of the claims made.
“Another day, another false ad from Trump. The truth is Trump’s plan actually raises taxes on millions of middle class families, especially working single moms and dads, and showers the wealthy with huge tax cuts. Hillary Clinton has pledged not to raise taxes on the middle class and will work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. This stands in strong contrast to Donald Trump, who apparently did not pay a cent in federal income taxes for nearly 20 years and is now trying to hide the fact that his economic plan represents a huge boon to the very wealthy.”
TRANSCRIPT
TRUMP RECORD
VOICEOVER: What does electing Donald Trump president mean for you? Families making $60,000 a year? You get a 20% tax rate reduction.
MILLIONS OF FAMILIES, INCLUDING SINGLE PARENTS, WOULD SEE TAX INCREASES UNDER TRUMP’S TAX PLAN
Washington Post: “More Than Half Of America’s Single Parents And One-Fifth Of Its Families With Children Could See Their Federal Income Taxes Go Up Under Republican Donald Trump’s Revamped Tax Plan.” “More than half of America’s single parents and one-fifth of its families with children could see their federal income taxes go up under Republican Donald Trump’s revamped tax plan, according to a new analysis of the plan by a New York University professor who previously served as a tax specialist for the Obama administration and the Senate Finance Committee.” [Washington Post, 9/24/16]
Washington Post: “The Analysis Estimates That More Than Half Of Single Parents Would See Tax Increases.” “The analysis estimates that more than half of single parents would see tax increases, because Trump eliminates what is called ‘head of household’ filing status, which gives single parents a higher standard deduction and lower rates than they otherwise would have had. Other researchers have also flagged that possibility. ‘Single parents get hit with all three of the tax increases under Trump’s plan’ — the loss of personal deductions, the loss of head-of-household status and higher rates on some income — said Harry Stein, the director of fiscal policy for the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund, who has written about the potential effects of the Trump plan.” [Washington Post, 9/24/16]
POLITIFACT SAID IT WAS TRUE TO SAY EXPERTS FOUND TRUMP’S TAX PLAN COULD RAISE TAXES ON SOME MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES
PolitiFact Said Hillary Clinton Was Correct In Saying Independent Experts Found Trump’s Tax Plan Would Add $5 Trillion To The Debt And Disadvantage Middle Class Families. “Clinton said that, according to ‘independent experts,’ Trump’s tax plan ‘would blow up the debt by over $5 trillion and would in some instances disadvantage middle-class families compared to the wealthy.’ Batchelder’s past work for Senate Democrats and the Obama White House may lead some to question whether she is an ‘independent expert.’ But her estimate of the debt increase was mirrored by findings by the more conservative Tax Foundation and the deficit-hawk Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. And the Tax Foundation said Batchelder’s analysis of tax increases for some families seemed ‘reasonable.’ We rate Clinton’s statement True.” [PolitiFact, 9/27/16]
VOICEOVER: Working moms? You get paid maternity leave and an average $5,000 childcare tax reduction.
