Hillary Clinton Statement on Passage of Puerto Rico Debt Bill

On Wednesday, Congress passed a debt relief plan for Puerto Rico which has begun defaulting on its debts. The bill has been sent to President Barack Obama for his signature. The bill includes a number of provisions including the creation of an oversight committee. Hillary Clinton released a statement in which she expressed her concern over the creation and appointments to the committee. She vowed to continue working with Puerto Rico if elected president, and promised to work to bring more benefits to the territory. A copy of Clinton’s statement is below:

“Puerto Rico’s continuing economic crisis has caused real suffering for the people of the island.  The bill the Senate passed today is the best chance we have of averting a fiscal crisis on July 1. The bill is by no means perfect, and I continue to have serious concerns about some of the provisions it contains. That’s why, as this bill is implemented, I will continue to stand with the people of Puerto Rico to ensure that the oversight board created by this legislation is made up of members who will act in the best interest of Puerto Ricans, and protect their health care, pensions, wages, and well-being. And it is past time that we put the interests of American citizens ahead of hedge fund profits—which is why I will fight with the people of Puerto Rico to put the island’s economy back on a stable and prosperous path, including by ensuring Puerto Rico is treated equitably under federal law.”

En español:

“La continua crisis económica de Puerto Rico ha causado gran sufrimiento en los puertorriqueños. El proyecto de ley aprobado hoy por el Senado es la mejor opción que tenemos en este momento para evitar una crisis fiscal el 1ro de julio. El proyecto no es para nada perfecto y continúo teniendo serias preocupaciones sobre algunas de las provisiones. Es por eso que a medida que la ley se implemente yo continuaré estando del lado del pueblo de Puerto Rico. Quiero asegurarme que la junta de supervisión creada por esta legislación esté compuesta por miembros que actúen trabajando por el mejor interés de los puertorriqueños, protegiendo su sistema de salud, sus pensiones, sus salarios y su bienestar. Desde hace tiempo deberíamos haber puesto los intereses de ciudadanos estadounidenses por encima de las ganancias de los gestores de fondos. Es por eso que lucharé junto con el pueblo de Puerto Rico para poner la economía de la Isla de vuelta en un camino de estabilidad y prosperidad, incluyendo asegurarnos de que Puerto Rico sea tratado con igualdad bajo la ley federal.”

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News Source: The Wall Street Journal

Hillary Clinton is the Presumptive Democratic Nominee

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 (@HillaryClinton) June 7, 2016

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News Source: AP, NBC News, Politico

Hillary Clinton Campaigns in California on Eve of Primary

Hillary Clinton wrapped up five days of campaigning in California by speaking at several events in Los Angeles area. Clinton’s first event of the day was a Get Out the Vote event in Lynwood where she told supporters about a number of her platform points including equal pay for women, raising the minimum wage, growing the economy, and passing comprehensive immigration reform. Throughout her speech, she criticized Republican nominee Donald Trump for his stance on a number of topics and his divisive rhetoric. Clinton stressed the importance of voting tomorrow saying that a California win would mean a lot to her. Videos of her speech are below (in two parts)

Before her speech in Lynwood, Clinton took several minutes to speak to the press. She was asked about yesterday’s win in the Puerto Rico primary and her thoughts on the prospect of being the first female nominee by a major political party. Clinton said that she is honored to win in Puerto Rico, and she is focused on the six states that vote tomorrow. Clinton was also asked about her thoughts on her race with Bernie Sanders and her plans to go forward against Trump. Clinton said that it is important for the Democratic Party to unify against Trump, and she said that she will reach out to Sanders to work with him and his supporters. A video of the press conference is below.

Clinton then spoke at rallies in South Los Angeles and Long Beach. During each event, she spoke about her platform points and attacked Trump for his divisive nature. Before the event in Long Beach, news outlets had declared Clinton the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, but she downplayed the projection saying that there was still a lot of work to be done. She urged supporters to get out and vote for her tomorrow because a win in California would be a great way to begin the general election. A video from the Long Beach event is below.

