Clinton Campaign to Participate in Wisconsin Vote Recount

On Saturday, Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced that it will take part in a vote recount in Wisconsin. The recount was initiated on by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. The recount comes in light of fears that voting technology may have been tampered with in the state. In a post on Medium, Clinton lawyer Marc Elias wrote that, while their internal investigations did not reveal an evidence of vote tampering, the campaign will take part in the recount.

A number of prominent politicians and Clinton supporters have called upon the Clinton campaign to challenge the results in battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. There is a building frustration among Clinton’s supporters for a lack of comment from the former presidential candidate’s campaign, especially as Clinton’s lead in the popular vote count remains close to 2 million. Elias says that the campaign appreciates the support, but they have not felt the need to push for expensive recounts. He wrote, “The campaign is grateful to all those who have expended time and effort to investigate various claims of abnormalities and irregularities. While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported.” Read Elias’s full post below:

Listening and Responding To Calls for an Audit and Recount

Over the last few days, officials in the Clinton campaign have received hundreds of messages, emails, and calls urging us to do something, anything, to investigate claims that the election results were hacked and altered in a way to disadvantage Secretary Clinton. The concerns have arisen, in particular, with respect to Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — three states that together proved decisive in this presidential election and where the combined margin of victory for Donald Trump was merely 107,000 votes.

It should go without saying that we take these concerns extremely seriously. We certainly understand the heartbreak felt by so many who worked so hard to elect Hillary Clinton, and it is a fundamental principle of our democracy to ensure that every vote is properly counted.

Moreover, this election cycle was unique in the degree of foreign interference witnessed throughout the campaign: the U.S. government concluded that Russian state actors were behind the hacks of the Democratic National Committee and the personal email accounts of Hillary for America campaign officials, and just yesterday, the Washington Post reported that the Russian government was behind much of the “fake news” propaganda that circulated online in the closing weeks of the election.

For all these reasons, we have quietly taken a number of steps in the last two weeks to rule in or out any possibility of outside interference in the vote tally in these critical battleground states.

First, since the day after the election we have had lawyers and data scientists and analysts combing over the results to spot anomalies that would suggest a hacked result. These have included analysts both from within the campaign and outside, with backgrounds in politics, technology and academia.

Second, we have had numerous meetings and calls with various outside experts to hear their concerns and to discuss and review their data and findings. As a part of this, we have also shared out data and findings with them. Most of those discussions have remained private, while at least one has unfortunately been the subject of leaks.

Third, we have attempted to systematically catalogue and investigate every theory that has been presented to us within our ability to do so.

Fourth, we have examined the laws and practices as they pertain to recounts, contests and audits.

Fifth, and most importantly, we have monitored and staffed the post-election canvasses — where voting machine tapes are compared to poll-books, provisional ballots are resolved, and all of the math is double checked from election night. During that process, we have seen Secretary Clinton’s vote total grow, so that, today, her national popular vote lead now exceeds more than 2 million votes.

In the coming days, we will continue to perform our due diligence and actively follow all further activities that are to occur prior to the certification of any election results. For instance, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania conduct post-election audits using a sampling of precincts. Michigan and many other states still do not. This is unfortunate; it is our strong belief that, in addition to an election canvass, every state should do this basic audit to ensure accuracy and public confidence in the election.

Beyond the post-election audit, Green Party candidate Jill Stein announced Friday that she will exercise her right as a candidate to pursue a recount in the state of Wisconsin. She has indicated plans to also seek recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves, but now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides. If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well. We do so fully aware that the number of votes separating Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the closest of these states — Michigan — well exceeds the largest margin ever overcome in a recount. But regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself.

The campaign is grateful to all those who have expended time and effort to investigate various claims of abnormalities and irregularities. While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported.

