Kaine Calls Gun Violence a “Public Health Crisis” in Op-Ed

On Tuesday, an op-ed by Tim Kaine was published by Time magazine in which he talks about gun violence and its threat to the public. Read the full editorial below.

Tim Kaine: Gun Violence Is a Public-Health Crisis

Time Magazine

November 1, 2016

In every elected office I have held over the past 20 years, gun violence has been a serious issue. When I was mayor of Richmond, Virginia, our city had one of the highest homicide rates in the country. When I was governor, our commonwealth experienced the worst campus shooting in U.S. history. And as I serve in the U.S. Senate and our country falls victim to one mass shooting after another, Congress has yet to pass any commonsense gun safety legislation. Like many Americans, I own a gun and am a proud supporter of the Second Amendment, yet my experiences have shown me that supporting the right to bear arms should never stop us from ensuring our communities are as safe as possible.

The worst day of my life was April 16, 2007. I had just arrived in Japan for a two-week trade mission. There was a knock on my hotel room door to inform me of an active shooter on the campus of one of my state’s universities, Virginia Tech. Half a world away, I watched the horrific tragedy unfold on television and made plans to return home as soon as possible. Thirty-two innocent lives— from all around the world, from all walks of life, students and professors alike—were lost that day. Seventeen others were shot and wounded, and another six were injured leaping from classroom windows to escape the carnage.

In the months and years that followed, we worked across the state to take concrete steps to reduce gun violence. The shooting revealed glaring weaknesses in campus security protocols at colleges and universities, in mental health standards, and in the system for background checks before gun purchases, so I convened a multidisciplinary panel to identify actionable solutions. We changed standards for mental health treatment and increased funding for community services while improving campus security and efforts to assist college students suffering from mental illness.

I also worked to make improvements to our background check system, issuing an executive order to ensure that those declared mentally ill and dangerous would be entered into a national database and barred from purchasing weapons. Unfortunately, efforts to close the gun show loophole—which allows anyone, including felons, potential terrorists, and domestic abusers, to purchase weapons without any background check—were undermined in the Virginia legislature, largely under pressure from the National Rifle Association.

When I arrived in the U.S. Senate in January 2013, our country was again reeling from another devastating tragedy: on December 14, 2012, twenty children and six adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A group of Democrats and Republicans came together after this tragedy to draft compromise legislation that would have closed the gun show loophole and encouraged states to help strengthen the existing background check system. After months of debating, I was sure that this time would be different, that this time my colleagues would have the courage to stand up to the NRA and pass meaningful gun control reform to make our entire country safer. But the same special interests that prevented us from closing the gun show loophole in Virginia in the wake of Virginia Tech were at it again. Ultimately, a minority in the Senate prevented a majority from passing this meaningful, commonsense gun safety legislation.

More recently, in December 2015, the Senate failed to stand up to the NRA and rejected another commonsense bipartisan measure that would have made it illegal for people on the no-fly list to be prohibited from purchasing weapons. If someone has been deemed too dangerous to be allowed on an airplane, why should they be permitted to purchase a firearm?

We have to make a decision about what matters to us. When gun deaths in Virginia outnumber automobile deaths, we have to treat this like the public health crisis it is. Will we have the courage to stand up to a gun lobby that no longer represents the views of American gun owners but instead represents the gun manufacturers?

An overwhelming number of Americans—many of them gun owners—support commonsense efforts to reduce gun violence like background checks, but the NRA and the gun lobby vehemently oppose any efforts to make our country safer and to promote responsible gun ownership. It is in the gun manufacturers’ financial interest to sell as many guns as they can to whomever they can, whenever they can and wherever they can. That motive is what blocks so many states and even Congress from passing background check laws that would keep us safer.

Gun violence has been ever-present throughout my time in public service, but my past experiences have taught me that no matter how tough our problems may be, they pale in comparison to the combined will of the American people who are determined to make our communities safer. I look forward to the day when we, as elected officials and as Americans, live up to our responsibilities and put an end to this crisis.

Tim Kaine is a U.S. Senator from Virginia and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s running mate.

Excerpted from Guns in the Hands of Artists, copyright © 2016 by Jonathan Ferrara. First hardcover edition published Nov. 1, 2016, by Inkshares. All rights reserved.

