http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/244926-transcript-hillary-clintons-campaign-rollout-speech-in
June
13, 2015, 01:54 pm
Thank
you! Oh, thank you all! Thank you so very, very much.
It
is wonderful to be here with all of you.
To
be in New York with my family, with so many friends, including many New Yorkers
who gave me the honor of serving them in the Senate for eight years.
To
be right across the water from the headquarters of the United Nations, where I
represented our country many times.
To
be here in this beautiful park dedicated to Franklin Roosevelt’s enduring
vision of America, the nation we want to be.
And
in a place… with absolutely no ceilings.
You
know, President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms are a testament to our nation’s
unmatched aspirations and a reminder of our unfinished work at home and abroad.
His legacy lifted up a nation and inspired presidents who followed. One is the
man I served as Secretary of State, Barack Obama, and another is my husband,
Bill Clinton.
Two
Democrats guided by the -- (cheering) Oh, that will make him so happy. They
were and are two Democrats guided by the fundamental American belief that real
and lasting prosperity must be built by all and shared by all.
President
Roosevelt called on every American to do his or her part, and every American
answered. He said there’s no mystery about what it takes to build a
strong and prosperous America: “Equality of opportunity… Jobs for those who can
work… Security for those who need it… The ending of special privilege for the
few. The preservation of civil liberties for all… a wider and constantly rising
standard of living.”
That
still sounds good to me.
It’s
America’s basic bargain. If you do your part you ought to be able to get ahead.
And when everybody does their part, America gets ahead too.
That
bargain inspired generations of families, including my own.
It’s
what kept my grandfather going to work in the same Scranton lace mill every day
for 50 years.
It’s
what led my father to believe that if he scrimped and saved, his small business
printing drapery fabric in Chicago could provide us with a middle-class life.
And it did.
When
President Clinton honored the bargain, we had the longest peacetime expansion
in history, a balanced budget, and the first time in decades we all grew
together, with the bottom 20 percent of workers increasing their incomes by the
same percentage as the top 5 percent.
When
President Obama honored the bargain, we pulled back from the brink of
Depression, saved the auto industry, provided health care to 16 million working
people, and replaced the jobs we lost faster than after a financial crash.
But,
it’s not 1941, or 1993, or even 2009. We face new challenges in our economy and
our democracy.
We’re
still working our way back from a crisis that happened because time-tested
values were replaced by false promises.
Instead
of an economy built by every American, for every American, we were told that if
we let those at the top pay lower taxes and bend the rules, their success would
trickle down to everyone else.
What
happened?
Well,
instead of a balanced budget with surpluses that could have eventually paid off
our national debt, the Republicans twice cut taxes for the wealthiest, borrowed
money from other countries to pay for two wars, and family incomes dropped. You
know where we ended up.
Except
it wasn’t the end.
As
we have since our founding, Americans made a new beginning.
You
worked extra shifts, took second jobs, postponed home repairs... you figured
out how to make it work. And now people are beginning to think about their
future again – going to college, starting a business, buying a house, finally
being able to put away something for retirement.
So
we’re standing again. But, we all know we’re not yet running the way America
should.
You
see corporations making record profits, with CEOs making record pay, but your
paychecks have barely budged.
While
many of you are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, you see the top 25
hedge fund managers making more than all of America’s kindergarten teachers
combined. And, often paying a lower tax rate.
So,
you have to wonder: “When does my hard work pay off? When does my family get
ahead?”
“When?”
I
say now.
Prosperity
can’t be just for CEOs and hedge fund managers.
Democracy
can’t be just for billionaires and corporations.
Prosperity
and democracy are part of your basic bargain too.
You
brought our country back.
Now
it’s time -- your time to secure the gains and move ahead.
And,
you know what?
America
can’t succeed unless you succeed.
That
is why I am running for President of the United States.
Here,
on Roosevelt Island, I believe we have a continuing rendezvous with destiny.
Each American and the country we cherish.
I’m
running to make our economy work for you and for every American.
For
the successful and the struggling.
For
the innovators and inventors.
For
those breaking barriers in technology and discovering cures for diseases.
For
the factory workers and food servers who stand on their feet all day.
For
the nurses who work the night shift.
For
the truckers who drive for hours and the farmers who feed us.
For
the veterans who served our country.
For
the small business owners who took a risk.