TRUMP’S MATERNITY LEAVE POLICY WOULD LEAVE OUT SINGLE MOTHERS, FATHERS AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS
Ivanka Trump Said Her Father’s Paid Maternity Leave Was Meant To Help “The Mother Who Has Given Birth To The Child If They Have Legal Married Status Under The Tax Code.” Q: “OK, so when it comes to same-sex—” IVANKA TRUMP: “So it’s meant to benefit, whether it’s in same-sex marriages as well, to benefit the mother who has given birth to the child if they have legal married status under the tax code.” Q: “Well, what about gay couples, where both partners are men?” IVANKA TRUMP: “The policy is fleshed out online, so you can go see all the elements of it. But the original intention of the plan is to help mothers in recovery in the immediate aftermath of childbirth.” [Cosmopolitan, 9/14/16]
Trump’s Plan Specifically Provides Leave To Mothers, Not To Fathers Or To Those Who Need Paid Leave To Care For A Seriously Ill Family Member. “What about dads? The plan applies to women — specifically, mothers. It doesn’t apply to fathers or those who have to care for a family member with a serious illness, unlike the existing federal legislation. ‘Trump frames it as maternity leave. We don’t target a specific gender under the family paid leave program in the U.S. It’s available to a families as a whole,’ noted Mathur.” [NBC News, 9/14/16]
TRUMP’S CHILD CARE PLAN PROVIDES A DEDUCTION UP TO A STATE’S AVERAGE COST OF CHILD CARE – NOT A REDUCTION OF $5,000
Trump Campaign: “The [Childcare] Deduction Would Be Limited To The Average Cost Of Child Care… The Deduction Would Be Limited To $5,000 Per Year.” “The exclusion would apply to a variety of different kinds of childcare—institutional, private, nursery school, afterschool care, and enrichment activities—affording choice to parents. The deduction would be limited to the average cost of childcare in the state of residence for the age of the child. […] Similarly, the Trump plan would also allow an above-the-line deduction for eldercare costs necessary to keep a family member working outside the home. It would apply to costs like home care or adult day care costs for elderly dependents when those expenses are needed to keeping family members in the workforce. The deduction would be limited to $5,000 per year.” [Donald Trump Childcare Plan, accessed 10/6/16]
A FAMILY MAKING $60,000, SUBJECT TO A 15% INCOME TAX RATE, WOULD SAVE $750 – BECAUSE 15% OF $5,000 IS $750
Joint Filers Making $60,000 Are Subject To A 15% Tax Rate. [Internal Revenue Service, accessed 10/6/16]
TRUMP’S CHILD CARE PLAN WOULD HELP THE RICH FAR MORE THAN THE MIDDLE CLASS
Under Trump’s Plan, Wealthy Families Making $500,000 A Year Would Get A Child Care Tax Break Over 2.6 Times Larger Than The One A Family Making $60,000 Would Get. “The centerpiece of Trump’s child care plan is a tax deduction, which is simply the wrong policy for making child care affordable, since it will always offer the most help to those who need it the least. For example, under Trump’s plan, wealthy families making $500,000 would get a child care tax break that is 2.64 times larger than the same tax break for a family making $60,000. Put another way, Trump would give the wealthy family a tax deduction worth $39.60 for every $100 they pay for child care, since they are in the 39.6 percent tax bracket. Meanwhile, the middle-class family in the 15 percent tax bracket would get a tax deduction worth only $15 for every $100 spent on child care. Even if the middle-class family spends the same amount as the wealthy family for child care, the wealthy family’s tax cut is much larger.” [Harry Stein, US News, 9/14/16]
TRUMP’S CHILD CARE PLAN WILL “BARELY MAKE A DENT” IN THE CHILD CARE COSTS OF FAMILIES WHO DON’T PAY INCOME TAXES
Trump’s Child Care Tax Deduction Wouldn’t Help The 44 Percent Of Families That Don’t Pay Income Taxes, And Trump’s Solution To That, An Annual Rebate “Will Barely Make A Dent” In Most Child Care Bills. “And tax deductions do nothing for the 44 percent of families that don’t earn enough to pay income taxes. Trump’s solution for accommodating these lower-income families is to offer a rebate of $1,200 per year. With average child care expenses exceeding the cost of rent and college tuition in most states, this rebate will barely make a dent in most families’ child care bills.” [Vivien Labaton, CNBC, 9/14/16]
TRUMP’S TAX DEDUCTIONS WOULDN’T HELP FAMILIES PAY CHILD CARE COSTS ON A WEEKLY OR MONTHLY BASIS
Trump’s End-Of-Year Tax Break Wouldn’t Help Families That Pay Child Care Costs On A Weekly Or Monthly Basis. “Second, most families have to pay their child care provider weekly or monthly, so an end-of-year tax break is no help. Trump’s child care plan assumes parents can pay thousands of dollars up-front each month to even qualify for his deduction, and then wait up to a year to get reimbursed. When you’re struggling every week to make ends meet, an end-of-year deduction or rebate is too little too late.” [Vivien Labaton, CNBC, 9/14/16]
TRUMP CLAIMED HE OFFERED CHILD CARE FOR HIS EMPLOYEES, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY A PROGRAM FOR RESORT GUESTS TO GET AMENITIES LIKE CHILD SPA SERVICES
“Trump Kids” And “Trumpeteers” Were Programs For Guests Of Trump’s Hotels And A Golf Club, Not His Employees. “The billionaire real estate mogul, who previously voiced his opposition to government-funded universal pre-K programs, said in Newton, Iowa, in November 2015 that he had visited many companies that offered workers on-site child-care centers — and added that he offered such programs himself. […] Trump pointed specifically to two programs: ‘They call ’em Trump Kids. Another one calls it Trumpeteers, if you can believe it. I have ’em. I actually have ’em, because I have a lot of different businesses.’ […] But the two programs Trump cited — ‘Trump Kids’ and ‘Trumpeteers’ — are programs catering to patrons of Trump’s hotels and golf club. They are not for Trump’s employees, according to staff at Trump’s hotels and clubs across the country.” [Associated Press, 8/11/16]
VOICEOVER: Business owners, your taxes get cut from 35% to 15% so you can expand and create more jobs.
