Clinton Speaks at Brookings’ Saban Forum

During a speech at the Saban Forum, Hillary Clinton pledged her support for Israel if elected president. She spoke about ISIS and its threat to the world and Israeli security moving forward. Two major points to Israeli security include the nuclear agreement with Iran and working toward a negotiated peace between Israel and Palestine. Clinton is optimistic, but cautious, about the agreement with Iran saying that the world will need to strictly monitor and enforce the terms of the agreement. Clinton concluded her speech by praising Israel for its strength and resolve. Following her speech, Clinton answered questions from the audience, including questions about using the military to enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran, and how she would work to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. A full video of her speech and Q&A secession is above.

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Clinton Calls for Tougher Efforts Against ISIS

On Thursday, Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined her plans to defeat ISIS and combat global terrorism. Clinton outlined her plan in a speech during an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (above), she made it clear that the United States would not back down or allow fear to soften our resolve. She called for the United States to increase its air strikes against ISIS. Following the attacks in Paris and the bombing of a Russian airliner, both of which ISIS has claimed responsibility, the Russian and French militaries have both increased air strikes. In addition to increased air strikes, she called for US Special Forces to train regional forces. Clinton also called for pressuring the governments of Iraq and Turkey to set aside their differences and unite in the fight against ISIS. For details of Clinton’s plan, watch the speech above or read a full transcript on The Briefing.

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News Source: The Briefing, CNN

Clinton Pens Op-Ed in Military Times

What those who served and sacrificed want you to know this Veterans Day: https://t.co/TWlmE1BQnj

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 11, 2015

On Veterans Day, Hillary Rodham Clinton penned an op-ed in the Military Times in which she detailed her plans to help veterans and fix the issues with the Department of Veteran Affairs. She unveiled the full plan on Tuesday in New Hampshire. The full text of her op-ed can be read on the Military Times or below.

This Veterans Day is an opportunity to reaffirm that America’s promise to our veterans is a sacred responsibility. Yet today we are failing to keep faith with our veterans. Long wait times for health care, crippling claims backlogs, little or no coordination between different government agencies responsible for serving veterans — these problems are serious, systemic and absolutely unacceptable. They need to be fixed, and fixed now.

First, we have to reform the VA to guarantee that our veterans have reliable and consistent access to the high-quality health care they’ve earned. We should transform the Veterans Health Administration from just a provider of services into a truly integrated health care system.

If we can maintain the most advanced military in the history of the world and fight wars across vast oceans and continents, we can figure out how to ensure that no veterans ever have to wait in line for weeks or months to get care, no matter where they live or what their needs are.

It starts with accountability, from the top leadership at the VA to midlevel managers to entry-level employees. As president, I will personally convene the secretary of veterans affairs and the secretary of defense in regular joint meetings and direct them to sync up their systems, coordinate efforts at every level, and enforce zero tolerance for the kind of abuses and delays we’ve seen.

The VA currently uses more than 100 electronic health record systems, so different sites can’t talk to one another, much less with the Defense Department or other hospital systems. That doesn’t make any sense, and it does a disservice to our veterans.

As we work to improve the VA, I will fight as long and as hard as it takes to prevent Republicans from privatizing it as part of a misguided ideological crusade.

I believe in giving veterans more choice in where and how they receive care and I think there should be more partnerships between the VA and private hospitals and community health care providers. But we can’t put our vets at the mercy of private insurance companies without any care coordination, or leave them to fend for themselves with health care providers who have no expertise in the unique challenges facing veterans. Privatization is a betrayal, plain and simple.

Second, we need a VA for the 21st century, not the 20th, and that means serving an increasingly diverse community with new and different needs.

Women are making up a bigger and bigger percentage of the veterans community and the numbers will only grow in the years ahead. Yet too often, the VA system isn’t equipped to serve women. Nearly a third of VA clinics don’t have OBGYNs and, in some cases, women who lost limbs fighting for our country have found that the only prosthetics available are designed for men. That has to change.

As a senator on the Armed Services Committee during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I saw how the changing nature of warfare is affecting the men and women who serve, especially the scourge of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. We have to build on and learn from the ground-breaking research pioneered by the VA and Defense departments into post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and prosthetics so this new generation of veterans gets the care it needs.

We also have to make sure that veterans have access to mental health and substance abuse treatment. The number of veterans who commit suicide every day or who live homeless on the streets is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s a national disgrace that demands action.

Third, we have to invest in our vets and make sure that the men and women who risk their lives for our country have access to a good education and good jobs when they come home. As president, I will work to guarantee the Post-9/11 GI Bill for future generations. I was proud to co-sponsor it in the Senate and I will resist any effort to reduce it or roll it back. I will also close what’s known as the 90/10 loophole, which encourages for-profit schools to target service members, veterans and their families with false promises and deceptive marketing.

Fourth, we need to do more to support the families of service members and veterans. Service and sacrifice on the home front rarely gets the respect and recognition they deserve. The last decade has added only more strain on our military families, with long wars abroad and a tough economy here at home.  I’m committed to expanding access to child care for military families on- and off-base, stepping up to help military spouses manage the challenges of frequent moves and find good jobs that work for them, and making sure that family members get access to mental health and substance abuse services, just like those who serve.

