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

Hillary Clinton Returns to Florida to Encourage Early Voting

Hillary Clinton spent her birthday campaigning in Florida. Her first event was on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth. During her speech, Clinton spoke about a number of plans including her proposals to grow the economy, create jobs, and make college more affordable. She also went after Republican Donald Trump and his rhetoric during the campaign cycle and for saying he will not accept the results of the election unless he wins. Clinton called this statement “horrifying” and called it an attack on American democracy. She then spoke about the importance of the election not only for the presidential race, but the down ballot races as well. She encouraged voters to send candidate Patrick Murphy to the U.S. Senate and kick out Senator Marco Rubio. Clinton then asked everyone to vote on November 8th or to take advantage of early voting adding, “Ten million people have already voted, and two million of them right here in Florida. That means Florida has already cast 20 percent of the votes that are in the ballot box. Don’t let anyone tell you they don’t have time to vote.” Watch a video of Clinton’s speech below.

Clinton then traveled to Tampa where she urged voters not to become complacent given current polling numbers. “With 13 days left in this election, we cannot stop for a minute. No complacency. Nobody flagging. We’ve got to get everybody out to vote,” she told supporters. Clinton spoke about a number of her platform points including her plans to raise the minimum wage, ensure equal pay for women, and guarantee paid time off for families. Clinton criticized Trump for his campaign rhetoric saying that she thinks that America’s diversity is one of it’s strongest assets. She said, “I am proud to have support from Republicans and independents here across Florida and across America who agree with me that we should reject hate and division. We have seen Donald Trump insult nearly every person in America, and I just find that so intolerable because — look at this diverse crowd, look at Tampa. It’s a cosmopolitan city.” She concluded by urging everyone to vote. A video from the event is below.

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News Source: Sun Sentinel, WTSP, Tampa Bay Times

Hillary Clinton Endorsed by Frank Roosevelt

Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of Frank Roosevelt, the grandson of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He wrote his endorsement in an op-ed published in Time magazine. Read his endorsement below.

FDR’s Grandson: ‘Hillary Clinton Is a True Leader, Donald Trump Is Not’ (Op-Ed)

TIME

By Frank Roosevelt

October 20, 2016

In 1933, early in the Great Depression and with the nation on the verge of a second world war, my grandfather, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, famously said ,“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” His wise words continue to ring true today.

The challenges we face as a nation are big and complicated: a rapidly changing climate, economic uncertainty, and international and homegrown terrorism. Surely these challenges are different from those of my grandfather’s era, but they’re more than enough to make any American uneasy about our future.

That’s why the stakes are so high in this presidential election. And more than any election I can remember, our options are clear.

On one hand, we can choose a candidate who is thoughtful, steady, and hopeful about America’s future and wants to work together with everyone to build it. On the other, we can choose a candidate who plays off fear, offering policies of hate and division that risk tearing our country apart.

I know what true leaders look like because my grandfather was one.Hillary Clinton is a true leader; Donald Trump is not. I choose Clinton.

True leaders believe in the strength of their people. Hillary believes that the American people can weather any storm if they do it together. Over the course of her illustrious career, she has demonstrated the toughness, compassion, and temperament that one must have to meet the challenges of the highest office in the land. She knows that leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room—it’s about having an open mind and a steady hand. And just like my grandfather, she’s determined to bring everyone together. She believes that in this great country it is our duty to ensure that no one is left out and everyone has a fair shot at success, especially our children.

Mr. Trump, on the other hand, constantly calls America a “weak” country that never “wins” anymore. Not only is this not how a leader should talk about his country, it’s not even true. Did he watch any of the Olympics this summer where United States athletes brought home 121 medals, almost double the number won by the closest competitor? Has he not seen American technology out-perform and out-innovate every other country? When it comes down to it, Trump has made clear he does not believe in the biggest asset of America—our people.

True leaders inspire their people to keep going and always do better. In describing my grandmother, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson once said “she would rather light a candle than curse the darkness.” He was impressed with her constantly optimistic personality that would never allow her to sulk and simply wish things had been different. True leaders don’t have the luxury to merely “curse the darkness”; they need to actively make things better by finding ways to cut through it. That’s what Hillary has been doing her entire career. After special interests beat her in the fight for universal health care in the 1990s, she got right back up again and helped create the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which now provides health coverage to 8 million children. That’s the kind of leader we need today.