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

News Source: The Washington Post, CNN, Medium

HFA Statement on Trump’s Comments on Meeting with Putin

Hillary for America Senior National Spokesperson Glen Caplin released the following statement today after Donald Trump’s comments saying he, “Could see myself meeting with Putin and meeting with Russia prior to the start of the administration.”

“It’s unclear why Donald Trump needs to meet with Vladimir Putin on November 9th since he’s already repeating all his talking points, pushing his policy agenda and taking advantage of his espionage operation. Rest assured that as president, Hillary Clinton will stand up to Putin in the face of his unacceptable behavior, not coddle him.”

Hillary for America previously released a new video cataloguing Trump’s disturbing connections to Russia and why they are so concerning. Watch it here.

The campaign also recently released a Medium post on the Russian hack that Donald Trump refuses to admit or condemn laying out an important question that voters deserve to know – “What did Trump know, and when did he know it?” Read it here.

Here are 15 facts you should know about Donald Trump, WikiLeaks and Russia:

1) The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that top Kremlin officials are behind the hack of the DNC and other Democratic organizations to influence the elections – and named WikiLeaks as part of their effort.

• Washington Post: “Intelligence officials have identified WikiLeaks and other sites as among those receiving or publishing information from Russian intelligence, a claim that Assange has dismissed in the past.

2) According to the Wall Street Journal, “FBI Suspects Russia in Hack of John Podesta Emails”– top Russian officials meanwhile shifted away from denying a role in separate hacking of the Democratic National Committee.

3) Long time Trump campaign associate Roger Stone says he is in contact with Julian Assange. Stone unwittingly admitted the Russians are the source for WikiLeaks when he said, “The DNC heist documents…were hacked and first made public by Guccifer 2.0, almost a month ago, and when that did not get the appropriate traction, he took them to WikiLeaks who then leaked them.”  Stone also seemed to predict Podesta’s emails would be released as far back as August, suggesting possible collusion.

4) According to reports, “several current and former officials who have worked in the Justice Department, FBI and intelligence community said they have little doubt federal law enforcement is looking into the different questions surrounding the different current and one-time Trump campaign operatives.

5) Julian Assange’s own ties to the Kremlin are extensive and well-documented:

• Assange hosted a talk show on Putin’s propaganda network, RT.
  • Forbes: The Breathtaking Hypocrisy of Julian Assange, Kremlin Pawn
• A recent New York Times examination of Assange’s time in exile found that WikiLeaks’ activities have consistently benefitted Putin’s Russia at the expense of America and our allies.
• National security experts have criticized Assange and WikiLeaks for doing Putin’s bidding by releasing documents obtained by Russian hackers:
  • Defense One: How Putin Weaponized Wikileaks to Influence the Election of an American President: “Considerable evidence shows that the Wikileaks dump was an orchestrated act by the Russian government, working through proxies, to undermine Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign.”
• Former NSA analyst and counterintelligence officer, John Schindler: “Russian hackers working for the Kremlin cyber-pilfered the DNC then passed the purloined data, including thousands of unflattering emails, to Wikileaks, which has shown them to the world. This, of course, means that Wikileaks is doing Moscow’s bidding and has placed itself in bed with Vladimir Putin.”
• National Security expert Michael Weiss: “In a bizarre mind-meld that could only happen today, the WikiLeaks founder is refusing to say whether he got the hacked DNC emails from Russia, and Trump is defending Putin.”

6) Trump was reportedly briefed by U.S. intelligence officials before the last debate that Russian intelligence services were behind the hacks. Despite that information, Trump stood on the debate stage and claimed to 80 million Americans that it could be anyone including someone “sitting in their bed who weighs 400 pounds.” Why?

