Hillary Clinton in Sunday Political Talk Show interviews during 2013-2015


On Abortion: Troubled by misleading allegations about Planned Parenthood

Q: Should Planned Parenthood receive funds from federal, state, or local governments?

Clinton: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is warning members of the U.S. House that she will personally urge pro-abortion President Barack Obama to veto a State Department funding bill over cuts to groups that perform and promote abortions. Clinton said, "I have seen excerpts from [the anti-Planned Parenthood videos]. And I have certainly read about them. And what I am troubled by are the misleading, inaccurate allegations about them that we heard from Republicans at their debate. This is really an attack on Planned Parenthood, which provides a lot of health services, from cancer screenings, to contraceptive services, to so many other of the needs women have."

Trump: "Planned Parenthood should absolutely be defunded. I mean if you look at what's going on with that, it's terrible. We have to take care of women. The abortion aspect of Planned Parenthood should not--absolutely should not--be funded."

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Education: Common Core is most important non-family enterprise in US

Q: Should the federal government establish Common Core as a nationwide academic standard for high school graduation?

Clinton initially responded to the question about how to fix the U.S. educational system by praising Common Core. She then said that families today are too "negative" about the current system, a system Clinton described as "the most important non-family enterprise" in the country. After noting what she described as "unfortunate" opposition to Common Core, Hillary Clinton also dismissed the concerns of Common Core opponents by saying they just "do not understand the value" of the controversial top-down curriculum.

Stein: Replace Common Core with curriculum developed by educators, not corporations, with input from parents and communities.

Trump: "I believe Common Core is a very bad thing. I think that it should be local education."

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Education: Voted against vouchers; but public school choice ok

Q: Do you agree that free-market competition for education dollars, rather than a government monopoly, would create a better education for all students.

Clinton: Does not like voucher programs. While she does support school choice as it exists as a form of public education, Clinton has always been opposed to allowing public funds to be used toward private and religious schools. As a New York Senator, Hillary Clinton voted against voucher programs in the state in 2001.

Stein: "Charter schools are not better than public schools--and in many cases they are far worse. They cherry-pick their students so they can show better test scores. The treasure of our public schools system has been assaulted by the process of privatization."

Trump: "We've got to bring on the competition--open the schoolhouse doors. Education reformers call this school choice, charter schools, vouchers, even opportunity scholarships. I call it competition--the American way."

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Education: Unconstitutional to post Ten Commandments in schools

Q: Should it be legal to display the Ten Commandments in public schools?

Clinton: In Mrs. Clinton's Senate race in 2000, Mrs. Clinton stated that the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools is a violation the Constitutional separation between church and state. Source

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Energy & Oil: Natural gas is a "bridge fuel"

Q: Should the United States meet all its energy needs domestically?

Clinton: Senate Voting Record Snapshot: YES on the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, YES on the amendment to prevent export of oil and gas produced in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005, YES on an amendment to ban drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, NO on the Energy Policy Act of 2003, YES on the Cantwell amendment to the Energy Policy Act of 2003 to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil imports by 40 percent by 2025; Energy Policy as Secretary of State: Clinton's State Department took steps to try and facilitate the export of hydraulic fracturing technology, to enable allies with promising shale geologies to replicate the U.S. oil and gas production boom; referred to natural gas as a "bridge fuel" as part of the transition from coal to renewable energy; Her energy diplomacy platform included vocal concern about geopolitical and economic risks driven by climate change.

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Government Reform: Automatic voter registration and 20-day early voting

Q: Should people be able to vote without photo identification?

Clinton called for universal and automatic voter registration and a 20-day (or more) period of early voting in every state, before every election. Clinton's speech identified the work of protecting and expanding voting rights as a critical part of her campaign. Clinton talked about the fact that African Americans consistently rank among the most deeply affected by the contours of Voter ID laws, must wait in the longest lines on Election Day and cast ballots at polling sites that very often house fewer machines and poll workers than other sites. That, Clinton told the crowd, "is no accident."

Trump: "You don't have to have voter ID to now go in and vote and it's a little bit scary." Trump says without voter ID, "people are going to walk in, they are going to vote 10 times maybe. Who knows?"

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Principles & Values: They say "religious freedom" but mean "gay discrimination"

Q: Is religious liberty is at risk in the United States?

Clinton: Denounces legislative efforts in Indiana and Arkansas that supporters say protect religious expression and opponents say discriminate against gay people. Clinton called it "sad" that Indiana would approve the law, which like the 1993 version is called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Stein: Tweeted on 5/20/16: "We're seeing politicians use 'religious freedom' as a fig leaf for discrimination. We must resist their efforts to deny inclusive services."