While a true leader lights the path for the rest of us in times of uncertainty, a coward stokes fear hoping it will convince people to do whatever he says. Regardless of the truth, Trump tries to convince Americans that rapists and murderers are flowing in from Mexico, and that crime has been going up for years. Not only that, he has put forward almost no serious policy proposals to tackle our country’s biggest problems. This reveals a fundamental lack of leadership: He’s not interested in coming up with solutions—he just likes blaming people for problems.

My grandfather guided our country through some of the most difficult periods in our history. Hillary Clinton embodies his spirit—that, together, we can meet all the challenges we face with confidence and fierce determination. In contrast, Donald Trump tries to use fear as a political weapon—pitting Americans against one another, supposedly to protect us from a scary future—in order to benefit only himself.

What FDR said in 1933 is still true today: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I’m proud to support Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States. That’s the choice in this election.

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News Source: Time

Hillary Clinton Unveils National Service Plan at Florida Events

Hillary Clinton held two rallies in Florida today with the first being in Fort Pierce. While Clinton spoke about a number of her key platform points, she introduced a new plan focused on expanding national service opportunities. She said that the plan will appeal to younger adults just out of college saying, “Studies have shown that millennials are particularly interested in volunteerism and are looking for ways to contribute to their communities. Applications to AmeriCorps positions are five times greater than the current number of slots available and the Peace Corps has seen a 32 percent increase in applications compared to the previous year.” A video of Clinton’s speech is below.

In Coral Springs, Clinton held a rally where she continued to tout her national service plan along with her broad platform. Clinton also went after Republican Donald Trump for his attacks on former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, calling a series of early morning Tweets attacking Machado “unhinged, even for him.” She then spoke about Trump’s lack of preparation for Monday night’s debate saying, “Did any of you see the debate the other night? Well, I think that it was pretty clear that there are two very different choices for our country based on two very different visions of the kind of America that we want to have. You know, my view is that we are already great and if we work together we will become even greater in the years ahead.” A video from the Coral Spring event is below.

While Clinton spoke at length about her plan for a National Service Reserve at both events, The Briefing released full details of the plan today as well. An outline of the plan is below:

• Enable local and state leaders to activate highly-motivated and well-trained volunteers to address the most pressing issues in the community
• Provide reservists with the opportunity to earn special certification for 50, 100, and 250 hours of service per year
• Work with employers to encourage them to support employees in the Reserve through initiatives like volunteer time off
• Draw on new AmeriCorps members to recruit, train, and lead the Reserve
• Dramatically expand year-long service positions, with the vision that every person who wants to serve full-time can do so
• Engage returning veterans as well as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and other national service alumni in the Reserve as a way for them to continue to contribute to the common good
• Expand service opportunities for encore: Clinton wants to expand service opportunities for all Americans throughout their lives, with a special focus on people over age 55
• Grow Peace Corps to create additional opportunities for Americans to serve in countries around the world

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News Source: The Briefing, Palm Beach Post, CBS Miami, ABC 10

Hillary Clinton Appeals to Millennial Voters at Philadelphia Event

Hillary Clinton campaigned in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania today speaking at Temple University. Clinton focused her speech on reaching out to younger voters, particularly those of the millennial generation. She spoke about a number of her platform points that will help millennials including her plan to make a college education from a public school tuition free, her proposal to reduce the debt burden felt by former students with student loans by allowing them to refinance, and ensuring that companies provide paid time off and paid family leave. Clinton said that she is not a “showman” like Donald Trump, but “I do spend a lot of time on the details of policy, like the precise interest rate on your student loans—right down to the decimal. But that’s because it’s not a detail for you. It’s a big deal.” A video of Clinton’s speech is below.

Before the event, Clinton addressed the press regarding the recent attacks in New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota. During her remarks, Clinton spoke about the importance of fighting terrorism, but not demonizing Islam. A video of her remarks is below.

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News Source: NBC 10, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Philadelphia

Tim Kaine Pens Higher Education Op-Ed

Time magazine published an op-ed from Tim Kaine today in which he touted the education plan proposed by Hillary Clinton. Kaine writes about the rising cost of a college education and the importance of being college educated in today’s workforce. He explained that the Clinton-Kaine plan will help students reduce their current debt and will provide tuition free education to students whose families make less than $125,000 per year. Kaine says, “The Clinton-Kaine ticket is fully committed to sending every child in this country to world-class schools with great teachers, no matter where they come from. But higher education is a distinct challenge—which is why our plan will help anyone willing to work for a quality, affordable college degree.” The full text of Kaine’s op-ed is below.

