On Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama hit the campaign trail in support of Hillary Clinton. Speaking at a campaign event in Fairfax, Virginia, the First Lady spoke about Hillary Clinton’s experience as a public servant saying that, “No one in our lifetime has ever had as much experience and exposure to the presidency.” Obama also went after Donald Trump saying that the United States cannot afford his policies or his divisive attitude. She said that this election is extremely important adding, “So, we can not afford squander this opportunity, particularly given the alternative. Because here is what we know: That being president isn’t anything like reality TV. It is not about sending insulting tweets or making fiery speeches.” A video of Obama’s speech is below.
Hillary Clinton called out drug maker Mylan for the increase in the price of its EpiPen product. An EpiPen is used to prevent anaphylactic shock by those with serious allergy attacks. The active drug in the product, the hormone epinephrine, costs less than $1 for the amount in a single dose. Yet, researchers note that the price of the EpiPen has increased 400% over the past few years with one EpiPen costing $57 in 2007 and a two pack of EpiPens costing $600 today. Clinton is not alone in asking Mylan for explanation. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Claire McCaskill of Missouri have also sent letters to the manufacture. Late last year, Clinton proposed updates to prescription drug regulations that will prevent drug makers from overcharging for medications. A copy of Clinton’s statement is below.
“Millions of Americans with severe allergies rely on their EpiPens. When an allergic reaction leads to anaphylactic shock, a shot of epinephrine can literally be the difference between life and death. But now, just as parents are about to send kids with severe food and insect allergies back to school, the EpiPen’s manufacturer is hiking its price to an all-time high.
Over the last several years, Mylan Pharmaceuticals has increased the price of EpiPens by more than 400%. They’re now charging up to $600 for a two-EpiPen set that must be replaced every 12-18 months. This both increases out-of-pocket costs for families and first responders, and contributes to higher premiums for all Americans and their employers.
That’s outrageous — and it’s just the latest troubling example of a company taking advantage of its consumers. I believe that our pharmaceutical and biotech industries can be an incredible source of American innovation, giving us revolutionary treatments for debilitating diseases. But it’s wrong when drug companies put profits ahead of patients, raising prices without justifying the value behind them.
That’s why I’ve put forward a plan to address exorbitant drug price hikes like these. As part of my plan, I’ve made clear that pharmaceutical manufacturers should be required to explain significant price increases, and prove that any additional costs are linked to additional patient benefits and better value. Since there is no apparent justification in this case, I am calling on Mylan to immediately reduce the price of EpiPens.
In addition, when it comes to treatments like delivering epinephrine that have been available for decades, my plan encourages the production of alternative products. That’s how we can harness the power of competition to keep drug prices at a level that all Americans can afford.”
On Tuesday evening, the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia made history by officially nominating Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party’s candidate for president. Clinton becomes the first female candidate to receive the nomination of a major political party. Clinton made a brief appearance via satellite from New York and thanked everyone for their support. She will officially accept the party’s nomination during her speech on Thursday.
In additional to the historic moment, the evening also featured another marquee night of speeches. Those taking the stage included Former Senator Tom Harkin, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Senator Chuck Schumer, the principal and students from Eagle Academy, Former Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Barbara Boxer, Representative Joseph Crowley, Mothers of the Moment, former Governor of Vermont Howard Dean, and actress Meryl Streep. The most powerful speech of the evening was delivered by President Bill Clinton. He focused on he and Hillary’s relationship and personal life. He called Hillary “the best darn change-maker” that he has ever seen and said that she will fight for everyone and does not back down from a fight. A selection of videos from the event, including Bill’s, is below.
The DNC is also featuring a series of videos highlighting Clinton’s career and personal life. Included in those videos Tuesday was one covering her time as Secretary of State and one about how she worked with the Eagle Academy. A third video was about the career of Bill Clinton. The videos are below.
You can follow the convention live on most television news stations or watch it live online. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter (follow #DemsInPhilly), Instagram, and check out the full schedule of events on the Convention’s website. Each day, we will post a schedule of the day and the speakers scheduled for that night.
It is official! Tonight, the Democratic Party’s delegates cast their ballots to nominate the party’s presidential candidate. Hillary Clinton won the vote in the first round becoming the first female nominee of a major political party. The nomination is the culmination of over forty years of public service. Clinton will speak during the Democratic National Convention on Thursday to accept the party’s nomination.
You can follow the convention live on most television news stations or watch it live online. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter (follow #DemsInPhilly), Instagram, and check out the full schedule of events on the Convention’s website. Each day, we will post a schedule of the day and the speakers scheduled for that night.
Last night was night one of the Democratic National Convention, and it was a packed event! The night was filled with speeches from Representative Nancy Pelosi, Representative Elijah Cummings, Hillary for America Campaign Manager John Podesta, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senator Bob Casey, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Al Franken, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Senator Cory Booker, and many more. The headliner of the night was First Lady Michelle Obama who delivered an impassioned speech supporting Hillary Clinton, and she firmly said, “I’m with her.”