Trump: In June 2016, Trump delivered a message to evangelicals that if he wins the White House in November, he will fiercely defend religious freedom. In August 2015, Trump said, "There's an assault on anything having to do with Christianity. They don't want to use the word 'Christmas' anymore at department stores." t

Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on 2016 presidential hopefuls Nov 8, 2016

On Immigration: FactCheck: Yes, would increase Syrian refugees by 550%

Trump asserted that Hillary would increase Syrian refugee admissions "by 550%" -- is that accurate?

Yes, the current number of resettled Syrian refugees in the U.S. is 10,000 and Hillary proposes an increase the number to 65,000, which is indeed a 550% increase.

President Obama set a limit of 10,000 Syrian refugees for 2016, which Hillary Clinton called "a good start" on a goal of 65,000, who would be admitted after a vetting process that takes 18-24 months. A group of fourteen Senate Democrats called for the 65,000 figure in mid-2015. The total number of refugees is currently about 4.5 million, most of whom reside in temporary refugee camps. About 160,000 have been permanently re-settled worldwide, including 40,000 in Germany, 40,000 in Sweden, 31,000 elsewhere in Europe, and 10,000 in the U.S. [Sources: Al Jazeera 1/28/16 and Amnesty International and Oxfam reports]

Source: OnTheIssues Fact-Checking on 2016 presidential hopefuls Oct 9, 2016

On Principles & Values: I released 55,000 pages of email and none were classified

Q: The FBI interviewed you for over 3 hours about the use of your private email server while you were Secretary of State.

CLINTON: It was something I had offered to do since last August. I was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion.

Q: How did your private server, where you kept this classified information, how is that not a violation of this code?

CLINTON: I never received nor sent any material that was marked classified. And there is a process for the review of material before it is released to the public, I call that retroactively classifying.

Q: Who advised you that it was perfectly legal for you to have a private server?

CLINTON: I'm not going to go into any more detail than I already have in public, many times, out of respect for the process that the department is conducting. But I've been answering questions now for over a year. I've released more than 55,000 pages of my emails for the public to read for themselves.

Source: Meet the Press 2016 interviews of presidential hopefuls Jul 3, 2016

On Civil Rights: Don't fly Confederate flag; it's a symbol of racism

Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls: iSideWith.com "Confederate flag" Jun 17, 2016

On Civil Rights: Include gender identity in anti-discrimination laws

Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls: iSideWith.com "Gender identity" Jun 17, 2016

On Health Care: Assisted suicide acceptable with appropriate safeguards

Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls on iSideWith.com, "Euthanasia" Jun 17, 2016

On Education: Fix No-Child-Left-Behind with Every-Student-Succeeds-Act

President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan fix to the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The ESEA bill gives states more power over what to do with failing schools. Federally required testing is no longer tied to any federal consequences.

Rep. Bernie Sanders voted in favor of the initial NCLB bill in May 2001, but voted against the final version in December 2001. Sen. Hillary Clinton voted in favor of both the initial NCLB bill and the final bill.

On the new ESEA bill, Sanders voted for the initial bill in the Senate education committee; then voted in favor on the Senate floor and in favor of the conference committee version. Hillary Clinton announced her support for the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is widely considered a fix to No Child Left Behind's worst flaws.

Source: Washington Examiner on 2016 presidential hopefuls Dec 10, 2015

On Gun Control: Sensible restraints on manufacturer liability & online sales

I will push hard to get more sensible restraints. I want to work with Congress, but I will also look at ways as president. We must expand background checks for gun shows and online sales, and close the current loophole that negates the need for a background check after a 3-day waiting period. I will also repeal legislation that shields gun manufacturers, distributors and dealers from liability suits, even in cases of mass shootings.
Source: Fox News 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Oct 5, 2015

On Gun Control: Gun control advocates see Clinton as an ally

Gun control advocates see Clinton as "an ally who can finish the push for tightened background checks that has stalled in President Obama's second term," The Hill reports.

According to Rhode Island Public Radio, as governor, Chafee supported 2013 legislation that would have banned semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. (That legislation was watered down significantly before it passed the legislature.)