For
everyone who’s ever been knocked down, but refused to be knocked out.
I’m
not running for some Americans, but for all Americans.
Our
country’s challenges didn’t begin with the Great Recession and they won’t end
with the recovery.
For
decades, Americans have been buffeted by powerful currents.
Advances
in technology and the rise of global trade have created whole new areas of
economic activity and opened new markets for our exports, but they have also
displaced jobs and undercut wages for millions of Americans.
The
financial industry and many multi-national corporations have created huge
wealth for a few by focusing too much on short-term profit and too little on
long-term value… too much on complex trading schemes and stock buybacks, too
little on investments in new businesses, jobs, and fair compensation.
Our
political system is so paralyzed by gridlock and dysfunction that most
Americans have lost confidence that anything can actually get done. And they’ve
lost trust in the ability of both government and Big Business to change course.
Now,
we can blame historic forces beyond our control for some of this, but the
choices we’ve made as a nation, leaders and citizens alike, have also played a
big role.
Our
next President must work with Congress and every other willing partner across our
entire country. And I will do just that -- to turn the tide so these currents
start working for us more than against us.
At
our best, that’s what Americans do. We’re problem solvers, not deniers. We
don’t hide from change, we harness it.
But
we can’t do that if we go back to the top-down economic policies that failed us
before.
Americans
have come too far to see our progress ripped away.
Now,
there may be some new voices in the presidential Republican choir, but they’re
all singing the same old song...
A
song called “Yesterday.”
You
know the one -- all our troubles look as though they’re here to stay … and we
need a place to hide away… They believe in yesterday.
And
you’re lucky I didn’t try singing that, too, I'll tell you!
These
Republicans trip over themselves promising lower taxes for the wealthy and
fewer rules for the biggest corporations without regard for how that will make
income inequality even worse.
We’ve
heard this tune before. And we know how it turns out.
Ask
many of these candidates about climate change, one of the defining threats of
our time, and they’ll say: “I’m not a scientist.” Well, then, why don’t they
start listening to those who are?
They
pledge to wipe out tough rules on Wall Street, rather than rein in the banks
that are still too risky, courting future failures. In a case that can only be
considered mass amnesia.
They
want to take away health insurance from more than 16 million Americans without
offering any credible alternative.
They
shame and blame women, rather than respect our right to make our own
reproductive health decisions.
They
want to put immigrants, who work hard and pay taxes, at risk of deportation.
And
they turn their backs on gay people who love each other.
Fundamentally,
they reject what it takes to build an inclusive economy. It takes an
inclusive society. What I once called “a village” that has a place for
everyone.
Now,
my values and a lifetime of experiences have given me a different vision for
America.
I
believe that success isn’t measured by how much the wealthiest Americans have,
but by how many children climb out of poverty...
How
many start-ups and small businesses open and thrive…
How
many young people go to college without drowning in debt… (
How
many people find a good job…
How
many families get ahead and stay ahead.
I
didn’t learn this from politics. I learned it from my own family.
My
mother taught me that everybody needs a chance and a champion. She knew what it
was like not to have either one.
Her
own parents abandoned her, and by 14 she was out on her own, working as a
housemaid. Years later, when I was old enough to understand, I asked what kept
her going.
You
know what her answer was? Something very simple: Kindness from someone who
believed she mattered.
The
1st grade teacher who saw she had nothing to eat at lunch and, without
embarrassing her, brought extra food to share.
The
woman whose house she cleaned letting her go to high school so long as her work
got done. That was a bargain she leapt to accept.
And,
because some people believed in her, she believed in me.
That's
why I believe with all my heart in America and in the potential of every
American.
To
meet every challenge.
To
be resilient… no matter what the world throws at you.
To
solve the toughest problems.
I
believe we can do all these things because I’ve seen it happen.
As
a young girl, I signed up at my Methodist Church to babysit the children of
Mexican farmworkers, while their parents worked in the fields on the weekends.
And later, as a law student, I advocated for Congress to require better working
and living conditions for farm workers whose children deserved better
opportunities.
My
first job out of law school was for the Children’s Defense Fund. I walked
door-to-door to find out how many children with disabilities couldn’t go to
school, and to help build the case for a law guaranteeing them access to
education.
As
a leader of the Legal Services Corporation, I defended the right of poor people
to have a lawyer. And saw lives changed because an abusive marriage ended or an
illegal eviction stopped.
