RENO, NV – FEBRUARY 15: Democratic Presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally at Truckee Meadows Community College on February 15, 2016 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by David Calvert/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Hillary Clinton released a statement supporting the proposed “We the People” Act that will be introduced by Senate Democrats. The plan is designed to remove money from politics and bring the democracy back to the people. The plan would add strict regulations to campaigns and PACs. The bill also includes provisions to limit lobbying in Washington, DC. Details of the plan will be introduced in the coming days; however, Clinton endorsed the plan saying it would “help restore our democracy and break the grip of wealth special interests in Washington.” A copy of Clinton’s statement is below:
“I applaud the Senate Democrats for proposing a strong package of reforms to help restore our democracy and break the grip of wealthy special interests in Washington. As I have said consistently in this campaign, we need to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision and make government more responsive to the American people. Our elections should be shaped by voters’ voices, not bought and sold by corporations and special interests. Congress should pass this bill as quickly as possible—and should I be elected President, I would proudly sign it.”
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.
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.
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.
Hillary Clinton Speeches 