“I’M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT BECAUSE EVERYDAY AMERICANS AND THEIR FAMILIES NEED A CHAMPION AND I WANT TO BE THAT CHAMPION. I WANT FAMILIES TO DO MORE THAN JUST GET BY—I WANT YOU TO GET AHEAD AND STAY AHEAD.
On May 15, 2015, Hillary Clinton published her platform for her candidacy for President of the United States:
The deck is stacked for those at the top
Americans have come back from the financial crisis. Our economy and our country are stronger because families saved and sacrificed to make it work. Today, more people are getting by, but they are still not getting ahead. At the same time, the top 25 hedge fund managers make more than all the kindergarten teachers in the country combined, and the top CEOs earn 300 times more than a typical American worker. It’s time for everyday Americans to share in growth and prosperity.
Wages for working Americans are stagnant
The costs of child care, higher education, and health care have increased—but wages for everyday Americans have not. Even though American workers are more productive now than at any other time in history, they are not seeing the value of their work reflected in their paychecks.
Young people are struggling under crushing student debt
Tuition costs keep rising, while state investment in higher education on a per-student basis has declined. As a result, students and families are borrowing more, and total student debt has surpassed $1.1 trillion. Many view college as out of reach—or wonder why they must incur so much debt to get the skills they need.
The annual cost of child care exceeds the cost of housing and college for many families
Quality, affordable child care is a lifeline for working parents—and an essential component of early development for kids. Yet, across the country the cost of child care is rising, making high-quality care harder to afford for many working families.
This is a crucial moment for small businesses
In the next few years, the largest segment of the workforce will reach peak entrepreneurial age—but they risk being held back by the aftermath of the financial crisis. We have to make starting and growing a business an opportunity instead of a gamble.
The basic bargain of America
Everyone who works hard and does their part should see that work reflected in a rising paycheck. To increase wages, we need to invest in stronger growth, ensure that gains do not just go to those at the top, and open paths to good jobs for more Americans. We need an economy that works for everyone.
Invest in an economy that works for working Americans
We will make the necessary investments in infrastructure, research, and education to put people to work today and grow our economy for tomorrow. Increased investment will lead to economic growth, that in turn will increase wages and boost bottom lines for both families and American businesses.
Tax relief for working families
Too many working families are struggling. We will provide tax relief to help those families keep up with the rising costs of child care, education, and health care. After decades of stagnant wages, Americans need a break.
Raise the minimum wage
A higher minimum wage doesn’t just help those at the bottom of the pay scale, it has a ripple effect across the economy and helps millions of American workers afford basic necessities. As we work to raise the federal minimum wage, we will also support workers, states, and cities in their efforts to go above the federal floor when it makes sense to do so.
Protect the right to organize
The right to organize is a fundamental right of workers that is being eroded by the courts and Republican attacks. We will ensure workers have the collective bargaining power they need to fight for the fair wages and benefits they have earned.
Total student loan debt has reached an all-time record of more than $1.1 trillion
Secure a foundation for working families
If we want American families to get ahead, we must first ensure they can afford the foundation they need to meet their potential. That means making college, child care, and health care more affordable.
Make college affordable and attainable
Every family should be able to afford college without racking up crushing debt. Education is supposed to lift young people up, not drag them down. We will—finally and forever—make college affordable and available.
Provide quality child care
Child care is a critical issue when it comes to our economy, our families, and our children’s future. We will make quality, affordable child care a national priority to give working families the support they need and give our children the opportunities they deserve.
Defend the Affordable Care Act and reduce health costs
We will slow the growth of overall health care costs and deliver better care to patients. And we will ensure that the savings from those reforms benefit families—not just insurance companies, drug companies, and large corporations.
Build savings and retire with dignity
Working families should be able to save throughout their lives so that they can send their kids to college and retire with dignity. We will defend Social Security from Republican attempts to cut or privatize the program. And we will explore ways to enhance Social Security to meet new realities, particularly for women.
I want to be a small business president. A president who makes it easier to start and run a small business in this country, so it seems less like a gamble and more like an opportunity. We have to level the playing field for our small businesses.