Source: Rolling Stone magazine on 2016 presidential hopefuls Jun 18, 2015

On Free Trade: TPP must produce jobs, raise wages, & protect security

An MSNBC reporter asked Clinton on April 21 whether she had concerns about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement the Obama administration is in the process of negotiating, According to CBS, Clinton responded, "Any trade deal has to produce jobs and raise wages and increase prosperity and protect our security. We have to do our part in making sure we have the capabilities and the skills to be competitive. It's got to be really a partnership between our business, our government, our workforce, the intellectual property that comes out of our universities, and we have to get back to a much more focused effort in my opinion to try to produce those capacities here at home so that we can be competitive in a global economy."
Source: National Journal 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Apr 27, 2015

On Civil Rights: Pledged to sign Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Eight years ago, LGBT voters were hungry for Hillary Clinton to make major change on their behalf when she ran for president following two terms of anti-gay attacks under the Bush administration.

Pushing her along in making commitments to advance LGBT rights was her bruising primary with then-Sen. Barack Obama, who ultimately bested her to win the Democratic nomination.

Both were largely on the same page with major requests from the LGBT community, pledging to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and sign the Employment Non-Discrimination Act into law.

But as she begins her second attempt to win the White House, most of those requests have been accomplished after more than six years of the Obama administration, which gives her less to talk about in terms of LGBT issues.

Source: Washington Blade coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Apr 15, 2015

On Health Care: The science is clear: vaccines work

As the latest measles outbreak raises alarm, the vaccination controversy is a twist on an old problem for the Republican Party: how to approach matters that have largely been settled among scientists but are not widely accepted by conservatives.

Hillary Clinton weighed in with a jab at vaccine naysayers: "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and vaccines work."

Howard Dean, a presidential candidate in 2004 and a former DNC chairman, said there are three groups of people who object to required vaccines: "One is people who are very much scared about their kids getting autism, which is an idea that has been completely discredited. Two, is entitled people who don't want to put any poison in their kids and view this as poison, which is ignorance more than anything else. And three, people who are antigovernment in any way."

"But the truth," added Dean, a physician, "is you can be conservative without putting kids in harm's way."

Source: N.Y. Times 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Feb 3, 2015

On Homeland Security: More Benghazi hearings ok only to learn what to do better

Q: There is bipartisan concern about how you handled the Benghazi attacks the killed four Americans: 13 hearings, 25,000 documents turned over. There's going to be another hearing in the House. Are you going to testify?

CLINTON: Well, that's going to be up to the people running the hearing.

Q: If they ask you, you'll go?

CLINTON: Well, we'll see what they decide to do, how they conduct themselves, whether or not this is one more travesty about the loss of four Americans or whether this is in the best tradition of the Congress, an effort to try to figure out what we can do better.

Source: ABC This Week 2014 series of 2016 presidential hopefuls Jun 8, 2014

On Principles & Values: No lingering effects of concussion; will release records

Q: Questions about your age and health have been raised by top Republicans like Karl Rove, who said: "You would not be human and not have a serious brain injury like this was and take it into consideration." How is your health?

A: It's very good, thank you.

Q: How serious was it?

A: It was a serious concussion.

Q: Blood clot in addition; and if the clot had dislodged--

A: Well, can I tell you--that was a scary point.

Q: You had trouble with vision?

A: Because of the force of the fall, I had double vision for a short period of time and I had some dizziness.

Q: So no lingering effects?

A: No lingering effects.

Q: You would release your medical records if you ran for president?

A: I would do what other candidates have done, absolutely.

Q: And age?

A: Age, yes. Isn't it great to be our age?

Q: Mitch McConnell said at one point 2016 will be the return of the Golden Girls.

A: That was a very popular, long running TV series.

Source: ABC This Week 2014 series of 2016 presidential hopefuls Jun 8, 2014

On Environment: FactCheck: No, Hillary didn't grant eminent domain to China

Claim: Secretary of State Clinton agreed to allow China to exercise "eminent domain" as collateral for American debt.

Conclusion: FALSE

Example: "The USA has tendered a written agreement which grants to the People's Republic of China, an option to exercise Eminent Domain within the USA, as collateral for China's continued purchase of US Treasury Notes! The US Embassy in Beijing CONFIRM the formal written agreement was delivered by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her recent trip to China.

Fact Check: The idea of enacting eminent domain as a form of debt repayment isn't logical, because eminent domain requires payment. It's akin to a debtor's offering to settle a $5,000 debt by agreeing to sell his creditor $5,000 worth of jewelry for $5,000: the creditor still hasn't collected anything on his original loan amount. Also, the common sense test applies: this would be the biggest new story of the day. So who is reporting this news? Not any legitimate news outlet--only blogs.

Source: Snopes.com FactCheck on 2016 presidential hopefuls Mar 8, 2009

The above quotations are from Sunday Political Talk Show interviews during 2013-2015, interviewing presidential hopefuls for 2016.
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