All of this is just the beginning. Our veterans have done so much for us; now we need to do more for them.

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News Source: Military Times

Clinton Returns to New Hampshire

On Friday, Hillary Rodham Clinton was back in New Hampshire for two events. The first was a town hall on the campus of Keene State College. A long topic of conversation during the 80 minute event was gun control. Clinton answered several questions about her plans and the difference between her and her rivals. In addition, Clinton was also asked about her opposition to the Glass-Steagall Act, her views on LGBT discrimination, and other aspects of her platform. A full video from the town hall is available on C-SPAN.

Clinton then went to a grass roots even in Nashua where she spoke a number of her key plans, but she focused on Afghanistan and President Barack Obama’s plans to extend US presence. That means that his successor will have to address what to do with troop levels in Afghanistan. She did not provide any specific plans for Afghanistan at this point, but she said, “We have invested a lot of blood and a lot of treasure in trying to help that country and we can’t afford for it to become an outpost of the Taliban and ISIS one more time, threatening us, threatening the larger world.”

Tomorrow, Clinton is scheduled to appear at the Alabama Democratic Conference. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: Boston Herald, ABC News

Clinton Delivers Human Rights Campaign Keynote Address

This morning, Hillary Rodham Clinton gave the keynote address for the Human Rights Campaign breakfast. During her speech, Clinton pledged to make LGBT rights a top priority as president. She urged Congress to pass the Federal Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGBT community and provide more openness in the US Military. She said, “I see the injustices and the dangers that you and your families still face and I’m running for president to end them once and for all.” Clinton then went on to criticize Republican presidential candidates, specifically Ben Carson and Senator Ted Cruz, for not supporting gay rights. Clinton has made LGBT rights central to her presidential campaign’s platform and vowed to continue fighting saying, “That’s a promise, from one HRC to another.”

Tonight, Clinton will make a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: ABC News, NBC News

Clinton Supports Iran Deal

Clinton speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on July 14

In a statement released late Tuesday, Hillary Rodham Clinton voiced her support of the deal announced today with Iran. The agreement will limit Iran’s use of nuclear materials and enforce strict oversight of its enrichment plants. Many are skeptical of the deal, but others say it is a step in the right direction. The full text of Clinton’s statement is below:

I am still studying the details, but based on the briefings I received and a review of the documents, I support the agreement because it can help us prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. With vigorous enforcement, unyielding verification, and swift consequences for any violations, this agreement can make the United States, Israel, and our Arab partners safer.

In light of the international community’s long history and experience with Iranian behavior, the highest priority must be given to effective enforcement of the agreement.  Signing is just the beginning.  As President, I would use every tool in our arsenal to compel rigorous Iranian compliance.  At the outset, we must see the verified roll back of the Iranian nuclear program required by the agreement.  We can never permit Iran to evade its obligations or to place any suspicious site off limits to inspectors.  And the response to any cheating must be immediate and decisive – starting with the return of sanctions but taking no options off the table, including, if necessary, our military options.

The message to Iran should be loud and clear:  We will never allow you to acquire a nuclear weapon; not just during the term of this agreement – never.

Today’s agreement is the culmination of a sustained strategy of pressure and engagement executed over many years.  As Secretary of State, I logged tens of thousands of miles and twisted a lot of arms to build a global coalition to impose the most crippling sanctions in history. That unprecedented pressure delivered a blow to Iran’s economy and gave us leverage at the negotiating table, starting in Oman in 2012.  I know from experience what it took to build a global effort to get this done; I know what it will take to rally our partners to enforce it.

Going forward, we have to be clear-eyed when it comes to the broader threat Iran represents.  Even with a nuclear agreement, Iran poses a real challenge to the United States and our partners and a grave threat to our ally Israel. It continues to destabilize countries from Yemen to Lebanon, while exacerbating the conflict in Syria. It is developing missiles that can strike every country in the Middle East. And it fuels terrorism throughout the region and beyond, including through direct support to Hamas and Hizballah.  We have to broadly confront and raise the costs for Iran’s destabilizing activities, insist on the return of U.S. citizens being held in Iranian prisons, and strengthen security cooperation with our allies and partners. Sanctions for terrorism, and other non-nuclear sanctions, must remain a key part of our strategy and must be vigorously enforced.

Israel has to be confident that the United States will always ensure its Qualitative Military Edge in the region and its capacity to defend itself by itself.  As President, I would invite the senior Israeli leadership to Washington for early talks on further strengthening our alliance.  We must also deepen our security relationship with our Arab partners threatened by Iran. This includes our continued presence and providing needed capabilities.  Iran should have no doubt about our support for the security of our partners.

I know that there are people of good faith who oppose this deal – people I respect. They raise concerns that have to be taken seriously.  They are right to call for extreme vigilance.  I am as familiar with Iranian behavior and the need to confront it as anyone.  I support this agreement because I believe it is the most effective path of all the alternatives available to the U.S. and our partners to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

So we should applaud President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and Secretary Moniz for getting this done, and proceed with wisdom and strength in enforcing this deal to the fullest and in meeting the broader Iranian challenge.