In
Arkansas, I supervised law students who represented clients in courts and
prisons, organized scholarships for single parents going to college, led
efforts for better schools and health care, and personally knew the people
whose lives were improved.
As
Senator, I had the honor of representing brave firefighters, police officers,
EMTs, construction workers, and volunteers who ran toward danger on 9/11 and
stayed there, becoming sick themselves.
It
took years of effort, but Congress finally approved the health care they
needed.
There
are so many faces and stories that I carry with me of people who gave their
best and then needed help themselves.
Just
weeks ago, I met another person like that, a single mom juggling a job and
classes at community college, while raising three kids.
She
doesn’t expect anything to come easy. But she did ask me: What more can be done
so it isn’t quite so hard for families like hers?
I
want to be her champion and your champion.
If
you’ll give me the chance, I’ll wage and win Four Fights for you.
The
first is to make the economy work for everyday Americans, not just those at the
top.
To
make the middle class mean something again, with rising incomes and broader
horizons. And to give the poor a chance to work their way into it.
The
middle class needs more growth and more fairness. Growth and fairness go
together. For lasting prosperity, you can’t have one without the other.
Is
this possible in today’s world?
I
believe it is or I wouldn’t be standing here.
Do
I think it will be easy? Of course not.
But,
here’s the good news: There are allies for change everywhere who know we can’t
stand by while inequality increases, wages stagnate, and the promise of America
dims. We should welcome the support of all Americans who want to go forward
together with us.
There
are public officials who know Americans need a better deal.
Business
leaders who want higher pay for employees, equal pay for women and no
discrimination against the LGBT community either.
There
are leaders of finance who want less short-term trading and more long-term
investing.
There
are union leaders who are investing their own pension funds in putting people
to work to build tomorrow’s economy. We need everyone to come to the table and
work with us.
In
the coming weeks, I’ll propose specific policies to:
Reward
businesses who invest in long term value rather than the quick buck – because
that leads to higher growth for the economy, higher wages for workers, and yes,
bigger profits, everybody will have a better time.
I
will rewrite the tax code so it rewards hard work and investments here at home,
not quick trades or stashing profits overseas.
I
will give new incentives to companies that give their employees a fair share of
the profits their hard work earns.
We
will unleash a new generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners by
providing tax relief, cutting red tape, and making it easier to get a small
business loan.
We
will restore America to the cutting edge of innovation, science, and research
by increasing both public and private investments.
And
we will make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.
Developing
renewable power – wind, solar, advanced biofuels…
Building
cleaner power plants, smarter electric grids, greener buildings…
Using
additional fees and royalties from fossil fuel extraction to protect the
environment…
And
ease the transition for distressed communities to a more diverse and
sustainable economic future from coal country to Indian country, from small
towns in the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley to our inner cities, we
have to help our fellow Americans.
Now,
this will create millions of jobs and countless new businesses, and enable
America to lead the global fight against climate change.
We
will also connect workers to their jobs and businesses. Customers will have a
better chance to actually get where they need and get what they desire with
roads, railways, bridges, airports, ports, and broadband brought up to global standards
for the 21st century.
We
will establish an infrastructure bank and sell bonds to pay for some of these
improvements.
Now,
building an economy for tomorrow also requires investing in our most important
asset, our people, beginning with our youngest.
That’s
why I will propose that we make preschool and quality childcare available to
every child in America.
And
I want you to remember this, because to me, this is absolutely the
most-compelling argument why we should do this. Research tells us how much
early learning in the first five years of life can impact lifelong success. In
fact, 80 percent of the brain is developed by age three.
One
thing I’ve learned is that talent is universal – you can find it anywhere – but
opportunity is not. Too many of our kids never have the chance to learn and
thrive as they should and as we need them to.
Our
country won’t be competitive or fair if we don’t help more families give their
kids the best possible start in life.
So
let’s staff our primary and secondary schools with teachers who are second to
none in the world, and receive the respect they deserve for sparking the love
of learning in every child.
Let’s
make college affordable and available to all …and lift the crushing burden of
student debt.
Let’s
provide lifelong learning for workers to gain or improve skills the economy
requires, setting up many more Americans for success.
Now,
the second fight is to strengthen America’s families, because when our families
are strong, America is strong.