TRUMP PLEDGED TO LOWER THE CORPORATE TAX RATE TO 15%, AND MAKE PASS THROUGH INCOME SUBJECT TO THAT RATE, WHICH COULD SAVE HIM MILLIONS
HEADLINE: “Donald Trump’s New Tax Plan Could Have A Big Winner: Donald Trump’s Companies” [Washington Post, 8/10/16]
CBPP: “Mr. Trump’s Plan Would Set The Individual Tax Rate On Pass-Through Business Income At 15 Percent, Ten Percentage Points Below His Proposed 25 Percent Top Tax Rate On Ordinary Income.” “Mr. Trump’s plan would set the individual tax rate on pass-through business income at 15 percent, ten percentage points below his proposed 25 percent top tax rate on ordinary income. If the ability to escape a 2.9 percent payroll tax (the payroll tax rate that would otherwise apply) encourages wealthy pass-through business owners to reclassify their labor earnings as ‘business’ income, a ten percentage-point tax-rate differential would provide a far greater incentive for such taxpayers to try to classify more of their ordinary earnings as pass-through business income.” [Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, 8/8/16]
Tax Policy Center Expert: Pass-Through Provision “Is A Really Nice Deal” For Trump. “’It’s a really nice deal’ for Trump and pass-through owners like him, said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.” [Washington Post, 8/10/16]
Trump Claimed His 2015 Income Was “In Excess” Of $557 Million Excluding Dividends, Interest, Capital Gains, Rents, And Royalties. “Mr. Trump’s income as reported in the PFD statement is in excess of $557 million (which does not include dividends, interest, capital gains, rents and royalties). Mr. Trump’s net worth has increased since the last statement was filed in July of 2015. As of this date, Mr. Trump’s net worth is in excess of $10 billion dollars.” [Donald Trump, Press Release, 5/17/16]
VOICEOVER: Donald Trump. Prosperity for you, America great again.
TRUMP’S ECONOMIC POLICIES WOULD PUSH AMERICA TOWARDS A RECESSION AND LEAD TO 3.5 FEWER MILLION JOBS
A Moody’s Analytics Report On Trump’s Economic Proposals On Taxes, Trade, Immigration And Spending Found That Trump’s Policies Could Sharply Reduce Economic Output And Reduce Employment By 3.5 Million Jobs During His First Term. “A new analysis concludes Donald Trump’s economic proposals, taken at face value, could produce a prolonged recession and heavy job losses that would fall hardest on low- and middle-income workers. The Moody’s Analytics report, which a person close to the Trump campaign strongly disputed, is the first that attempts to quantify the cumulative economic benefits and costs of Mr. Trump’s proposals on taxes, trade, immigration and spending. It determines that full adoption of those policies would sharply reduce economic output during his first term and reduce employment by 3.5 million jobs.” [Wall Street Journal, 6/20/16]
Moody’s Concluded That Trump’s Trade And Immigration Policies Would Sharply Boost The Prices Of Labor And Goods And Contribute To A Recession In 2018. “The report singles out trade and immigration policies as the most detrimental to the economy in the short run because they could sharply boost labor and goods prices at a time when there’s less slack in the labor market. ‘It is a massive supply shock to the economy that’s very pernicious, and the Fed doesn’t know how to respond to that,’ said Mr. Zandi. Moody’s concludes that those price pressures would force the central bank to raise interest rates at a faster-than-desired pace, contributing to a recession in 2018 that could produce a 25% drop in the S&P 500.” [Wall Street Journal, 6/20/16]
TRUMP REPEATEDLY CLAIMED AMERICAN WAGES WERE ALREADY “TOO HIGH”
Trump Opposed Raising The Minimum Wage Because: “Wages Too High, We’re Not Going To Be Able To Compete Against The World.” Trump said he wouldn’t raise the minimum wage, and the reason is that America ‘is a country that is being beaten on every front.’ The problem, he said: ‘Taxes too high, wages too high, we’re not going to be able to compete against the world. I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is. People have to go out, they have to work really hard, and they have to get into that upper stratum.’” [The Week, 11/10/15; Republican Primary Debate, Milwaukee WI, 11/10/15]
