Senator Sanders Campaigns for Hillary in the Heartland

Senator Bernie Sanders campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Iowa and Nebraska on Friday. His first events were in Davenport and Iowa City. During his speech at each event, Sanders stressed the importance of electing Democrats to ensure their progressive agenda become law. He spoke about Clinton’s plans to combat climate change, invest in clean energy, address campaign finance reform, reign in income inequality, and make college more affordable for students. Clinton’s college plan was developed with Sanders and he spoke about it in detail. He urged everyone to vote for Clinton and progressive platform saying, “The importance of this [platform] document is we are not going to let it sit on a shelf. We are going to incorporate those ideas into legislation to transform America. Iowa, thank you for making that possible.” Videos from the event in Iowa City are below.

In Cedar Rapids, Sanders spoke to a crowd of supporters on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. He spoke about a number of Clinton’s platform points and the importance of electing progressives. He urged everyone to vote next Tuesday and encouraged the students to remain active in politics after the election saying, “But then the day after the election, after Hillary wins, I want you to pledge yourself to work as hard as you can with your friends and your co-workers to make this country what you and I know that we can become. Stand up for economic justice, social justice, racial justice, environmental justice. Let’s go forward and transform America.”

Sanders’ final event of the day was a rally in Omaha, Nebraska. Sanders maintained his progressive message talking about Clinton’s progressive platform and plans to raise the minimum wage and ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes. Sanders said that electing Donald Trump would be a disaster, but he also said that the election is going to be close. “My own gut feel is it’s going to be a very, very close election,” he said. Sanders urged everyone to get out and vote next Tuesday. A video from the event will be posted when/if available.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: Our Quad Cities, Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Courier, Omaha World-Herald

Hillary Clinton Proposes Rapid Response Fund to Fight Pandemics

Hillary Clinton proposed a new Public Health Rapid Response Fund to deal with pandemics such as Zika virus. Clinton has urged Congress to pass federal funding to assist areas infested with Zika carrying mosquitoes, but Congress has failed to do so. Clinton said that the fund would be available to assist “the CDC, HHS, FEMA, state and local public health departments, hospital systems, and other federal agencies” respond to any public health crisis. A copy of the release from Hillary for America is below.

“The United States faces new threats to public health, from pandemic diseases like those caused by the Ebola and the Zika viruses, to the risk of biological weapons and bioterrorism, to long-term challenges like more extreme weather and expanding ranges for Lyme disease and water-borne illnesses as a result of climate change. And in a global economy, diseases like SARS, MERS, and avian influenza cannot be contained in their countries of origin.

“But despite these threats, we are not investing in public health preparedness and emergency response the way we should to keep our families and communities safe. A 2015 study found that spending on public health had fallen more than 9 percent since 2008. And uncertain long-term budgets leave our public health agencies dependent on emergency appropriations—meaning that when Congress fails to step up, communities are left without the resources they need, vaccines languish in development, and more people get sick.

That is why as President, I will create a Public Health Rapid Response Fund, with consistent, year-to-year budgets, to better enable the CDC, HHS, FEMA, state and local public health departments, hospital systems, and other federal agencies to quickly and aggressively respond to major public health crises and pandemics. I will also ensure that our government has strong leadership and is organized to better support and work with people on the ground facing public health challenges. Doctors and public health experts have been warning for months that the Zika virus was likely to reach the continental United States, but Congress has failed to pass the President’s emergency funding request. As a result, the Zika virus has gained a foothold in Miami, and 196 people have already been infected in the city—infections that may have been preventable. 

In addition, we need to do more to boost our preparedness for biological threats and bioweapons; to support research for new diagnostic tests, therapeutic treatments, and vaccines for emerging diseases; to build capacity in public health departments; to train the next cadre of public health professionals and ensure that public health and environmental health practices are standard to the educations of medical students; and to provide resources for states and local governments to plan for complex, multi-faceted public health threats, like the impacts of climate change, and build more resilient communities.”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: Politico