• NBC News: “A senior U.S. intelligence official assured NBC News that cybersecurity and the Russian government’s attempts to interfere in the 2016 election have been briefed to, and discussed extensively with, both parties’ candidates, surrogates and leadership, since mid-August. ‘To profess not to know at this point is willful misrepresentation,’ said the official. ‘The intelligence community has walked a very thin line in not taking sides, but both candidates have all the information they need to be crystal clear.’”
• WaPo: Headline: “Trump refusal to accept government assessments on Russian hacks dismays former officials”
  • “The former officials, who have served presidents in both parties, say they were bewildered when Trump cast doubt on Russia’s role after receiving a classified briefing on the subject and again after an unusually blunt statement from U.S. agencies saying they were “confident” that Moscow had orchestrated the attacks.”

7) Donald Trump himself encouraged Russian hackers to spy MORE on Hillary Clinton: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump said. “I think you’ll be rewarded mightily by our press!”

8) Trump’s business interests in Russia run deep…and present HUGE conflicts of interest. Because Donald Trump won’t release his taxes, the full extent of his Russian business interests that could conflict with American national security interests is largely unknown. But just some of the recent headlines have revealed hundreds of millions of dollars related to Russian business interests; connections to business groups with ties to the Kremlin like Bayrock; business dealings with alleged Russian mobster Felix Sater and a 30-year history of pursuing business with Russia including the Miss Universe pageant. Trump’s son has said that “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section” of the Trump Organization’s assets and that “we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”

9) Trump’s policies are concerning experts because they align closely with Putin’s agenda, contrary to American interests.

• Op-ed by Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul: “Putin has rational motives for wanting Trump to win: Trump champions many foreign policies that Putin supports. Trump’s most shocking, pro-Kremlin proposal is to “look into” recognition of Crimea as a part of Russia…. Trump has demanded that other NATO members essentially pay us for protection… Trump has also disparaged our allies in Asia, creating new opportunities for Russian influence…. On the whole, Trump advocates isolationist policies and an abdication of U.S. leadership in the world. He cares little about promoting democracy and human rights. A U.S. retreat from global affairs fits precisely with Putin’s international interests.”
• Vox: Trump’s policies are objectively pro-Russia. “Nothing Russia could do, on its own, would help its foreign policy more than what Trump is proposing. He is literally suggesting the United States transform global politics to make it more favorable to Russian interests.”
• Slate: Putin’s Puppet: If the Russian president could design a candidate to undermine American interests—and advance his own—he’d look a lot like Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is like the Kremlin’s favored candidates, only more so. He celebrated the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU. He denounces NATO with feeling. He is also a great admirer of Vladimir Putin.”
• Politifact: “Trumps [sic] comments on backing away from NATO, supporting Russia on the Ukraine and rethinking sanctions against Russia certainly qualify as statements that dovetail with what the Putin administration would like.”

10) Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morrell has concluded, “In the intelligence business, we would say that Mr. Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation.”

11) The Trump campaign’s ties to Russia are deeply disturbing.

