Blogs for Hillary

Stem Cell Research Update

2006-07-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I wanted to write you with a quick update on the vote to override President Bush's veto of the stem cell research bill.

Unfortunately, last night the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives pushed a very quick vote on the override. Their strategy was to hold a vote before the public -- which has consistently supported stem cell research by huge margins -- could weigh in. While a large majority voted to overturn President Bush's veto in a 235 to 193 vote, they fell short of the two-thirds majority required.

So President Bush's veto will stand, keeping huge obstacles in the way of future stem cell research.

Make no mistake: this fight is far from over. Hillary, who co-sponsored the bill passed by Congress, will continue to speak out on this issue and make it a top priority. We must keep fighting for additional funding for stem cell research and eliminate the arbitrary restrictions President Bush has put on the scientists who are pursuing tomorrow's cures.

We must also intensify our efforts to elect as many Democrats as we can to the House and Senate this November. Across the country, Democratic candidates are speaking out about this issue, making it a top priority in the 2006 elections. When we have Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, you can bet we'll pass this legislation again.

We've updated our online action. You can still show your support for this vital research that holds so much potential for so many families. I urge you to sign on in support of stem cell research and to tell your friends and family to join you.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/stemcellresearch

Thank you for your support.

Jesse Berney
Internet Director
Friends of Hillary

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Stem Cell Research, Presidential Veto, Bush, Congress, Politics

Time To Save Lives

2006-07-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

A few minutes ago, George W. Bush used his presidential veto for the very first time when he overturned a bill passed by Congress that would expand desperately needed federal funding for stem cell research.

Think about that for a moment. For five and a half years, Bush never saw fit to veto a single bill. But now, when Congress votes to support research that could save millions of lives, Bush breaks out his veto stamp for the first time.

Stem cell research has shown promise in treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, cancer, spinal cord damage, and countless other conditions and injuries. It could change the lives of every family affected by them -- spouses, parents, children. But with one small action, Bush has robbed millions of Americans and their families of hope for effective treatments.

It is indefensible that President Bush's first veto could cost of millions of lives. We need to stop him.

It's up to Congress to overturn the veto and restore the hope Bush has taken away. But that won't happen without a huge outpouring of public support to garner the votes we need in the House and Senate. Sign on today to stand with Hillary in favor of overturning Bush's stem cell veto.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/stemcellresearch

President Bush had a choice. He could use his authority to put America on the side of life-saving science and research, or he could issue his first-ever veto to stop research, denying hope to millions of Americans. It's clear he chose wrong.

I doubt there's a single one of us whose life hasn't been touched by a disease or an injury that stem-cell research could one day help alleviate or even cure. With virtually limitless promise, this research is far too important for arbitrary restrictions.

Join Hillary in support of stem cell research and tell Congress to overturn Bush's unconscionable veto.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/stemcellresearch

Thanks for your support, and please be sure to spread the word to your family and friends.

Jesse Berney
Internet Director
Friends of Hillary

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Stem Cell Research, Presidential Veto, Bush, Congress, Politics

It's Just Not Fair

2006-07-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It's a matter of simple fairness. Since 1997, members of Congress have refused to give minimum wage workers a raise - not one penny - while voting to give themselves more than $30,000 in raises.

Here's the bottom line: The minimum wage is just $5.15 an hour. That means that someone working a full-time job, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, earns just $10,712 a year. That's more than $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. And as the cost of living goes up, that $5.15 is worth less and less every day.

It's time to tell Congress "No more." Hillary has introduced a bill that would make sure Congress doesn't get another raise in their own pay until those making the minimum wage get a raise too. Stand with her by supporting her bill:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/minimumwage/

Why does this Republican Congress refuse to take action? We've seen where their priorities are: big, new tax breaks to the very wealthiest Americans. When it comes to helping working families, the Republican Congress can't be bothered.

Maybe this way, they'll finally take notice. Let's tell the Republican Congress that they're not getting another raise until America gets a raise. Tell Hillary you're standing with her.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/minimumwage/

There are millions of people in this country who are working hard but can't make enough to get by. With minimum wage earners making the same money they did nine years ago, wages across the board have stayed stagnant. With health care costs and housing and energy prices on the rise, middle class families are working harder than ever and still can't get ahead.

Let's get the Republicans in Congress moving. Let Hillary know you support her bill that ties all future Congressional raises to raises in the minimum wage.