Trump: “We Have To Become Competitive With The World. Our Taxes Are Too High, Our Wages Are Too High. Everything Is Too High.” TRUMP: “But you know what? We have to become competitive with the world. Our taxes are too high, our wages are too high. Everything is too high.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 11/11/15; The Hill, 11/11/15]
TRUMP PLANS TO ELIMINATE THE ESTATE TAX, WHICH COULD SAVE HIS FAMILY $4 BILLION
HEADLINE: “Trump Pledges To Repeal Estate Tax” [The Hill, 12/5/15]
CNN: Trump’s Family Could Owe $3.997 Billion In Estate Tax. “Donald Trump says that he is worth $10 billion. We’ll go with his numbers, though it is worth pointing out that other estimates put Trump’s net worth around $4.5 billion. Trump falls into the top tax bracket and would owe 40% on his assets above the $5.45 million lifetime exemption, which leaves his estate with a $3.997 billion tax liability. […] So it’s TRUE that 99.8% of Americans would not benefit from the elimination of the estate tax. It is also TRUE that Trump’s family could owe just less than $4 billion in estate taxes if the family does not use any loopholes or exemptions.” [CNN, 9/25/16]
TRUMP’S TAX PLAN WOULD CREATE A NEW LOOPHOLE FOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS, COSTING MORE THAN A TRILLION DOLLARS
New York Times: “It’s Hard To Imagine A Tax Code More Favorable To Real Estate Developers Than The One We Already Have. Donald Trump Has Come Up With One.” [James Stewart, New York Times, 9/1/16]
New York Times: Trump’s Tax Plan “Piles On New [Tax Breaks] For Real Estate Developers Like Mr. Trump Himself — At An Estimated Cost Of More Than $1 Trillion In Tax Revenue Over A Decade.” “Thanks to some major loopholes in the existing tax code that treat real estate developers as a special privileged class, it’s entirely possible (even likely) that Mr. Trump pays little or no federal income tax. But Mr. Trump’s new tax proposal doesn’t just preserve those breaks, it piles on new ones for real estate developers like Mr. Trump himself — at an estimated cost of more than $1 trillion in tax revenue over a decade.” [James Stewart, New York Times, 9/1/16]
Republican Economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin: “If You Want To Create A Recipe For An Abusive Tax Shelter, Take Those Elements And Bake For 15 Minutes.” [James Stewart, New York Times, 9/1/16]
TRUMP (V/O): I’m Donald Trump and I approve this message.
First Lady of Arkansas Hillary Rodham Clinton with her daughter Chelsea, 13th May 1984. (Photo by Mike Stewart/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)
Today, an op-ed by Hillary Clinton was published by Fortune magazine. In the article, Clinton discusses what she learned from being a working mother. She writes about how she had to struggle her career as a lawyer and raising her daughter. She goes to say that while progress has been made, more needs to be done. Clinton then outlines a number of her proposals aimed at helping working and single mothers including raising the minimum wage, ensuring that women receive equal pay, ensuring everyone has access to affordable childcare, and providing paid leave for new parents. Read the full op-ed below or on Fortune.
Hillary Clinton: What I Learned From Being a Mom Who Works September 29, 2016
We’ve made progress, but have a ways to go.
When I was pregnant with my daughter Chelsea, I asked about the maternity leave policy at the law firm where I worked. I was surprised to find out that we didn’t have one. I soon learned why: No woman who worked in our office had ever come back to work full-time after having a baby.
Well, I wanted to come back. I loved what I did. And it was important to me to contribute to my family’s finances, especially now that we were having a baby.
