Hillary Clinton in Take Back America 2007 Conference
On Abortion:
Lift ban on stem cell research to cure devastating diseases
Later today, the president will veto a bill passed by Congress to support stem cell research. I co-chair the Alzheimer’s Caucus in the Senate. I’ve worked on helping to boost funding for research to look for cures and a way to prevent so many devastating
diseases. And we know that stem cell research holds the key to our understanding more about what we can do. When I am president, I will lift the ban on stem cell research. This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Budget & Economy:
Balanced budget replaced with rising costs & falling wages
Families are struggling with rising costs and falling wages. They’re working harder than ever in the last six years. Productivity has gone up 18%, but the average family income has fallen $1,300. We have now more than
45 million people living without health care, and millions more who are underinsured. We have 12 million children living in poverty. We have more people going bankrupt last year than graduating from college.
Yet these are all invisible to the president and his administration. And we know that for those who worry about passing on this huge debt that has been blown up in the last six years--because remember,
six years ago we had a balanced budget and a surplus--well, if you’re a grandparent worried about passing that debt on to your grandchildren, you’re invisible.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Corporations:
Enough with corporate welfare; enough with golden parachutes
Let’s finally do something about the growing economic inequality that is tearing our country apart. The top 1% of our households hold 22% of our nation’s wealth. That is the highest concentration of wealth in a very small number of people since 1929. So
let’s close that gap. Let’s start holding corporate America responsible, make them pay their fair share again. Enough with the corporate welfare. Enough with the golden parachutes. And enough with the tax incentives for companies to shift jobs overseas.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Corporations:
Close lobbyists’ revolving door; end no-bid contracts
I believe that the foundation of a strong economy doesn’t begin with giving people who are already privileged and wealthy even more benefits. I think it comes from shared prosperity.Let’s start by cleaning up the government, replacing this culture of
corruption and cronyism with a culture of competence and caring again. Let’s stop outsourcing critical government functions to private companies that overcharge and underperform! Let’s close the revolving door between government and the lobbying shop,
and let’s end the no-bid contracts for Halliburton and the other well-connected companies!
And how about the radical idea of appointing people who are actually qualified for the positions that we ask them to hold for us!
Well, when I’m president, the entrance to the White House will no longer be a revolving door for the well connected, but a door of opportunity for the well qualified.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Education:
Establish right to education from pre-school thru college
Let’s recommit ourselves to the idea that every young person in America has the right to a high-quality education, from pre-school all the way through college. I have proposed universal pre-kindergarten for every 4-year-old.
If we provide that, the evidence is overwhelming, children will stay in school longer, they will do better, and they’ll stay out of trouble. Because you know what?
There are states in our country who actually plan how many prison beds they will need by looking at third grade reading scores. They look at the failure rates and they extrapolate how many prison spots they’re going to need in 10 to 15 years.
Well, I think it is time that we had a real debate about that. And I, for one, would much rather pay for pre-kindergarten than for more prison beds. Let’s keep kids on the right track and out of the prison system.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Government Reform:
Create a public service academy, like military academy
When I’m president, the entrance to the White House will no longer be a revolving door for the well connected, but a door of opportunity for the well qualified. We’re going to enlist young people once again serving their government.
I have proposed a public service academy, just like our military academy. Let’s start sending young people to school to serve America in another way!
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Government Reform:
Count Every Vote Act: end voting discrimination by race
In the past two presidential elections, we saw people turned away from the polls or discouraged from voting. We saw ballots mysteriously lost in state after state. It is inconceivable that in 2007 African Americans would have to wait in line for
10 hours to vote, while whites in the affluent precinct next door waited 10 minutes; or that students at a college would be fundamentally discriminated against and not given their right to vote by being denied even the right to register or the equipment
that they would need to do so.That is why I’ve introduced the Count Every Vote Act in the Senate because I want to make sure that we are not embarrassed again as a nation.
We are the oldest democracy in the world, and we need to act like it and restore integrity to our electoral process. Our democracy requires nothing less.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Homeland Security:
Administration secrecy shreds the Constitution
Our Constitution is being shredded. We know about the secret wiretaps, the secret military tribunals, the secret White House e-mail accounts. We’ve seen U.S. attorneys fired to silence them because they didn’t bring bogus lawsuits against Democrats
during election years. We’ve seen information taken off of government websites. It is a stunning record of secrecy and corruption, of cronyism run amok. It is everything our founders were afraid of, everything our Constitution was designed to prevent.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Jobs:
Stand up for unions; organize for fair wages
Let’s make sure the people who work hard every day can actually support their families and save for the future. That means standing up for our unions again--understanding that there’s a connection between unions and the middle class.
When I’m president, we’re going to stand up for unions. We’re going to make sure they can organize for fair wages and good working conditions. And we’re going to appoint people to the Department of Labor who are actually pro-labor for a change.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On Principles & Values:
New progressive vision for the 21st century
What we need is a new progressive vision for the 21st century. We have to do that by setting big goals for our country. - Let’s start by cleaning up the government, replacing this culture of corruption and cronyism with a culture of competence and
caring again.
- Let’s finally do something about the growing economic inequality that is tearing our country apart. [We currently have] the highest concentration of wealth in a very small number of people since 1929, which was not a good year for
America. So let’s close that gap.
- Let’s make sure every single American has the most fundamental benefit there is. It is not a privilege, it is a right--quality affordable health care for every single man, woman and child in America.
- Let’s recommit
ourselves to the idea that every young person in America has the right to a high-quality education, from pre- school all the way through college.
- [Let’s stand] up for science and supporting scientists --to retain our economic lead in the world.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
On War & Peace:
Deauthorize Iraq war, and don’t grant new war authority
The American military has done its job. Look at what they accomplished. They got rid of Saddam Hussein, they gave the Iraqis a chance for free and fair elections, they gave the Iraqi government the chance to give the people of Iraq a better future.
Now, I see the signs “Lead us out of Iraq now.” That is what we are trying to do. I have joined with Senator Byrd to sponsor legislation to deauthorize this war. The point of our proposal is very simple:
To end the president’s authority for the war and force him to seek new authority.
If he thinks that he can get any kind of authority through the Congress, I think that he’s mistaken. But we need to end the authority that he is currently operating
under, in order to strip him of the legitimacy of going forward with his policy. When I’m president, we are going to have a different foreign policy. We’re going to start talking to people again. We’re going to start rebuilding our alliances again.
Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Jun 20, 2007
Page last updated: Feb 25, 2019