Thank you for taking action.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. We can win this fight if Congress knows that people are watching. Please forward this message to your friends and tell them to get involved.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Minimum Wage

Time For A Change In Iraq

2006-06-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I took to the Senate floor to talk about why it is time for a change in Iraq and to call on Republicans to stop playing partisan politics with the war while our troops are in harm's way. I spoke out in favor of the Levin amendment, which calls for a transition in strategy that will bring stability to the country and allow the troops to begin coming home.

I wanted to share with you some excerpts from my remarks. I encourage you to read the full text on my website at http://www.hillaryclinton.com/speech/view/?id=953.

I think it is time to choose whether or not we believe we have the right road map for success in Iraq. While our troops are serving bravely and with our national security in the balance, it is time to choose what is more important, a strategy to win in Iraq or a strategy for Republicans to win elections here at home....

I support this responsible way forward, a road map for success that will more quickly and effectively take advantage of Iraqi oil revenues, build up Iraqi infrastructure, foster Iraqi civil society, challenge Iraq's neighbors to do more to ensure stability in Iraq and allow our troops to begin coming home....

Let's be clear about what this debate is about. My friends on the other side of the aisle believe that the status quo is working in Iraq. They do not believe we need a fundamental change in policy. They choose to continue blindly following the president. We Democrats disagree. We believe we need a new direction in Iraq that will increase the chances for success on the ground....

They may not have a war strategy, but they do have an election strategy. This is the road they took America down in 2002. It was a dead end for our country then, and it's a dead end now....

This is not a time for partisanship. It is past time for this administration to level with the American people, for this Congress to find its voice and fulfill its constitutional duties to check and balance the Executive Branch, and for the Iraqis to chart a clear and responsible path to stability and peace....

The conflict in Iraq has now gone on longer than U.S. fighting in the Korean War before the armistice. We ought not to attack one another for asking the tough questions and presenting alternatives about how to achieve success, limit the loss and sacrifice of our young men and women.

I believe we must end our current open-ended, unconditional policy in Iraq. These decisions require serious debate, one without partisan political attacks.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Levin Amendment

Keep The Internet Free

2006-06-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

You may have heard about an issue called "Net Neutrality." I want to tell you a little bit about Net Neutrality, why I believe it's so important to our democracy, and what you can do to help.

Today, the Internet is an open marketplace of ideas where anyone can join in. With traditional media, like TV, radio, or newspapers, it's been difficult for average citizens to have a voice. But now, new technology is giving a wide variety of citizens the voice to speak out -- anyone with a computer connected to the Internet can set up a website that's just as accessible as those owned by a large media conglomerate.

The result has been an incredible diversity of new sources of information and opinion, and a growing, vibrant source of political debate. I think that's healthy for our democracy, and I want to see it continue.

Now, this open architecture that makes the Internet so powerful is being questioned. Some argue that it would be better for companies to give certain traffic on the Internet -- content that they are paid to deliver faster -- higher priority.

But this kind of preferential treatment could make it harder for individual voices to be heard. That's why I hope you'll join me as a co-sponsor of Net Neutrality legislation:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/net/

I've become an original co-sponsor of the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, which would prevent Internet service providers from blocking, degrading, or giving a lower priority service on their networks.

That means a free and open Internet for every web page -- whether a blog created by a concerned individual or the home page of a large newspaper. That's the kind of open debate that makes our democracy stronger!

The fight for Net Neutrality has brought together business leaders, bloggers, good-government advocates, and many more. Please join them and me in this fight as a citizen co-sponsor of the Internet Freedom Preservation Act. Sign on today:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/net/

Please join me in protecting an Internet where everyone can have a voice. Sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of this important Net Neutrality legislation, and please forward this message on to your friends and family.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Internet, Net Neutrality, Internet Freedom Preservation Act

Hillary Takes On Anne Coulter

2006-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Anne Coulter is truly tacky and I am glad to see that Senator Clinton isn't about to let her tasteless comments slide ...

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton lashed out at Ann Coulter for a "vicious, mean-spirited attack" on a group of outspoken 9/11 widows, whom the right-wing television pundit described as "self-obsessed" and enjoying their husbands' deaths.

Coulter writes in a new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," that a group of New Jersey widows whose husbands perished in the World Trade Center act "as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them."

She also wrote, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."

Via: MSNBC

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Anne Coulter, 911 Widows, World Trade Center, 911

Playing Politics With Our Future

2006-06-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

"This is not a conservative administration," Hillary told supporters in New York this week. "There is nothing conservative about it. It is radical. It is upending. It is undermining our constitutional democracy."

As the New York Sun reported, Hillary "attacked the Bush administration...for playing politics with gay marriage, ignoring global warming, and failing in both Iraq and New Orleans."