Finally, as my due date approached, I decided to take matters into my own hands. When Chelsea was born, my employer agreed to grant me four months off to be home with her. I’d still earn an income, though it would be smaller; part of my income was determined by the fees I generated for the firm, which would fall to zero while I was on leave. That made sense to me. And it meant a lot that I could have that time with my new daughter, knowing that my job would be waiting for me when I came back.
These kinds of situations are commonplace today, with more women entering the workforce than ever before. Today, nearly half of all full-time employees are women. Through our contributions, talent, insights, and very presence, we’ve changed the workplace forever. There’s no going back to the days when women were fired for getting married or pregnant, or were excluded from entire professions. Thank goodness.
But let’s be real. We still have a long way to go. Our policies just haven’t kept up with the challenges women and families face today.
Too many women still aren’t paid fairly. On average, women earn 20% less than men do for full-time, year-round work. Women of color earn even less. And when a working mom or grandmother earns less than she deserves, she’s not the only one who pays the price. Her children or grandchildren—whoever’s counting on her salary—do, too.
Women also make up the majority of minimum-wage workers, which means they make as little as $14,500 a year for full-time work. That’s below the national poverty line. Many of those women are raising kids on that income. Raising the federal minimum wage would do a lot for those families.
Meanwhile, even though the number of women running companies, labs, universities, and philanthropies is growing, it’s still too small. So is the number of women serving in elected office. That means women aren’t always included in decision-making, and their needs and concerns aren’t always reflected in government policy or workplace norms.
And we’re making it too hard to balance work and family. That’s true for all parents, but especially mothers. Women are breadwinners in more households than ever, yet they still do the lion’s share of childcare.
Many are feeling the squeeze. I’ve had moms break down in tears as they describe the heartbreak of returning to work just a few days after delivering their baby, because they don’t have paid leave at their jobs. Staying with their child for a few months would mean losing too many paychecks, maybe even their job.
In April, I met a mom in Newton, Iowa, who held her four-and-a-half-month-old in her arms. She said to me, “I’m counting on you to know what it’s like to be a working mother. Please help us working mothers and fathers have more time with our babies.”
I’m not going to let her down.
One thing we can do is invest in affordable childcare. Right now, childcare is more expensive than college tuition in many states. Let’s make sure no family has to spend more than 10% of their income on childcare by making historic investments in childcare assistance and providing tax relief to working families.
Let’s finally join every other advanced economy in the world and guarantee paid leave. I’m proposing 12 weeks of paid medical leave to recover from a serious illness, and 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child or a sick relative. After all, moms and dads both deserve to spend time with their babies.
Let’s encourage employers to adopt family-friendly work policies, like flexible and fair scheduling and tele-work, so parents can both work and be there for their families.
Let’s raise the minimum wage. No one who works full-time should be forced to raise their kids in poverty.
And at long last, let’s finally ensure equal pay for women. It’s time for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act—which I cosponsored when I was in the Senate—to give women the tools they need to fight discrimination in the workforce. We also need to promote pay transparency so that women have the information they need to negotiate fairly for their wages.
These aren’t just women’s issues. They’re economic issues and family issues. And they need to be a top priority for our next president. If we’re going to build a globally competitive workforce, we can’t afford to leave any talent on the sidelines. We can’t keep short-changing working families.
I’ll never forget what it was like to be a mom at work. It wasn’t easy. And I was lucky: I had financial security, a supportive employer, and affordable childcare. Too many families don’t. I’ve met so many parents stuck in impossible situations, at their wits’ ends trying to make it all work. It just shouldn’t be this hard to work and have a family.
As president, it’ll be my mission to bring our economy and workplaces into the 21st century, so all of our contributions are respected—both women’s and men’s—and families can thrive.
Tim Kaine was interviewd on Thursday’s spisode of CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Kaine and Colbert discussed a number of topics including the moment that he recieved the phone call from Hillary Clinton asking to be her running mate. Kaine also owned up to his “dadhood” as many have commented on his dad-like personality. He responded to Colbert’s jokes, “I’ve been prepared for that for 26 years because I have three children who have been ripping on me and saying those things about me since they were born.” A video of the interview is below.
Hillary Clinton Speeches 