When I graduated from college in 1979, education costs were manageable for many working families. By the time my own kids started college in the 2000s, it was a very different story.

So what happened?

The cost of a higher education skyrocketed by every measure. American students and graduates hold more than $1.2 trillion in debt today—and each indebted graduate can expect to owe nearly $30,000.

If you’re a current college student reading this, I want you to know that Hillary and I know what you’re going through. As the father of three, a lifelong supporter of educational opportunity for all and a former teacher at the University of Richmond’s Law School, I want to make one thing clear: We can do better.

These questions of access and affordability aren’t new to us. Hillary Clinton’s first job out of law school was working for the Children’s Defense Fund, where she went door-to-door in the fight to help kids with disabilities get the schooling they deserve. I ran a technical school in Honduras, an experience that inspired my ongoing support for those kinds of programs here at home. And my wife Anne’s decades-long career fighting for kids and families recently culminated in her service as Virginia’s Secretary of Education.

The Clinton-Kaine ticket is fully committed to sending every child in this country to world-class schools with great teachers, no matter where they come from. But higher education is a distinct challenge—which is why our plan will help anyone willing to work for a quality, affordable college degree.

Our plan would make debt-free college available to everyone, and make tuition free for in-state students from families with income under $125,000. It will free millions of Americans from the existing debt they’re struggling to pay off. And because I know that a four-year degree isn’t the only path to success, we’ll open up new opportunities for students beyond traditional degrees.

Meanwhile, institutions and states alike will have to commit to lowering costs and raising their own investments in education if they want to continue receiving federal funding. From restoring year-round Pell Grants to supporting HBCUs and on-campus childcare, our plan leverages commonsense, sustainable changes for the public good.

After all, an American with a college degree will earn about $570,000 more in their lifetime than one without—but they’ll also be expanding our national economy and building up our middle class along the way. That’s the real beauty of this plan: When everyone does their part, it’s a win-win all around.

But then there’s Donald Trump’s plan—or lack thereof.

Though he brags about his own four-year degree from an Ivy League school, he has no intention of offering anyone else the same opportunity. Trump University, currently the subject of multiple class-action lawsuits, made a mockery of higher education while its namesake and his cronies unapologetically scammed thousands of student out of thousands of dollars.

Trump has long said that the United States spends too much on education. Instead of reconsidering how that money should be spent, he wants to all but nix the Department of Education, an agency that offers an array of resources to support our most vulnerable students. Hillary wants to build on what works there; Trump wants to pull the rug out from under everyone not in his tax bracket.

Hillary and I believe passionately in advancing educational opportunity from pre-k through higher education and career and technical training. Trump chose a running mate, Mike Pence, who as Governor of Indiana turned down millions of federal dollars that could have expanded access to preschool for low-income kids and cut funding for schools serving Indiana’s most vulnerable students.

When it comes to expanding access to higher education, the choice in November is clear. We’re siding with students and with every American seeking an affordable college degree.

I hope you join us!

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News Source: Time

With Her Podcast: Episode 3: Let’s Do that Again

Hillary for America released the third episode of their podcast With Her. This week’s episode, titled “Let’s Do that Again” features a conversation between host Max Linsky and Hillary Clinton. During their conversation, they discuss what Clinton likes to read in her free time and how she balances time with friends while campaigning. You can listed to the episodes HERE or subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or your favorite Podcast app.

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News Source: Hillary for America

Meet HFA Campaign Chair John Podesta

WASHINGTON, DC — NOVEMBER 9: Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff, John Podesta, being interviewed for Discovery Channel’s, “The President’s Gatekeepers,” November 9, 2012, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

This coming week’s issue of Time magazine Hillary has a feature about Hillary for America campaign chair John Podesta. When Hillary Clinton decided to run for president in 2016, she chose Podesta to run her campaign. The Clintons have known Podesta for over two decades and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, relied on him in the White House, making him chief of staff for the final years of his administration. Podesta’s key strengths are his leadership and his meticulous planning. He has been a visual part of Clinton’s campaign and has been seen rallying volunteers and supporters, and he has taken part in a number of fundraisers. Should Clinton win the Democratic nomination in June and the White House in November, a great deal of credit will be owed to Podesta’s ability to learn from the past and long-term strategies. You can read the full the article HERE. You can also follow Podesta on Twitter @johnpodesta.