And
today’s families face new and unique pressures. Parents need more support and
flexibility to do their job at work and at home.
I
believe you should have the right to earn paid sick days.
I
believe you should receive your work schedule with enough notice to arrange
childcare or take college courses to get ahead.
I
believe you should look forward to retirement with confidence, not
anxiety.
That
you should have the peace of mind that your health care will be there when you
need it, without breaking the bank.
I
believe we should offer paid family leave so no one has to choose between
keeping a paycheck and caring for a new baby or a sick relative.
And
it is way past time to end the outrage of so many women still earning less than
men on the job (cheers, applause) -- and women of color often making even less.
This
isn’t a women’s issue. It’s a family issue. Just like raising the minimum wage
is a family issue. Expanding childcare is a family issue. Declining marriage
rates is a family issue. The unequal rates of incarceration is a family issue.
Helping more people with an addiction or a mental health problem get help is a
family issue.
In
America, every family should feel like they belong.
So
we should offer hard-working, law-abiding immigrant families a path to
citizenship. Not second-class status.
And,
we should ban discrimination against LGBT Americans and their families so they
can live, learn, marry, and work just like everybody else.
You
know, America’s diversity, our openness, our devotion to human rights and
freedom is what’s drawn so many to our shores. What’s inspired people all over
the world. I know. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
And
these are also qualities that prepare us well for the demands of a world that
is more interconnected than ever before.
So
we have a third fight: to harness all of America’s power, smarts, and values to
maintain our leadership for peace, security, and prosperity.
No
other country on Earth is better positioned to thrive in the 21st century. No
other country is better equipped to meet traditional threats from countries
like Russia, North Korea, and Iran – and to deal with the rise of new powers
like China.
No
other country is better prepared to meet emerging threats from cyber attacks,
transnational terror networks like ISIS, and diseases that spread across oceans
and continents.
As
your President, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Americans safe.
And
if you look over my left shoulder you can see the new World Trade Center
soaring skyward.
As
a Senator from New York, I dedicated myself to getting our city and state the
help we needed to recover. And as a member of the Armed Services Committee, I
worked to maintain the best-trained, best-equipped, strongest military, ready
for today’s threats and tomorrow’s.
And
when our brave men and women come home from war or finish their service, I’ll
see to it that they get not just the thanks of a grateful nation, but the care
and benefits they’ve earned.
I’ve
stood up to adversaries like Putin and reinforced allies like Israel. I was in
the Situation Room on the day we got bin Laden.
But,
I know -- I know we have to be smart as well as strong.
Meeting
today’s global challenges requires every element of America's power, including
skillful diplomacy, economic influence, and building partnerships to improve
lives around the world with people, not just their governments.
There
are a lot of trouble spots in the world, but there’s a lot of good news out there
too.
I
believe the future holds far more opportunities than threats if we exercise
creative and confident leadership that enables us to shape global events rather
than be shaped by them.
And
we all know that in order to be strong in the world, though, we first have to
be strong at home. That’s why we have to win the fourth fight – reforming our
government and revitalizing our democracy so that it works for everyday
Americans.
We
have to stop the endless flow of secret, unaccountable money that is distorting
our elections, corrupting our political process, and drowning out the voices of
our people.
We
need Justices on the Supreme Court who will protect every citizen’s right to
vote, rather than every corporation’s right to buy elections.
If
necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment to undo the Supreme
Court’s decision in Citizens United.
I
want to make it easier for every citizen to vote. That's why I've proposed
universal, automatic registration and expanded early voting.
I’ll
fight back against Republican efforts to disempower and disenfranchise young
people, poor people, people with disabilities, and people of color.
What
part of democracy are they afraid of?
No
matter how easy we make it to vote, we still have to give Americans something
worth voting for.
Government
is never going to have all the answers – but it has to be smarter, simpler,
more efficient, and a better partner.
That
means access to advanced technology so government agencies can more effectively
serve their customers, the American people.
We
need expertise and innovation from the private sector to help cut waste and
streamline services.
There’s
so much that works in America. For every problem we face, someone somewhere in
America is solving it. Silicon Valley cracked the code on sharing and scaling a
while ago. Many states are pioneering new ways to deliver services. I want to
help Washington catch up.
To
do that, we need a political system that produces results by solving problems
that hold us back, not one overwhelmed by extreme partisanship and
inflexibility.