Clinton’s final event of the night was an appearance at the She’s With Us Concert held at The Greek Theatre. The concert featured performances by Christina Aguilera, Andra Day, John Legend, Ricky Martin, and Stevie Wonder. While Clinton’s appearance was brief, the performers and celebrity guests warmed up the crowd by talking about Clinton’s plans as well as attacking Trump. Other speakers at the event included Cher, Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria, Mary Steenburgen, Kate Walsh, Chrissy Teigen, and Magic Johnson.

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News Source: KTIC, Variety, NBC 4, ABC 7

Hillary Clinton Wins Puerto Rico Primary

Updated: 8:00am ET

On Sunday, Puerto Ricans voted in their Democratic primary and chose Hillary Clinton over rival Bernie Sanders. With 60 delegates up for grabs, a decisive victory will move Clinton to within a few dozen votes of securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. As of this posting, with 69% of results counted, Clinton leads Sanders 61.0% to 38.6%. This post will be updated throughout the evening.

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News Source: CNN

Hillary Clinton Releases Statement on Proposed House Bill for Puerto Rican Debt Relief

Today, Hillary Clinton released a statement cautiously supporting a bill introduced in House of Representatives that would provide debt relief for Puerto Rico. The plan would introduce a federal oversight board to help Puerto Rico through the process of restructuring its $72 billion debt. In her statement, Clinton expressed her concern about a number of the bill’s key provisions, but said that it was a step forward in helping the Puerto Rican government deal with its debt crisis. Clinton’s statement is below:

“The House Natural Resources Committee reached an agreement on a bipartisan bill to address the Puerto Rican debt crisis. While I have serious concerns about several provisions in this bill, including the creation of an oversight board that would exert substantial control over Puerto Rico, I believe that we must move forward with this legislation. Otherwise, without any means of addressing this crisis, too many Puerto Ricans will continue to suffer. However, as this bill moves forward, I will work to ensure that concerns about the oversight board are addressed and any such entity includes members that will act in the best interest of Puerto Ricans — protecting their health, their pensions, and their well-being. We can no longer sit idly by while hedge funds seek to maximize their profits at the island’s expense. That’s why I will continue to stand with the Puerto Ricans to ensure that they can put their economy back on a path of stability and prosperity, including the steps I am committed to take as President to provide equality in critical federal programs.”

En español:

“Ayer, el Comité de Recursos Naturales de la Cámara de Representantes llegó a un acuerdo sobre un proyecto de ley bipartidista para enfrentar la crisis de deuda de Puerto Rico. Aunque tengo algunas dudas sobre varias secciones de este proyecto de ley, incluyendo la creación de una junta de supervisión que ejerce control sobre Puerto Rico, creo que es un paso adelante, aunque debemos seguir trabajando en esta legislación. De lo contrario, y sin ningún medio para hacerle frente a esta crisis, muchos puertorriqueños seguirán sufriendo. Sin embargo, a medida que este proyecto de ley continúe su proceso en el Congreso, voy a trabajar para asegurarme de que las preocupaciones por la junta de supervisión sean atendidas y que cualquier entidad que sea instituida debe incluir a miembros que actuarán en el mejor interés de nuestros cociudadanos en Puerto Rico. Los cuales deben de proteger la salud pública, las pensiones y el bienestar de todos. Ya no podemos quedarnos con los brazos cruzados mientras que algunos fondos de inversones buscan maximizar sus ganancias a costa de la isla. Es por eso que voy a seguir apoyando al pueblo de Puerto Rico hasta que se logre la estabilidad de su economía y la prosperidad, incluyendo los pasos que estoy comprometida a tomar como presidenta para lograr la igualdad en los programas federales cruciales.”