Here is some of what she said:

[W]hen I travel around and speak with people who I represent, and hear about everything from terrorism to gas prices to childhood health care to energy independence to global climate change to affordable housing - there's a long list - but this is not on the list.

It is unfortunately on the list for the political machine of the White House and the Republican majority, and so I hope that as we weigh the campaign for re-election and I try to help elect Democrats around the country to take back one or two houses of Congress, we will all stand up and be counted.

We will all stand up for a return to fiscal responsibility that will give us a chance to make the right decisions and investments that will make our country richer and stronger in the future. We will stand against the wrongheaded decisions that are being made by the administration and Congress that are slashing so many of the programs to the most vulnerable among us and not giving people the confidence to make smart investments in energy independence and protecting ourselves against global climate change...

...[I]t's not enough to just hope that we're going to have better relations around the world. ... We need to be willing to stand up and fight up for those values. And here at home, we need to continue to protect and nurture that which had made America great and has made it the envy of the world.

Now there is a way to track down terrorists that is within the rule of law and not outside of it. We know that our civil liberties and our right to privacy and our individual freedoms are not a luxury - they are what set us apart from the rest of the world. Our respect for the rule of law is what makes America unique and gives us the confidence to defend against our government, to be politically active and fight for causes that we think are important. We cannot allow our constitutional democracy to be eroded. We can have global security and liberty.

...And we all need - Republicans, Democrats, and Independents - we all need to stand together and make it very clear that we will not go back. As I travel around our state, I'm encouraged by the number of the people who come to my events who say they didn't support me last time and tell me that they are Republican, and I always say, "We're glad you're here. Welcome." And I also ask them, "Well, why are you here?" And they always say something like, "I didn't sign up for all of this."

They didn't sign up for a government that interferes with personal, private, intimate relations.

...They didn't sign up to be the largest debtors in the history of the world where we have to borrow $60 billion a month from China, Japan, and others.

They didn't sign up for the United States government who totally dismantled the Federal Emergency Management Agency and battled with colleagues and didn't know what to do.

They didn't sign up for the mean-spirited divisiveness against gays and lesbians, and tried to make it somehow a political issue as to the life you lead and who you are.

...They didn't sign up for a president who denies global climate changes and refuses to deal with reality of what is happening in our world that has far-reaching consequences for our children and our children's children.

...[I]f we don't take back one or both houses of Congress, we cannot change the direction of the country; we cannot convince the administration of the Republican majority to make decisions based on evidence, not ideology.

We can't deal with what we need to do in Iraq if we don't have a Congress that can conduct investigations and make it absolutely clear that the administration, that their failure in Iraq has endangered not only our men and women in uniform, not only the Iraqi people, but the entire region.

...[W]e can begin working together again - rebuilding the consensus we had in this country until relatively recently about what we needed to do, to build a strong America at home and aboard.

To read the entire speech, please go to http://www.hillaryclinton.com/speech/view/?id=908. And thank you, as always, for your friendship. With so much at stake in the 2006 elections, your support is more important than ever!

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Global Warming, Iraq, New Orleans, Gay Marriage, Bush, Terrorism, Fiscal Responsibility

Talking Sense On Immigration

2006-03-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Immigration is the lifeblood of America, a bedrock value tied to our founding and one that constantly renews the greatness of our country. America is and will always be a home for people who are willing to put in the hard work to create a better life for themselves and their families.
-- Hillary Rodham Clinton

Dear Friends,

The Senate Judiciary Committee has reported out a bill on immigration law reform which will now be considered by the full Senate. Hillary has made clear her position and the principles by which she will consider new legislation.

"Our immigration system is in crisis," Hillary said, citing dangers to national security, the exploitation of undocumented workers, and the strain on state social services. "We have a system that is broken, and we have to find practical but fair solutions to fix it."

Hillary believes we need comprehensive, immigration reform based on these principles:

Strengthening our borders including new technology to help our Border Patrol agents be more effective and new enforcement laws that are both strict and fair;
A fairer process for people seeking to come to America, especially to reunite divided families, and harsh penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers;
Greater cooperation with neighboring countries, especially Mexico; and
An earned path to citizenship for those already here working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar for becoming a citizen.

At the same time, Hillary said, "So I will support plans that meet these principles, and I will oppose one-sided solutions that simply sound tough but do little to deal with either our porous borders or the millions of families who live here." She has spoken out strongly against the bill passed by the House of Representatives which would criminalize those who offer any kind of assistance - even food or health care - to undocumented immigrants.