Now,
I’ll always seek common ground with friend and opponent alike. But I’ll also
stand my ground when I must.
That’s
something I did as Senator and Secretary of State -- whether it was working
with Republicans to expand health care for children and for our National Guard,
or improve our foster care and adoption system, or pass a treaty to reduce the
number of Russian nuclear warheads that could threaten our cities -- and it’s
something I will always do as your President.
We
Americans may differ, bicker, stumble, and fall; but we are at our best when we
pick each other up, when we have each other’s back.
Like
any family, our American family is strongest when we cherish what we have in
common, and fight back against those who would drive us apart.
People
all over the world have asked me: “How could you and President Obama work
together after you fought so hard against each other in that long
campaign?”
Now,
that is an understandable question considering that in many places, if you lose
an election you could get imprisoned or exiled – even killed – not hired as
Secretary of State.
But
President Obama asked me to serve, and I accepted because we both love our
country. That’s how we do it in America.
With
that same spirit, together, we can win these four fights.
We
can build an economy where hard work is rewarded.
We
can strengthen our families.
We
can defend our country and increase our opportunities all over the world.
And
we can renew the promise of our democracy.
If
we all do our part. In our families, in our businesses, unions, houses of
worship, schools, and, yes, in the voting booth.
I
want you to join me in this effort. Help me build this campaign and make
it your own.
Talk
to your friends, your family, your neighbors.
Text
“JOIN” J-O-I-N to 4-7-2-4-6.
Go
to hillaryclinton.com and sign up to make calls and knock on doors.
It’s
no secret that we’re going up against some pretty powerful forces that will do
and spend whatever it takes to advance a very different vision for America. But
I’ve spent my life fighting for children, families, and our country. And I’m
not stopping now.
You
know, I know how hard this job is. I’ve seen it up close and personal.
All
our Presidents come into office looking so vigorous. And then we watch their
hair grow grayer and grayer.
Well,
I may not be the youngest candidate in this race. But I will be the youngest
woman President in the history of the United States!
And
the first grandmother as well.
And
one additional advantage: You’re won’t see my hair turn white in the White
House. I’ve been coloring it for years!
So
I’m looking forward to a great debate among Democrats, Republicans, and
Independents. I’m not running to be a President only for those Americans who
already agree with me. I want to be a President for all Americans.
And
along the way, I'll just let you in on this little secret. I won’t get
everything right. Lord knows I’ve made my share of mistakes. Well,
there’s no shortage of people pointing them out!
And
I certainly haven’t won every battle I’ve fought. But leadership means
perseverance and hard choices. You have to push through the setbacks and
disappointments and keep at it.
I
think you know by now that I’ve been called many things by many people --
“quitter” is not one of them.
Like
so much else in my life, I got this from my mother.
When
I was a girl, she never let me back down from any bully or barrier. In her
later years, Mom lived with us, and she was still teaching me the same lessons.
I’d come home from a hard day at the Senate or the State Department, sit down
with her at the small table in our breakfast nook, and just let everything pour
out. And she would remind me why we keep fighting, even when the odds are long
and the opposition is fierce.
I
can still hear her saying: “Life’s not about what happens to you, it’s about
what you do with what happens to you – so get back out there.”
She
lived to be 92 years old, and I often think about all the battles she witnessed
over the course of the last century -- all the progress that was won because
Americans refused to give up or back down.
She
was born on June 4, 1919 -- before women in America had the right to vote. But
on that very day, after years of struggle, Congress passed the Constitutional
Amendment that would change that forever.
The
story of America is a story of hard-fought, hard-won progress. And it continues
today. New chapters are being written by men and women who believe that all of
us – not just some, but all – should have the chance to live up to our
God-given potential.
Not
only because we’re a tolerant country, or a generous country, or a
compassionate country, but because we’re a better, stronger, more prosperous
country when we harness the talent, hard work, and ingenuity of every single
American.
I
wish my mother could have been with us longer. I wish she could have seen
Chelsea become a mother herself. I wish she could have met Charlotte.
I
wish she could have seen the America we’re going to build together.
An
America, where if you do your part, you reap the rewards.
Where
we don’t leave anyone out, or anyone behind.
An
America where a father can tell his daughter: yes, you can be anything you want
to be. Even President of the United States.
Thank
you all. God bless you. And may God bless America.
