Clinton takes on the issues
Presidential candidates hit the hurdles
October 15, 2015
Election Day 2016 may seem like worlds away for any normal person, but the presidential hopefuls aren’t wasting a single moment in trying to set themselves apart from the crowd. A lot can change before our date with the ballot box, but, as of now, these are your front runners and how they feel about issues that matter to you.
Introducing…
Hillary Clinton
“Hillary for America”
68, Democrat, Former: Secretary of State/NY State Senator/First Lady, born in Chicago, IL
Student Debt: She unveiled her New College Compact this past August, which outlines a $350 billion plan to make two-year community colleges free, reduce the overall cost of four-year public schools, reduce new loan interest rates and refinance existing loans.
Immigration Reform: Clinton believes comprehensive reform can boost the U.S. economy and feels that it would also increase our domestic product by an estimated $700 billion over a 10-year period. She sees deportation is impractical and wants to implement a real path to citizenship for non-criminal illegal immigrants here today; however, she would stipulate that future citizens pay a fine for illegal entry, pay back taxes and learn the English language. Clinton cosponsored the DREAM Act and still supports it today.
Military Engagement: She does not support use of ground troops to combat ISIS and prefers to offer air strike assistance in the region. Clinton regrets her vote to invade Iraq and our failure to previously support Syrian rebels, which she attributes to the rise of the Islamic State. She came out strongly in favor of the Iran nuclear deal and would prioritize the use of future diplomacy over military action.
Civil Rights (BLM/LGBT): Clinton has said that “gay rights are human rights,” and although she wasn’t always as vocally on board, she is now aggressively aligned with and supported by the LGBT community. She’s recently apologized for having taken so long to stand up for same-sex marriage rights, most notably in a sketch on Saturday Night Live this past Oct. 2, where she joked that she could’ve supported it “sooner.”
Her conversations with Black Lives Matter activists have been tense at times; however, she continues to reach out to meet with them and discuss how the cause can be furthered. Her stance has been that they need a more concrete plan or they risk getting nothing but “lip service from as many white people as you can pack into Yankee Stadium…because in politics, if you can’t explain it and sell it, it stays on the shelf.”
Planned Parenthood/Abortion: Has been a consistent ally for Planned Parenthood, and women’s health issues in general. She is unapologetically pro-choice and supports Planned Parenthood funding. “When politicians talk about defunding Planned Parenthood, they’re talking about blocking millions of women, men, and young people from life-saving preventative care,” said Clinton in a video posted Aug. 3.
Drug Policy: Supports further research for medical cannabis, but is taking a “wait-and-see” approach regarding recreational legalization, citing that we still need time to evaluate the real impacts made on states already legalized.