Hillary believes we should insist on a balanced, fair, and effective immigration policy - one that strengthens our laws and national security while respecting America’s history and values.

To read Hillary’s full statement on immigration reform, click here.

Thank you for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Immigration Reform, Border Protection

The Republican Children's Tax

2006-03-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

The Senate voted this week for a budget that continues the Bush administration's reckless fiscal policies and misplaced priorities, voting against Democratic efforts to restore funds for needed programs by restricting top-heavy tax cuts. Instead, they voted to raise the federal debt ceiling to almost $9 trillion dollars! Hillary voted against the budget and against raising the debt ceiling.

She said:

The budget approved by the Senate doesn't pass the basic tests of fairness, fiscal responsibility and fails to reflect the values of the American people. While holding the line on many of the President's deep budget cuts to education, health care, and income security for working families, this budget does find room for tax cuts for the wealthy, the giveaway of the Artic Wildlife National Refuge to the oil industry, deeper budget deficits, and the ever growing threat of an exploding national debt which is expected to reach nearly $12 trillion in just five years.
...
Instead of building upon the progress made in the 90's, when tough decisions were made on both the spending and revenue side which resulted in budget surpluses, job creation and unprecedented economic growth, the Republicans instead chose a path that moved our nation towards the four largest budget deficits ever and the highest level of indebtedness of any nation in the history of the world.

Instead of making investments in the American people through education, job training and health care and creating a foundation for new economic opportunities and a stronger America in the future, we have increasingly ceded our fiscal sovereignty to foreign nations like China, Japan, and the OPEC consortium who now finance about 45 percent or $2.2 trillion of our nation's publicly held debt.

Instead of offering budget plans that were balanced and didn't place further burdens on the middle class, the neediest in our society and future generations, we were given reckless tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy.
...
Clearly, today should be a wake up call for all Americans concerned about the future of our children and the economic security of our nation. ...Raising this debt limit while embracing policies that further exacerbate the deficit is in essence a "children's tax," a burden borne not by this Administration or this Congress, but by our sons, our daughters and our grandchildren.
...
As this is only the first step in the budget making process, I will continue to fight for the priorities and values important to New Yorkers and Americans.

Everyday we are reminded of the importance of the 2006 election and the difference your support for Hillary can make.

Thank you so much for your friendship.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. Yesterday, Hillary spoke with many of you and took questions on a conference call about health care. To listen to the call, please visit http://www.hillaryclinton.com/.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Federal Budget, Debt Ceiling

What We're Fighting For

2006-03-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

"Let's just run through some of the choices that the Washington Republicans made. Now they could have saved the surplus, invested in Social Security and Medicare, paid down the debt, covered the cost of Iraq and Afghanistan and paid the modest tax cuts for the middle class and working poor. Instead, they chose massive tax cuts aimed at those who needed them the least, tax loopholes and giveaways for oil companies to top-off their record breaking profits."
Hillary Clinton, February 25, 2006

Dear Friends,

This week, the Senate is voting on the budget - and once again, we are watching the Washington Republicans at work. It's not a pretty sight.

When we see the budget decisions that people make, we know what they truly value.

At a time when American families tell us one of their biggest concerns is losing access to health care, the Republicans latest budget calls for more cuts in health care. And this on top of the cuts Congressional Republicans pushed through a few weeks ago, higher costs for 7 million people in Medicaid, including 3.5 million children. No wonder the number of Americans without health insurance is climbing, while health care costs are squeezing employers and employees alike.

As Hillary said, it's a question of choices. At a time when we should be taking serious effective steps toward developing alternative energy sources, to move us closer to energy independence, the Republican budget takes a step backward - attempting to use the budget process to open the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling and claiming billions of dollars in "phantom" revenues to mask the soaring federal deficit.

The Washington Republicans could have chosen to invest in education - increasing opportunities and success and making us stronger as a nation for the challenges of the 21st century. Instead, they presented a budget which under-funds No Child Left Behind, shuts the door to after-school programs for thousands of children, and makes college education even more expensive.

And what about keeping America safe? Democrats in Congress have tried to pay for doubling cargo inspections at ports by reducing the tax cut for people making more than $1 million a year. But the White House and Republican leadership thought it was more important to protect the full amount of the tax cut for millionaires than to increase protection at our ports - and as this budget shows, they still think so!