• One-time Foreign Policy Adviser Carter Page is being probed by U.S. intelligence agencies for meeting with sanctioned Kremlin officials including Igor Diveykin. “A former Russian security official, Diveykin now serves as deputy chief for internal policy and is believed by U.S. officials to have responsibility for intelligence collected by Russian agencies about the U.S. election, the Western intelligence source said.”
  • The Trump campaign lied about Page having “never been a part of our campaign. Period” to cover up his involvement.  In fact, Trump announced Page himself to Washington Post editorial board back in March 2016 as one of his foreign policy advisers, which was confirmed by Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks to CNN.
• Campaign Chair Paul Manafort was forced to resign after the New York Times revealed, “Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012…Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.”
• Gen. Michael Flynn, the adviser who joined Trump for his classified intelligence briefing, has been paid by Kremlin-run RT and sat two seats down from Putin at the outlet’s 10th anniversary gala. “The presence of such an important figure at Putin’s table startled current and former members of the Obama administration. ‘It was extremely odd that he showed up in a tuxedo to the Russian government propaganda arm’s party,’ one former Pentagon official told me. Like Trump, Flynn has advocated forging closer ties with Russia.”
• Mike McSherry, an aide who helped lead Trump’s convention strategy, worked alongside Manafort and Gates to lobby for Putin puppet Yanukovych.
• Howard Lorber, a Trump economic adviser, traveled with Trump to Moscow in the 1990s seeking real estate deals. Lorber was just the the “latest in a long list of relationships that give Trump a financial stake in warm U.S.-Russian relations.”
• Boris Epshteyn, a senior Trump adviser and surrogate, moderated a 2013 forum at the “Invest In Moscow!” Conference and has echoed Kremlin talking points on TV. As a surrogate for Donald Trump’s campaign he argued that Russia has not seized Crimea from Ukraine, even though Vladimir Putin seized the region more than two years ago. While discussing the GOP nominee’s recent remarks about Putin on CNN Sunday, campaign surrogate Boris Epshteyn said, “First of all, Russia did not seize Crimea.”
• Richard Burt, who has been an adviser to Trump and helped write his first major foreign policy speech, has deep ties to Russia as well. Burt sits on the board of directors for the US-Russia Business Council, formerly sat on the senior advisory board of Russia’s Alfa Bank, and has argued againstS. sanctions on Russia.
• Michael Caputo, a former top Trump adviser who also recently resigned, had a contract with Russian conglomerate Gazprom Media in 2000 to improve Putin’s image in the United States.

12) Trump allies, WikiLeaks and Russia pushed a nonsensical conspiracy theory about the DNC hacks. “Trump campaign surrogates are fueling a conspiracy theory that a murdered Democratic National Committee staffer was connected to the hacking of the DNC, a theory being pushed by WikiLeaks and the Russian state-controlled press. Some experts have gone as far as to say that Putin is explicitly using Trump to further his agenda.”

13) Even top Republicans have raised serious concerns about Trump’s relationship with Putin’s Russia. 50 G.O.P officials warned that Donald Trump would put the nation’s security at risk: “They viewed Mr. Trump’s comments on NATO as an abandonment of America’s most significant alliance relationship. Mr. Trump has said throughout his campaign that he intends to upend Republican foreign policy orthodoxy on everything from trade to Russia, where he has been complimentary of President Vladimir V. Putin, saying nothing about its crackdown on human rights and little about its annexation of Crimea.”

• 14) Top Democrats on four House committees that oversee national security on Friday called on the FBI to investigate Donald Trump’s purported ties to the Russian government and its alleged hacking of Democratic groups and operatives.

15) Trump has praised Putin for a decade, and Putin has returned the favor.

• Trump, 2007: “[Putin’s] doing a great job. In rebuilding the image of Russia and also rebuilding Russia period. Forget about image.”
• Trump, 2011: “I often speak highly [of Putin] for his intelligence and no-nonsense way…. Putin has also announced his grand vision: the creation of a ‘Eurasian Union’ made up of former Soviet nations that can dominate the region. I respect Putin…”
• Trump, 2013, on Putin’s NYT op-ed denouncing American exceptionalism: “I thought he did an amazing job…. He’s making him look like a — he’s the professor and the President is a school child… He really becomes with this letter, almost, the world leader”
• Trump, 2013: “Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow – if so, will he become my new best friend?”
• Washington Post on Trump’s 2013 Miss Universe Contest in Moscow: “Putin canceled at the last minute, but he sent a decorative lacquered box, a traditional Russian gift, and a warm note”
• Trump, 2014: “Putin has become a big hero in Russia with an all time high popularity.”
• Trump, 2015: “In terms of leadership, [Putin’s] getting an ‘A,’ and our president is not doing so well.”
• Putin, 2015 on Trump: “He’s a really brilliant and talented person, without any doubt.”
• Trump, 2016: “[Putin] called me a genius, I’m going to disavow it? Are you crazy? Can you believe it? How stupid are they.”
• AP, 2016: Russia’s Putin Reaffirms Praise for Trump, Calling Him ‘Bright’

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.