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News Source: Time

Tim Kaine Campaigns in Tallahassee

Tim Kaine rallied supporters in Tallahassee, Florida today as he stressed the importance of voting during a campaign stop on the campus of Florida State University. Campaigning with Mark Kelly and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Kaine spoke about Hillary Clinton’s plans to enact commonsense gun control, including mandatory background checks and closing a number of loopholes that allows people who should not own a firearm to obtain one. He said, “Second Amendment supports support background checks. Gun owners support background checks. NRA members support background checks. We just need a Congress that’s willing to listen.” Kaine said that Florida is an important state in the election and urged everyone to get out and vote on election day or vote early. A video from the event will be added when/if available.

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: Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Politics

Anne Holton and Jill Biden Campaign in Pennsylvania

Anne Holton and Jill Biden campaigned together in Pennsylvania. Speaking at events in Philadelphia and Pheonixville, Holton and Biden focused on the blueprint for America presented by Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine and how it stands in stark contrast from Donald Trump’s vision for America. Biden said that she is tired of Trump’s comments about women saying, “It sickens us. I’m not sure what to say to my daughters and granddaughters who ask, ‘Is this what politics has become?’ It’s hard to explain as a mother and grandmother.”

Holton explained what it has been like working with Clinton the last few months. She explained that she does not only support Clinton because of her party affiliation, but because she is truly knowledgeable about the issues. “I’ve loved getting to be with her on the campaign trail. She’s such a good listener. Yes, she’s a policy wonk. We all know that. She’s a very serious person. I want a serious person in the Oval Office. Her policies come from talking to people. I see the way she talks to the campaign bus driver and the factory line worker, asking about the work-family balance. She connects what she hears from them to inform her policy,” Holton said. Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.

Meanwhile, a series of fundraisers were held on behalf of Hillary for America. The first was held in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and featured a conversation with Laura Rosenberger, Foreign Policy Advisor. Actress Selma Hayek Pinault spoke at a fundraising event in Austin, Texas. In Massachusetts, former Congressman Barney Frank and Jimmy Tingle attended fundraising events in Newton and Jamaica Plain.

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: Fox 29, CBS Philly, Penn Live

Anne Holton and Jill Biden Campaign for Hillary in North Carolina

On Saturday, the current Second Lady of the United States Jill Biden campaigned with the woman hoping to soon hold that title, Anne Holton. The pair attended events in North Carolina, and they began their day in Fayetteville. They spoke at Fayetteville Technical Community College about the importance of the election and, how as military moms, they both trust Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. “I trust Hillary Clinton. She understands the importance of using our military power when it is needed – but only when it’s needed,” Holton said.

While in Fayeteville, they also attended a canvass kick-off event before heading to an early voting rally in Jacksonville. The two spoke about similar topics at each event and highlighted a number of Clinton’s key platform points. Their primary message, however, was about the importance of voting and ensuring that everyone has their say in this election. Speaking about the access to early voting in North Carolina, Holton said, “You have strong early voting laws in this state. You had to fight to get it. You can’t take them for granted.” Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.

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: Fayetteville Observer

Hillary Clinton Answers New York Times Readers’ Questions

The editorial board of The New York Times asked readers to select from a list of questions the one that they would most like both presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, to answer. The three questions that received the most votes were about climate change, income inequality, and gun violence. Read Clinton’s answers below, or click HERE to read both candidates’ answers.

1. It is widely accepted scientific fact that climate change is real and potentially catastrophic. What specific action will you take in the next four years?

Hillary Clinton: Climate change is real, and we have a moral obligation to leave our children and grandchildren a better planet. I believe we can fight climate change and create millions of good-paying jobs at the same time.

Some nation is going to be the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. It’s either going to be Germany, China or us, and I want to make sure that it’s us. And we can do it in a way that means no one gets left out or left behind.

I’ve laid out specific plans to modernize our electric grid with enough renewable energy to power every home in America within a decade, including 500 million solar panels by the end of my first term. I want to launch a Clean Energy Challenge to partner with cities, states, and rural communities that are ready to lead on clean energy, clean transportation, and energy efficiency, and help them go further.

We’ll invest in resilient infrastructure that will protect communities like those in North Carolina, Iowa, and Louisiana that have seen terrible floods just this year. We know that low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by pollution and by extreme weather, and climate change is only going to make that worse. So I will make environmental and climate justice a priority, including eliminating lead as a major public health threat within five years.

We’re already less dependent on foreign oil than we have been in decades, but we can go further, reduce oil consumption by a third, and do more to power America with home-grown wind, solar, and advanced biofuels.

And I have a real plan to invest in creating jobs and building stronger economies in coal country. America’s coal communities have kept our lights on and our factories running for generations, and I won’t let them be left in the dark.

Finally, I believe the United States needs to continue to lead the global effort to combat climate change. I will fulfill the pledge President Obama made in the Paris Climate Agreement and seek to go further by cutting emissions up to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. We need to implement the breakthrough we achieved just last week in the Montreal Protocol to phase down super-polluting HFCs and avoid as much as half a degree of warming.