Senator Sanders, Clinton’s rival for the party’s nomination, spoke in an attempt to unify the party behind Clinton. Sanders said that while he understands the disappointment of his supporters, it is important that the party unites and defeats Republican Donald Trump in November. He said that Clinton understands “the real problems facing this country and has offered real solutions – not just bombast, fear-mongering, name-calling and divisiveness.” Videos from a number of key speeches are below and all videos from the event are available on the DNC YouTube channel.
The DNC also featured several videos highlighting Clinton’s career and attacking Trump’s divisive attitude. With the two videos below, the DNC highlights Clinton’s commitment to combating substance abuse while the other video highlights Trump’s use of outsourcing as a business strategy despite his call for American made products.
You can follow the convention live on most television news stations or watch it live online. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter (follow #DemsInPhilly), Instagram, and check out the full schedule of events on the Convention’s website. Each day, we will post a schedule of the day and the speakers scheduled for that night.
We are a little over a week away from the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The convention will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center. The event will be held July 25 – 28 and will include delegates from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and U.S. territories. The main purpose of the convention is the formal nomination of the Democratic Party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The Democratic Party has announced the lineup for each day of the convention and the details are below:
Monday (7/25): United Together
Featuring First Lady Michelle Obama, Senator Bernie Sanders and DREAMer Astrid Silva
Gavel time expected at 3:00pm
Monday will focus on putting the future of American families front and center and how we’re stronger together when we build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top and when everyone has a chance to live up to their God-given potential. DREAMer Astrid Silva will share her story and her fight to keep families together.
Tuesday (7/26): A Lifetime of Fighting for Children and Families
President Bill Clinton and Mothers of the Movement
Gavel time expected at 4:00pm
Tuesday will feature the roll call vote and how Hillary has spent her entire career working to make a difference for children, families, and our country. The Mothers of the Movement participating include Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin; Maria Hamilton, Mother of Dontré Hamilton; Lucia McBath, Mother of Jordan Davis; Lezley McSpadden, Mother of Michael Brown; Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, Mother of Hadiya Pendleton; Geneva Reed-Veal, Mother of Sandra Bland.
Wednesday (7/27): Working Together
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden
Gavel time expected at 4:30pm
On Wednesday speakers will take an in-depth look at just how high the stakes are in this election and how Hillary has the experience and steadiness to bring people together to tackle the big challenges and get real results.
Thursday (7/28): Stronger Together
Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton
Gavel time expected at 4:30pm
On the final day of the convention, Hillary will speak about her vision for our country – her belief that we are stronger together and that America is at its best when we work together to solve our problems.
More details will be released as the convention nears; however, mark your calendars now as this year’s convention looks like it is going to make history!
Following yesterday’s primary in Puerto Rico and the addition of pledged superdelegates, the AP and other new outlets have reported Hillary Clinton has reached the necessary 2,383 delegates to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. The nomination is historic as Clinton becomes the first female presidential nominee of a major political party. In Long Beach, California, Clinton addressed the news saying, “According to the news, we are on the brink of a historic, historic, unprecedented moment but we still have work to do don’t we? We have six elections tomorrow and we are going to fight hard for every single vote especially right here in California!”
On Twitter, Clinton’s team downplayed the headline saying that she is still fighting for votes in the six states that vote tomorrow: California, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, New Jersey, and South Dakota. Campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement, “This is an important milestone, but there are six states that are voting Tuesday, with millions of people heading to the polls, and Hillary Clinton is working to earn every vote. We look forward to Tuesday night, when Hillary Clinton will clinch not only a win in the popular vote, but also the majority of pledged delegates.” Tomorrow night, Clinton is hosting an election night party in Brooklyn where she is expected to celebrate securing the number of delegates required for the nomination.
We’re flattered, @AP, but we've got primaries to win. CA, MT, NM, ND, NJ, SD, vote tomorrow! https://t.co/8t3GpZqc1U
Hillary Clinton addresses the crowd Wednesday at UFCW Union Local 324 in Buena Park. ///ADDITIONAL INFO: a1.clinton.0526- shot date- 052516-ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Hillary Clinton campaigned in California on Wednesday. Her first event was held in Buena Park where she addressed a crowd of supporters at UFCW Union Local 324. After being introduced by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, Clinton spoke about the importance of unity and how she is direct opposition to Republican nominee Donald Trump’s tenancy to divide people. She, again, spoke about the benefit of building bridges instead of walls when working out national issues. She said, “He is scapegoating everyone. That’s good for reality TV. But you’ve got to work with people.” She went on to speak about a number of her platform points including continuing to work to improve health care and bringing down the cost of higher education before asking for voters’ support on June 7.
Clinton also outlined her proposal to rebuild the nations infrastructure. She vowed to implement the plan during her first 100 days in office. The plan includes provisions that will:
Deliver the most significant increase in infrastructure investment since President Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System
Connect every household in America to affordable broadband and lead the world into next-generation wireless
Develop transportation technology of tomorrow
Make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century with a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient electric grid
Eliminate the chose points of commerce
Revitalize public schools in every ZIP code and invest in communities being left out and left behind
Build American airports that are the envy of the world
Leverage private capital through public-private partnerships and ensure that taxpayer dollars are put to good use
Full details of the plan can be read on The Briefing, and a video of her speech is below.