HFA Publishes Essay About Email Hack

On Saturday, Hillary for America Senior National Spokesperson Glen Caplin published an essay on Medium about the alleged Russian hacking of the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and HFA Chair John Podesta. In the essay, Caplin questions what Donald Trump and his campaign knew about the hacking and their connection to it. The article, titled “What did Trump know, and when did he know It?” also questions the connection between Trump advisor Roger Stone WikiLeaks following an interview in which Stone admitted to meeting with sources from WikiLeaks. While the essay asks a lot of questions, it does not accuse anyone of any wrong-doing. Read the full essay HERE.

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: Medium, Politico

HFA Statement on Putin’s Comments on U.S. Election

Hillary for America Senior Policy Adviser Jake Sullivan released the following statement today in reaction to Vladimir Putin’s new comments on the U.S. election:

“Vladimir Putin just confirmed that Donald Trump is carrying Russia’s water with his pro-Putin wish list of policies, and the only question left is whether he will follow through for the Kremlin. Putin is trying to put his thumb on the scale through cyber-attacks aimed at influencing the election because he knows that Hillary Clinton will stand up to him.

“It is baffling that his campaign finds cyberattacks on America ‘refreshing’ and ‘diligent’ while continuing to coddle Russia and its leader. Given the alarming set of facts, it’s time for Donald Trump to condemn this modern day Watergate and disclose all of his campaign’s connections to Russia and WikiLeaks.”

Hillary for America released a Medium post yesterday on the Russian hack that Donald Trump refuses to admit or condemn laying out an important question that voters deserve to know – “What did Trump know, and when did he know it?” Read it here.

The campaign also released a new video cataloguing Trump’s disturbing connections to Russia and why they are so concerning. Watch it here.

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.

Hillary Clinton Pens Op-ed about her Plans to Help Appalachia

Following a series of conversations in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio, Hillary Clinton wrote a piece for Medium outlining her plan to assist Appalachian cities affected by the decline in demand for steel and coal. Her plan, which was outlined last November, calls for the securing of the health care and pension benefits of miners, invest in bringing more good-paying jobs to the region, invest in education and training programs, and protect families that have been affected by conditions, such as black lung, and denied proper health care coverage. Clinton faces an up-hill battle in Appalachia, and she is hoping that focusing on the area early in campaign will help bring voters out for her in November. Read the full op-ed HERE.

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

News Source: Medium

Clinton Endorsed by Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly for her plans to increase gun control and gun safety. In an op-ed published on Medium, Giffords and Kelly praised Clinton for her “common sense” plan to reign in gun violence and hold gun manufacturers accountable. Giffords and Kelly founded Americans for Responsible Solutions in an effort to lobby Congress to enact common sense gun regulations. The full text of their op-ed is below:

Why Mark & I Are Supporting Hillary Clinton for President

To Mark and me, our principles are what have always mattered most.
As a Navy fighter pilot, NASA astronaut, and registered Independent, Mark never spent much time caring about the ‘who’s up, who’s down’ of partisan politics.

A registered Republican when I was younger, I was always committed to Southern Arizona values: independence, freedom, and common sense.

When the Republican party began to veer away from its core values, I ran for office as a proud Democrat. When I served my community in the Arizona legislature and later in Congress, I joined other like-minded Democrats and Republicans to work for energy independence, military readiness, a better life for our military families and returning soldiers, a woman’s right to have freedom over her own health choices, and a more secure border.

Today, during our second chance at service, Mark and I continue to fight for what we’ve always fought for: independence, freedom, and common sense. That’s why we’re fighting for a Congress and White House that stand up to the corporate gun lobby’s intimidation and bullying. And that’s why, today, we are endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.

For far too long, the gun lobby has had a stranglehold on Washington. Members of Congress and even some of our presidents have been intimidated into inaction. Bipartisan action has been blocked. Loopholes in our laws that let dangerous people get guns have been fiercely protected. Lies have been spread, fears have been stoked, and a dangerous, unacceptable status quo has been furthered all while gun sales have skyrocketed.”