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News Source: Washington Post

Clinton Wins Kentucky Primary

On Tuesday, voters in Kentucky and Oregon headed to the polls to choose between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in each state’s Democratic primary. Clinton has been declared the winner in the close Kentucky race, and with 100% of precincts reporting, the current results show Clinton with 46.8% and Sanders with 46.3%. In Oregon, Sanders has been declared the winner with 95.5% reporting, he leads with 56.0% to Clinton’s 44.0%. Clinton will maintain her strong lead in pledged delegates despite Sanders picking up some in Oregon. The next primaries will be held in early June. The first is on June 4 in the Virgin Islands and the following day, Puerto Ricans head to the polls.

State/Territory	Type	Winner
Kentucky	Closed Primary	Hillary Clinton
Oregon	Closed Primary	Bernie Sanders

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News Source: Politico (KY), Politico (OR)

Bill Clinton Campaigns for Hillary in Puerto Rico

On Tuesday, Bill Clinton remained in the Caribbean and campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton in Puerto Rico. Clinton attended organizing events in Bayamón, Cayey, and Ponce. At each of the events, he spoke about a number of Hillary’s key platform points, but spent most of his speeches outlining what she would do to help Puerto Rico. He said, “She strongly supports the right of the people of Puerto Rico to vote for president of the United States and to be treated equally under our laws. She thinks it’s time to resolve the status question once and for all with no ambiguity.” Clinton said that Hillary supported expanding health care access to the territory, giving its citizens the right to vote for president of the United States, help with rising energy costs, and assisting the Puerto Rican government pay off its debts. Although Puerto Ricans are not eligible to vote in November, they will have the opportunity to vote in the Democratic primary on June 5.

A fundraiser was held today on behalf of Hillary for America in Israel. The event was held in Tel Aviv and was hosted by Tracey Friedlander, Ricki Lieberman, and Tally Zingher. The fundraiser included a conversation with Sarah Bard.

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News Source: Univision, NBC News

Hillary Clinton Campaigns in Brooklyn

#HillaryClinton has arrived alongside Rep Velazquez, crowd goes nuts. pic.twitter.com/DG7kQ8FasZ

— Dennis Lynch (@neato_itsdennis) April 9, 2016

Hillary Clinton spent Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn, New York where she met with voters and spoke at an organizing event. During the event, she was introduced by Representative Nydia Velazquez, then Clinton focused on immigration and issues within the Latino community. She stressed that the United States is a country of immigrants and that immigration reform is necessary to continue that tradition. Clinton also spoke about Puerto Rico and her proposal to give the territory voting rights and federal support for its economy. She asked for everyone’s support in New York’s April 19 primary. A full video of her speech is below.

Clinton also made a surprise stop at an Inner Circle charity event in New York City. Clinton appeared along side New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and she referenced an issue she experienced earlier in the week when she tried to swipe a MetroCard to ride the subway in the Bronx. She said, “Will you just fix these MetroCard slots? It took me like five swipes.” She also thanked the mayor for his endorsement before adding, “it took you long enough.” All Clinton’s comments were made in the spirit of the comedy event presented that evening.

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News Source: ABC News, Brooklyn Paper

Clinton Holds Round Table in Puerto Rico

On Friday, Hillary Rodham Clinton held a round table event at the Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she discussed health care and Puerto Rico’s economic challenges. Puerto Rico’s government is struggling to make payments on its $72 billion debt. Clinton’s event was held less than ten miles away from an event being held by Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio. Clinton and Rubio disagree on Puerto Rico’s option of filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Clinton supports the plan while Rubio opposes it.

Clinton listened to the concerns of those attending the round table event. Health care was the central topic, specifically the Affordable Care Act and Puerto Rican doctors leaving for the mainland. The primary theme of Clinton’s discussion was including Puerto Rico in American policy. She said, “One of the challenges we face, which we will discuss today, is the unfortunate legacy of inconsistent, incoherent and inequitable treatment for health care here in Puerto Rico. As president I will do everything I can to put Puerto Rico on a path towards equal treatment.” A video from the round table event is below.

Next week, Clinton hits the road again and will make stops in Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is also scheduled to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 10.

UPDATE (9/22): Added full video from the event.

News Source: The New York Times, The Guardian