News Source: Vox

Image Source: The New York Post

Clinton Takes part in Independence Day Parade

Hillary Rodham Clinton remained in New Hampshire on Saturday and celebrated Independence Day by taking part in a parade in Gorham, where she spoke with a number of people who turned out for the parade. Clinton then attended an organizing party in Glen, where she spoke about foreign policy. Her primary concern is China. She accused Beijing of hacking government information and expressed her concern about the growth of China’s military power in the Pacific.

Clinton also talked about Russia and the fact that the United States needs to continue engaging with President Vladimir Putin to better understand his intentions. She also addressed the nuclear deal with Iran that is still far from complete. Clinton warned that if a deal was not made, “Iran’s aggressiveness will not end.”

This coming week, Clinton is scheduled to return to Iowa. Her cross-country travel schedule is expected to continue to be aggressive as she continues to layout her campaign platform. Follow the campaign on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: ABC News, The Telegraph

Clinton Returns to Nevada

Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to Nevada to attend two major campaign events. Her first event was in Las Vegas where she spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Office (NALEO). Clinton outlined the four fights of her campaign, and focused specifically on expanding funding for preschool programs. She said, “All of our kids need the opportunity to get off the to the best possible start, but too many children are getting behind.”

Clinton also spoke about voter rights and called for universal voter registration saying, “We should be making it easier to vote, not putting up barriers that disempower and disenfranchise Americans. Who are those barriers aimed at: young people, poor people and people of color.” She also focused on immigration, saying that if Congress refused to act on immigration, she would further expand the executive orders President Barack Obama has enacted. She also vowed to limit the the number of deportations, and her goal is comprehensive immigration reform.

"We need to hear from the vets how to fix the problems we have" #HillaryinNV pic.twitter.com/XeXTyGgNGs

— Jordan Russell (@jcr1015) June 18, 2015

In Reno, Clinton hosted a roundtable with a number of veterans. She spoke about her plans to maintain the world’s most powerful military. However, her primary concern is the struggles of veterans returning from combat and the delay of Veterans Affairs providing care. Clinton said veteran care is not a partisan issue, “No matter what we disagree on, we must agree on taking care of our vets.”

Tomorrow and Saturday, Clinton will attend events in California. Follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source:Las Vegas Sun, KOLO

Clinton Introduces “Four Fights” of Campaign

6/13 UPDATE: A full transcript of the speech is available from Time by CLICKING HERE.

In her first official campaign rally held at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island in New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined what she called the “four fights” of her campaign. Throughout the 45 minute speech, Clinton made references to her experience as a lawyer, Senator, Secretary of State, and as a mother and grandmother. The theme of the speech was the prosperity of Americans, and she shared stories from people she has met and her mother to make her points. In her speech, Clinton also criticized Republicans for not looking forward and believing too much in “yesterday.” She vowed to fight for everyday Americans and prepare the United States for the future.

The key to her speech was the “four fights.” She outlined what those will be, but said that said will outline specific policy changes in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, her vision is clearly outlined by the four fights:

Economy: Clinton outlined a number of changes that would serve to strengthen the economy including strengthening the middle class, increasing the minimum wage, providing equal pay for women, making it illegal to discriminate against LBGT workers, rewriting the tax code, and focusing on lifelong learning that will allow works to adapt to a changing workplace. She also called for more affordable college for everyone and improving the infrastructure by creating an infrastructure bank that would sell bonds to help fund improvements roads, bridges, power grids, and broadband Internet. She called for protecting the environment by investing in clean energy and ending the denial of climate change. All these changes, which she will continue to outline in the coming weeks, will create jobs and improve the lives of American workers.

Family: Families have struggled since the recession and Clinton believes that more attention needs to be paid to helping families by guaranteeing paid sick days, paid family leave, pre-school and child care. She also wants to focus on the uneven incarceration polices and provide help to those suffering with mental health issues and addiction.

America’s Leadership: America has long been the leader in the world, but for America to maintain its leadership and influence, Clinton argues that we have not only show strength in our military, but we have to create economic and diplomatic partnerships across the globe. At the same time, we have to stand up to our adversaries and stand by our allies. We need to be better prepared against cyber attacks and provide better services to our veterans after they have served our country.

Governmental Reform: Clinton argued that now is the time to take government out of corporate hands and back into the hands of Americans. She called for stopping the flow of unaccountable campaign funds, undoing Citizens United, and improving government technology so it is more open to the pubic. She also called for improvements to voting including universal registration, longer early voting periods, and ensuring that voting rights are protected despite the Supreme Court’s recent decision.

Clinton’s speech is only the beginning of the next phase of her campaign. Over the coming weeks, Clinton will travel across the country to spread her message and continue to flesh out her campaign platform. We will follow along and continue to cover her campaign events as she continues to build a strong platform for America’s future.

Join Hillary for America by donating, or you can text JOIN to 47246. As always, you can also follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and her all new Instagram page.

Image Source: Politico