Throughout all of this, the corporate gun lobby has moved further and further away from the gun owners they claim to represent.
Most of the people running for president talk a lot about how tough they are. But most of them have shown they aren’t tough enough to stand up to the gun lobbyists.

Take it from me: Talk is cheap.

In fact, a lot of the people running for president seem downright terrified to even have a rational conversation about the problem of gun violence in America. We’ve listened closely to all of them, and we’ve looked at all of their records.

Only one candidate for president has the determination and toughness to stand up to the corporate gun lobby — and the record to prove it. That candidate is Hillary Clinton.

Time and time again, Hillary has done and said what is right, not what is politically expedient. That’s why Mark and I are supporting her for President of the United States.

As a United States Senator, Hillary voted for laws that keep guns out of the wrong hands and make our communities safer places to live. She voted against protecting gun manufacturers at all costs and insisted on putting the safety of our communities over manufacturers’ bottom lines. And we believe that as president she will continue working to respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners like us while working to achieve practical solutions like a reliable background check system that prevents dangerous people from getting guns, closing loopholes to protect women and families by keeping guns out of the hands of abusers and stalkers, and cracking down on the illegal gun trade.

Hillary and I share a proud tradition of women leading on issues that impact all Americans and getting things done. We have taken on tough races, relied on other strong women to have our backs — and we have never, ever shied away from a tough fight or a tough vote.

Today, Mark and I are proud to have Hillary’s back, and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her to, once and for all, break the stranglehold the corporate gun lobby has had on American politics — and American families — for too long.

Speaking is still physically difficult for me. I do hours and hours of speech therapy. And in January, I hope to call my friend Hillary ‘Madam President.’

Today, Clinton responded to the endorsement with the following statement:

“As an admirer of their courage in the face of incredible odds, their service to the country that they love, and their commitment to ending the epidemic of gun violence, I am humbled to receive the endorsement of these American heroes.

“Gabby and Mark know too well what is at stake in this debate and in this election. Three Americans die every hour we don’t act. 90 die every day. 33,000 die every year. We cannot accept this as normal. Gabby and Mark certainly do not. Since being shot and partially paralyzed five year ago, Gabby has worked tirelessly for progress—founding Americans for Responsible Solutions, traveling across the country to tell her story and promote commonsense gun safety laws, launching a bipartisan coalition in New Hampshire to prevent gun violence, and fighting in support of President Obama’s recent executive actions. Through it all, Mark has been by her side—as her partner, her champion, and her biggest fan. I am honored to join them in their fight for common sense gun reform.

“As President Obama said last week, we must hold our leaders accountable for continuing to put the interests of the gun lobby ahead of the safety of American families. And that starts with electing a president. We need a president who would never vote against common sense background checks. We need a president who will hold gun makers and sellers accountable, not provide them with sweeping immunity from lawsuits. We need a president who will keep guns out of the hands of dangerous felons, not create loopholes that allow shooters like the one in Charleston to buy guns. We owe that to the countless families who have lost loved ones. We owe that to all America’s children. We owe that to Gabby and Mark.”

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

News Source: Medium, The Briefing

Clinton Unveils Energy Plan

Yesterday, Hillary Rodham Clinton unveiled her energy plan after coming out against the Keystone XL Pipeline earlier this week. In a blog post on Medium, Clinton announced her plan to make the United States “the clean energy superpower of the 21st century”. Her plan calls for a series of infrastructure improvements including repairing and replacing outdated oil and gas lines, increase safety of railroad transpiration, and enhancing the security of the current energy grid. She is also calling for new resources including a National Infrastructure Bank, grants, accelerated federal investment, and innovation. She is also proposing the creation of a North American Climate Compact to encourage the US, Canada, and Mexico to work together to reduce their impact on the environment and combat climate change. Full details of Clinton’s plan can be viewed on The Briefing.