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News Source: Time

Clinton Featured in Time Magazine

In the February 18 issues of Time, Hillary Clinton is featured on the cover. The main story is an interview with Clinton by Joe Klein. During the interview, they discussed the recent Iowa caucus, health care, Republicans, her faith, and her Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders. You can read a preview of the article HERE, or check out the issue for the full interview.

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News Source: Time

Clinton Voices Support for Paris Climate Talks

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In an op-ed published in Time, Hillary Clinton voiced her support for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change which began today in Paris. Clinton called climate change a threat to the United States because it affects our economy and health. She criticized those who have denied climate change is occurring and the affect humans have had on it. The full text of Clinton’s op-ed is below.

Climate change threatens every corner of our country, every sector of our economy and the health and future of every child. We are already seeing its impacts and we know the poorest and most vulnerable people in the United States and around the world will suffer most of all.

Despite the seriousness of the threat, the world has not always rallied to respond. For years, international negotiations were stymied by deep divisions between developed and developing nations, and by resistance on the part of the Chinese and others to taking responsibility for curbing carbon pollution. While President Obama has made strong progress cutting pollution and deploying more clean energy in the United States, he faces a Republican Party that alternates between denial of the reality of climate change, defeatism about our ability to do anything about it, and outright obstruction of the tools and programs we need to solve the problem.

But President Obama remains committed to making the United States the global leader in the fight against climate change—and so do I. In Paris this week, world leaders have the best chance in years to forge a new, durable, ambitious international climate agreement. I believe they must be guided by three principles. First, all countries must take responsibility for combating this global crisis, and put forward commitments to curb their own greenhouse gas emissions. Second, the agreement should galvanize financial assistance for, and spur private investment in, developing countries to help them adapt and achieve sustainable economic growth.

And finally, it must be an agreement that can be strengthened over time. Countries should agree to come together regularly to raise their collective ambition. In the years ahead, technology will improve and become even cheaper; more companies and investors will put skin in the game; and city and state leaders will take actions that outstrip the ambitions of their capitals. Solving the climate challenge for the long term will take more than the solutions we have in 2015—it will require the new tools we build together.

In Copenhagen in 2009, President Obama and I had to burst into a secret meeting of leaders from China, India, Brazil, and South Africa to break a deadlock and deliver the first international climate agreement in which all major economies, not just the developed world, pledged to take action.

We’ve come so far since then. Over the past year, 164 countries accounting for 90 percent of global emissions have announced national targets and measures to reduce pollution that they are ready to codify in Paris, recognizing that cutting emissions and investing in clean energy isn’t just good for the planet—it’s good economic sense. The United States and China led the way with ambitious goals to cut carbon pollution and deploy more clean energy, and have already begun taking action to achieve them.

Still, getting the job done in Paris will require skillful diplomacy and robust American leadership — I know that from personal experience. As Secretary of State, I put combating climate change on the agenda for my first trip to Beijing and kept it there over the next four years. I appointed the first high-level special envoy for climate change and led an international effort to launch the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to reduce so-called “super pollutants” that make up just a fraction of emissions, but drive a disproportionate share of warming.

As President, I will protect and build on the progress President Obama has made at home. I will set ambitious goals—to see 500 million solar panels installed within four years and enough renewable electricity to power every home in America within 10 years. I’ll also pursue a new North American Climate Compact, because the United States, Canada and Mexico should work together to build a clean energy future for our continent.

And the Republican deniers, defeatists and obstructionists should know—their cynical efforts will fail. Not only are they on the wrong side of science and of history, they are increasingly on the wrong side of their own voters, as a majority of Republicans accept the science of climate change, and support solutions like clean energy.

We must reject the false choice between combating climate change and fostering strong economic growth. If any country can prove that, it’s the United States. Under President Obama, we’re leading the world in the fight against climate change. I won’t let anyone to take us backward, deny our economy the benefits of harnessing a clean energy future, or force our children to endure the catastrophe that would result from unchecked climate change.

Once again, the world looks to Paris—this time in hope. Global challenges demand global solutions. The fight against climate change will be long. It will take the efforts of every country, every industry, and every community. It will take the leadership of every President. But at last—in Paris—the framework of a lasting solution is within reach. We must seize this moment.

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News Source: Time