Not only does America need to lead, we need to do more to work with our neighbors. We trade more energy with Canada and Mexico than with the rest of the world combined. That’s why I want to negotiate a North American Climate Compact to cut emissions and accelerate the clean energy transition across the continent.

I won’t let the climate deniers stand in the way of progress, or let us give in to the climate defeatists who say this challenge is too big to solve. We can and will take on climate change, build a clean energy economy, and leave our kids and grandkids a safe and healthy world—because there is no Planet B.

2. What would you do to reduce the extreme income inequality in this country?

Hillary Clinton: Too many hardworking Americans have the deck stacked against them. No one who works hard should have to raise their kids in poverty, or worry they won’t be able to retire with dignity.

But the majority of the income growth since the Great Recession has gone to people at the top. Working people haven’t gotten a raise in 15 years. Right now, the top one-tenth of one percent of Americans own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent combined. We haven’t seen this level of wealth inequality since right before the Great Depression.

We need an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. For starters, I’ll raise the federal minimum wage and guarantee equal pay for women. And we’ll promote profit-sharing—the workers who help make their companies profitable should be able to share in that success the way executives do.

We need to create more good jobs that pay enough to raise a family. So we’ll make the biggest investment in good jobs since World War II—jobs in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. We need to make sure that jobs in home health care, child care, and other fields provide good pay and good benefits, and make it easier for workers to organize and bargain collectively in all industries. We need to do more to support small businesses that create so many new jobs. And we need to make it easier for people to be good employees and good parents by guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for every worker.

We also need to go after intergenerational poverty. Every child in America should be able to live up to his or her God-given potential, no matter who your parents are or what ZIP code you grew up in. That’s why I’m going to make pre-school universal for every four-year-old in America.

It’s also why we’re going to embrace approaches like South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn’s 10-20-30 plan, where 10 percent of federal investments are made in communities where 20 percent of the people have been living in poverty for the last 30 years. Let’s address the systemic problems that have kept too many in poverty for far too long.

Lastly, we need more fairness in our tax system. By closing the loopholes and requiring those at the top to pay their fair share in taxes, we can help cover the cost of vital investments that will create jobs and opportunity for middle-class families and help lift millions out of poverty. Around two-thirds of the burden of my tax plan falls on the highest earning 0.1 percent of taxpayers.

Here’s what we won’t do. We won’t raise taxes on people making less than $250,000. And we won’t spend trillions of dollars giving huge new tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations. They’ve seen the gains in recent years—they should pay their fair share to make the investments that will grow the economy for everyone.

3. What would your administration do to reduce gun violence and mass shootings?

Hillary Clinton: We lose an average of 90 Americans every day because of guns. Since I launched my campaign for the presidency in April of 2015, that means more than 50,000 people have been killed by gun violence in America.

I’ve met some of their families, and countless others whose lives have been forever changed by gun violence. I’ve traveled the country with mothers like Lucy McBath, whose 17-year-old son Jordan was shot and killed for playing music. I’ve been inspired by advocates like Erica Smegielski, whose mother Dawn died trying to protect her students at Sandy Hook School. And I’ve prayed with residents in cities like Charleston, one of the many communities across our country that have been devastated by this epidemic.

For decades, people have said this issue was too hard to solve and the politics too hot to touch. But as I’ve listened to the stories in every corner of our country, one question has stayed at the front of my mind: How can we just stand by and do nothing?

That simple answer is: We can’t.

So here’s what I think we need to do. First, we need to expand background checks to include more gun sales, like those at gun shows and over the Internet. There’s no reason a domestic abuser should be able to go online and buy a gun with no questions asked. And we need to close other loopholes, like the so-called “Charleston Loophole” that allows dangerous people to buy guns without a background check if that check isn’t completed within three days.

Second, we need to hold the gun industry accountable, and end laws that shield them from liability when they break the law. We saw that just this month, when one of those laws was used to block the families of the Sandy Hook shooting from having their day in court.

Finally, we need to keep military-style weapons off our streets. They are a danger to law enforcement and to our communities.

By taking these common sense steps, we can keep our children safe and respect the Second Amendment. The vast majority of Americans support measures like these. So our challenge isn’t finding common ground. It’s getting politicians to listen to their constituents rather than the gun lobby.

For that to happen we need to say, loudly and clearly, that gun violence is an issue that matters. And we need to vote accordingly.