In her blog post, Clinton outlined this and explained why she opposes the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Her full post is below:

When I was secretary of state, the department began reviewing an application to build a pipeline that would bring Canadian oil sands crude across the border, run more than a thousand miles through the American heartland, and terminate in Nebraska — Keystone XL.

As the secretary who initiated the review, I refrained from commenting on the pipeline after I left the federal government. I didn’t want to get ahead of President Obama while the process was still underway — because the decision was and is his to make.

Since the application was filed, the effects of climate change have grown more acute. More than 8 million acres have burned in the United States so far this wildfire season. California is in the fourth year of a historic drought scientists say has been made worse by climate change. More severe storms and extreme heat waves have wreaked havoc around the world.

I have come to feel I can’t stay silent on an issue that matters so much to so many. Though I wanted to give the president space to make a decision, the process has taken far longer than I expected. I want the American people to know where I stand. That’s why I am making it clear:

I am opposed to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

We shouldn’t be building a pipeline dedicated to moving North America’s dirtiest fuel through our communities — we should be focused on what it will take to make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. For too long, the Keystone XL pipeline has been a distraction from the real challenges facing our energy sector — and the job-creating investments that we should be making to meet them. Building a clean, secure, and affordable North American energy future is bigger than Keystone XL or any other single project. That’s what I will focus on as president.

That’s why today I am announcing a comprehensive strategy to modernize American energy infrastructure and forge a new partnership with Canada and Mexico to combat climate change across the continent, unleashing billions in investment, delivering reliable and affordable energy, protecting the health of our families and communities, and creating good-paying jobs and careers.

The United States trades as much energy with Canada and Mexico each year as with all other countries combined, through a deeply integrated pipeline network, rail system, and electrical grid. As President, I will immediately launch negotiations with Canada and Mexico to forge a North American Climate Compact that sets strong national targets to cut carbon pollution, so all three countries demonstrate a commitment to climate action; provides accountability measures, so each country has confidence that the others are living up to their end of the bargain; and creates certainty for investors and confidence in the future of our climate, so we can all marshal resources equal to the challenges we face.

In recent years, American communities have endured toxic pipeline spills and rail car explosions. We have yet to harness new technologies that reduce costs and increase consumer choice or to sufficiently protect the grid against the growing threat of cyber-attack. Even as states and the Obama administration have worked to accelerate clean energy deployment, we need to do more. Simply put, our infrastructure has not kept pace with the changing energy sector.

To help unleash the investment we need, I will create a national infrastructure bank that leverages public and private capital, and work with Congress to close corporate tax loopholes and increase transportation funding to cut commute times, oil consumption, and pollution. Along with my Clean Energy Challenge to boost low-carbon electricity, improve building efficiency, and make our cars and trucks cheaper to fuel and cleaner to operate, these steps will create jobs and opportunity across the country.

Our more than 2 million miles of oil and natural gas pipes are in disrepair, resulting in oil spills, chronic methane leaks, and even devastating explosions. I will strengthen national pipeline safety regulations and partner with pipeline operators, local regulators, and technology providers in repairing and replacing thousands of miles of the country’s oldest pipes.

Over the past five years, a 20-fold increase in the amount of oil shipped by rail has led to devastating accidents. My plan speeds up the retirement of the oldest and riskiest train cars, repairs track defects, and guarantees first responders and the public have better information about oil and hazardous materials passing through their communities.

We must also invest in grid security and resilience. My plan creates a new threat assessment team to improve coordination and protect our grid from cyberattack, and strengthens the grid to reliably and affordably meet both base load and peak demand.

American energy policy is about more than a single pipeline to transport Canada’s dirtiest fuel across our country. It’s about building our future — a future where the United States will once again lead the world by constructing state-of-the-art infrastructure, creating new jobs and new markets, accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy, and improving the health, safety, and security of all Americans.

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

News Source: The Guardian, Medium