HILLARY CLINTON
MAY 19, 2015
A President for small business
Small businesses all over the country are ready to grow and hire, and entrepreneurs are ready to venture out on their own—if they can just get that next loan, enter a new market, or have one less form to fill out. We will make it easier to start and run a small business in this country.
Cut red tape
We will launch a nationwide effort to cut red tape for small businesses at every level of government. It shouldn’t take longer to start a small business in the United States than it does in France, Canada, or South Korea.
Provide tax relief
America’s smallest businesses, those with 1-5 employees, spend 150 hours and $1,100 per employee to comply with federal taxes. That’s more than 20 times higher than the average for much larger firms. We will simplify tax filing and provide targeted tax relief for small businesses—not big corporations that can afford lawyers and lobbyists.
Tap new markets
Every small business in America should be able to enter new markets—whether it’s across town, across the city, or across the world. Some American businesses are already doing this through innovative new platforms, like Etsy and eBay, that let them sell anywhere in America and the world. We will encourage this kind of innovation.
Improve access to capital
We will leverage the best ideas from the private sector and government to give small business owners access to financing to build, grow, and hire. And we will ease burdens on community banks that provide credit to small business owners and families looking to invest in their futures. We will do this without compromising protections for consumers or introducing new risks into the financial system. The big banks don’t need relief from Washington—small banks and small businesses do.
Corporations are not responsible only to their shareholders and the next quarterly earnings report. They’re responsible to their workers, their customers, their communities, and our country. Investing in the long term may mean passing up a quick buck today—but it ultimately means higher growth for the economy, higher wages for workers, and higher profits for the bottom line.
Rewarding businesses that invest in their workers
We will encourage profit-sharing in the private sector so that workers can benefit from the record profits they’re helping to produce. And we will reform our tax code to reward businesses that invest in workers and production here in America, rather than shifting jobs and investments overseas.
Helping Americans succeed at work and at home
When workers feel secure, they are more productive, efficient, and successful. So we will make sure they don’t have to choose between keeping their jobs and taking care of themselves, a child, or a sick family member. We will work to make sure they receive their schedules with enough notice to arrange child care. And we will finally raise the minimum wage.
Rein in Wall Street
Just seven years ago, our country was rocked by a crisis on Wall Street. Through no fault of their own, families lost jobs, homes, and dreams. Yet the financial lobby and Republicans in Congress have shown that they are committed to unraveling the key reforms the Dodd-Frank Act put in place to protect consumers and keep a crisis like this from happening again. We will defend Dodd-Frank against attacks and take additional steps to rein in banks that are still too big and too risky.
Power the economy of tomorrow
America must lead the world in developing and deploying new clean energy sources that will power our economy, protect the health of our families, and address the global threat of climate change. Some doubt our capacity to rise to this challenge and want to keep us trapped in the energy economy of the past—but every single day the ingenuity of the American people proves the cynics wrong. States, cities, and rural communities are investing in a future built on clean and efficient energy that spurs small business growth, reduces pollution, creates good jobs, and lowers energy bills. We will secure the gains already made, and continue our progress in making the United States a clean energy superpower.
THE FEED
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FROM THE TRAIL
“We can’t hide from hard truths on race”
Read Hillary’s call to action to take on systemic racism in America and move forward together after Charleston.
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FROM THE TRAIL
“We should make it easier to vote.”
During a speech at Texas Southern University in Houston, Hillary Clinton called for expanding Americans’ voting rights while decrying Republican efforts to restrict them.
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ORGANIZING
Our grassroots campaign by the numbers
50 organizers in the early states. 3,874 one-on-one meetings. 11,869 commitments to volunteer. And more to come!
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FROM THE TRAIL
“I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform.”
At a roundtable discussion at Rancho High School in Nevada, Hillary Clinton had a conversation with DREAMers about her commitment to fighting for young people and their families.
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FROM THE TRAIL
Hillary in SC: When families are strong, America is strong.
Hillary makes the case for equal pay.