Clinton then spoke at an organizing event in Salinas. Speaking at Hartnell College, she focused on working with Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. She argued that the United States is better served welcoming immigrants than working to keep them out. Again, she attacked Trump for his plans to build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico. Clinton did discuss a number of other platform points before asking for voter’s support in the California primary.
The first Democratic Debate, which will feature Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chafee, will air tonight on CNN. Tonight’s debate will be moderated by Anderson Cooper with Dana Bash and Juan Carlos Lopez also asking questions. Coverage begins at 8:30 PM ET on CNN, CNNgo (requires television provider login), and at the link below:
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during a campaign stop at River Valley Community College Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, in Claremont, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
Yesterday, Hillary Rodham Clinton penned an op-ed in the New Hampshire Union Leader where she outlined her plans to combat the growing substance abuse issue in the United States. An estimated 23 million Americans suffer from addiction. The long-term plan calls for reforming prison and sentencing laws, bolstering community based support programs, and expanding mental health coverage so that it covers long term care. The plan is estimated to cost $7.5 billion over ten years. The full op-ed is below:
Another View – Hillary Clinton: How we can win the fight against substance abuse By HILLARY CLINTON
ON MY first trip to New Hampshire this spring, a retired doctor spoke up. I had just announced I was running for President, and I had traveled to Iowa and New Hampshire to hear from voters about their concerns, their hopes and their vision for the future. He said his biggest worry was the rising tide of heroin addiction in the state, following a wave of prescription drug abuse.
To be candid, I didn’t expect what came next. In state after state, this issue came up again and again — from so many people, from all walks of life, in small towns and big cities.
In Iowa, from Davenport to Council Bluffs, people talked about meth and prescription drugs. In South Carolina, a lawyer spoke movingly about the holes in the community left by generations of African American men imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, rather than getting the treatment they needed.
These stories shine light on some harrowing statistics. Twenty-three million Americans suffer from addiction, but only 1 in 10 get treatment. Fifty-two million Americans over 12 have misused prescription drugs at some point, including one in four teenagers. In 2013, more Americans died from overdoses than car crashes.
This is not new. We’re not just now “discovering” this problem. But we should be saying enough is enough. It’s time we recognize as a nation that for too long, we have had a quiet epidemic on our hands. Plain and simple, drug and alcohol addiction is a disease, not a moral failing — and we must treat it as such.
It’s time we recognize that there are gaps in our health care system that allow too many to go without care — and invest in treatment. It’s time we recognize that our state and federal prisons, where 65 percent of inmates meet medical criteria for substance use disorders, are no substitute for proper treatment — and reform our criminal justice system.
Today I’m releasing a strategy to confront the drug and alcohol addiction crisis. My plan sets five goals: empower communities to prevent drug use among teenagers; ensure every person suffering from addiction can obtain comprehensive treatment; ensure that all first responders carry naloxone, which can stop overdoses from becoming fatal; require health care providers to receive training in recognizing substance use disorders and to consult a prescription drug monitoring program before prescribing controlled substances; and prioritize treatment over prison for low-level and nonviolent drug offenders, so we can end the era of mass incarceration.
Achieving these goals won’t be easy. It will take commitment from all corners — law enforcement, doctors, insurance companies and government at every level. That’s why my plan starts by partnering with states and communities across America to meet these goals and substantially expand access to treatment. We’ll ask states to design ambitious plans using the programs that make most sense for their communities’ needs. In return for strong proposals to address the substance abuse crisis, the federal government will draw on a new $7.5 billion fund to help states meet their goals.
My plan would also increase access to treatment by boosting funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant by 25 percent, so communities have more resources to work with immediately. I will ensure that existing federal insurance parity laws are enforced. I will direct the government to reevaluate Medicare and Medicaid payment practices, to remove obstacles to reimbursement and help integrate care for addiction into standard practice. And for those who commit low-level, nonviolent drug offenses, I will reorient our federal criminal justice resources away from more incarceration and toward treatment and rehabilitation. Many states are already charting this course — I will challenge the rest to do the same.
Every town and city I’ve visited so far in this campaign has stories of families upended by drug addiction. But I’ve also heard about second chances. The young mother who overcame her addiction to alcohol and heroin so her son would never see her with a drink or a drug. The man who served 11 years in prison who is now serving others through a prison ministry.
They all say the same thing: No matter how much time has passed, they’re all still in recovery. It’s a process — one that began when a family member, a friend, a doctor, or a police officer extended a hand to help. As one New Hampshire woman said, “We’re not bad people trying to get good, we’re sick people that deserve to get well.”
There are 23 million Americans suffering from addiction. But no one is untouched. We all have family and friends who are affected. We can’t afford to stay on the sidelines any longer — because when families are strong, America is strong. Through improved treatment, prevention, and training, we can end this quiet epidemic once and for all.
Hillary Clinton Speeches 