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: The New York Times

Anne Holton, John Legend Campaign for Hillary

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine's wife, Anne Holton, speaking at Iowa Together Organization Office in Sioux City. pic.twitter.com/y1G83b5gQd

— Mason Mauro (@MasonMauroKTIV4) October 9, 2016

On Sunday, as Hillary Clinton prepared for the second presidential debate, Anne Holton was on the campaign trail in Iowa. At two stops, Council Bluffs and Sioux City, Holton spoke about the importance of voting and urged supporters to canvass for Clinton and to take full advantage of Iowa’s early voting. This evening in Des Moines, Holton attended a debate watch party at Creative Visions.

Singer John Legend returned to his home state of Ohio to attend two events on behalf of Clinton. The first was on the campus of Central State University in Dayton where he urged everyone to register to vote by Tuesday’s deadline. He said, “I care so much about what happens to our young people. I care so much about what happens in this area, I care so much about what happens in Ohio, I care so much about the future of this country. That’s why I’m here to get you all to register to vote and hopefully to vote for Hillary Clinton.” Then, he traveled to Cincinnati where he appeared at Bogarts. During the event, he urged everyone to make sure they are registered to vote, then he performed a number of his songs for those in attendance. Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.

Meanwhile, a fundraiser was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on behalf of Hillary for America. The event featured a conversation with  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

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: Sioux City Journal, Dayton Daily News, WKRC

Clinton Campaign Responds to Trump’s Comments

During a speech on Tuesday, Donald Trump seemed to suggest that Hillary Clinton could be threatened by gun owners if she continues to fight for gun control in Congress and the courts. Trump said, “Hillary wants to abolish — essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.” Many viewed his statement as a threat, and Hillary for America was quick to respond. Campaign Manager Robby Mook released a brief statement condemning Trump’s suggestion of violence. Mook’s full statement is below.

“This is simple—what Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way.”

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

News Source: CNN

Hillary Clinton Focuses on Manufacturing in Colorado Visit

Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Knotty Tie Company in Denver, holds up a Donald Trump tie that is not made in the United States.

Hillary Clinton continued to talk about her plans to boost job creation and manufacturing during a stop in Colorado on Wednesday. Her first stop in the state was a local company in Denver called Knotty Tie Company. She toured the facility and spoke with several employees. She also addressed a gathering of the company’s employees and members of the press. During her remarks, she criticized Donald Trump for his double standard when it comes to American manufacturing. She pointed out that while he touts his “Made in America” plan while products bearing his name are made in China. Holding one of Trump’s ties in her hand, she said, “I really would like him to explain why he paid Chinese workers to make Trump ties.” A video of her brief remarks is below.

Clinton then went to Commerce City where she spoke to a crowd where she spoke about a number of key platform points. She spent the majority of her speech talking about manufacturing, jobs, and investing in education. Referring to her jobs and infrastructure plans, she said that she is calling for the largest mobilization of workers and government spending on infrastructure since World War II. Clinton said that while a big part of her infrastructure plan focuses on the country’s aging roads and bridges, a significant portion the plan would ensure access to broadband internet, especially in rural areas. A video from the speech is below.

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News Source: The Denver Post, ABC News

Clinton Performs Strongly at Second Debate

(L-R) Democratic Presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Martin OMalley pause for a moment of silence, for the victims of the Paris terrorists attacks, before the start of the second Democratic presidential primary debate in the Sheslow Auditorium of Drake University on November 14, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. AFP PHOTO/ MANDEL NGANMANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT: 584876355 ORIG FILE ID: 546404591

Tonight, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley took the stage for the second debate of the Democratic primary. The debate took place at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and was moderated by CBS News and local Des Moines affiliates. The debate began with a moment of silence honoring those killed in yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. Then, the candidates jumped in answering questions about foreign policy, particularly the handling of ISIS, and domestic policies. Overall, the candidates agreed with each other on many issues, but there were some contentious issues including Clinton’s support of the Iraq War, her campaign donations from Wall Street, and Sanders’ weakness with gun control.

The debate was largely civil and focused on the issues. Each of the candidates took turn attacking the Republicans’ plans and their controversial stance on several important issues including climate change, Planned Parenthood, and immigration. The two-hour debate ended with closing statements, in which Clinton wrapped up by saying, “I’ve heard a lot about me in this debate, and ultimately, I’m going to keep talking about you.”

The full debate has been archived on CBS News’ website and can be watched by following one of these links: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, and PART 6. UPDATE: The videos were added below:

Tomorrow, Clinton remains in Iowa where she will attend the Central Iowa Democrats Fall Barbecue in Ames. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

UPDATE 11/16: Added videos