As we follow the votes in Washington this week on the budget, let's keep in mind the real life impact of these votes on our lives and our future. Hillary will be working with her colleagues in the Senate to speak up about what's wrong with the Republican budget and to amend it so it truly reflects our values. She will go on fighting for policies that help us meet our moral obligations: to make affordable health care a reality and get America moving in the right direction again. And we'll continue to keep you informed about her work.

Thank you for your continued friendship.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. If you would like to read Hillary's most recent speech about the choices Republicans have made - and how we can do better - just click on this link.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Federal Budget

Rove Obsessed

2006-02-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

I think Hillary just might be right ...

Reacting to a new book quoting Karl Rove as saying she will be the 2008 Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that President Bush's chief political strategist "spends a lot of time obsessing about me."

The former first lady also said she believed Rove, national GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman and other Republicans are using her to divert attention from Republican problems as the 2006 congressional elections approach.

"Karl Rove is a brilliant strategist. So, if I were thinking about this," she told WROW-AM radio in Albany, "I'd say, why are they spending so much time talking about me?"

"What they're hoping is that all of their missteps, which are now numbering in the hundreds, are going to somehow be overlooked because people, instead of focusing on the '06 election, will jump ahead and think about the next one," said Clinton, D-New York.

Via CNN.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Port Security = National Security

2006-02-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

"The fact is, we do live in a post-9/11 world," Clinton said, using her response to one of the reporters' questions to announce legislation banning foreign state-owned companies from U.S. ports. "As a matter of national security in the post-9/11 world, I think we have to take a hard look at this."
Washington Post, February 24, 2006

Dear Friends,

Today, Hillary and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) will introduce their bill prohibiting companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from purchasing port operations in the United States. As Hillary told the Miami Chamber of Commerce this week, "We cannot cede sovereignty over our critical infrastructure like our ports. That is a job America has to do."

Port security is not a new issue for Hillary; she has strongly spoken out about the need to protect the ports since 9/11 and has voted in support of Democratic measures to increase port security - measures defeated by opposition from the White House and the Republican Congress.
Here is an update on what she has done in the past ten days:

On February 17: Hillary and Sen. Menendez announced they will introduce legislation to prohibit companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from purchasing port operations in the United States. "Our port security is too important to place in the hands of foreign governments," Clinton said.

February 21: Four United States Senators urged Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to schedule for immediate consideration when Congress returns on February 27 legislation being introduced by Senators Robert Menendez and Hillary Clinton to block the sale of U.S. port operations to foreign governments. The letter was signed by Senators Clinton, Menendez, Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Boxer (D-CA).

"This sale will create an unacceptable risk to the security of our ports," the Senators wrote. "We therefore request that emergency legislation we are introducing to ban foreign governments from controlling operations at our ports be slated for immediate consideration when the Senate convenes on February 27."

February 23: At a special hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary questioned Bush administration officials: "Port security is national security," she said. "We know from the work of the 9/11 commission and other expert commissions that port security is one of our weak links. We have not funded it adequately; we have not taken it seriously. That is a particular concern to me as a Senator from New York"

And Hillary spelled out other reasons to be concerned, saying "The track record of this administration on homeland security, its inadequate funding, its bureaucratic dysfunction at the Department of Homeland Security, as evidenced most tragically in Katrina but in many other similar instances over the past four and a half years, does not create an atmosphere of confidence."

After that hearing, DP World announced a "voluntary cooling off period." (The deal had been set to take effect March 2.)

February 24: Hillary joined Senators Menendez, Schumer (D-NY), Coleman (D-MN), Snowe (R-ME), Collins (R-ME), Coburn (R-OK), and Reed (D-RI), to sponsor emergency legislation to suspend the Dubai port deal immediately and begin an immediate 45 day investigation into the takeover's effect on national security as required by federal law - a requirement that was ignored in the initial dealmaking.

"It is clear that the Bush administration has failed to adequately address valid national security concerns. We will do everything possible to make sure the administration conducts the mandatory investigation required under the law and does not compromise security at our ports," she said.

February 26: Hillary joined her colleagues, Senators Schumer and Menendez, at a press conference at the Port of New York to announce that they will introduce their bill February 27 calling for the full 45 day investigation.

Hillary has made it clear that she expects the law to be followed and welcomes the news that the investigation that she and others have called for will have a chance to proceed. The administration should use this delay to conduct the investigation that the law requires.

"The announcement should be coming out of the White House." Hillary said, "The president should be showing leadership."

Thank you, as always, for your interest and your support. We'll continue to keep you informed of Hillary's work.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Port Security, National Security

Veto It

2006-02-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Where are the Republicans' values?

George Bush and his Republican allies want us to think they share our concerns for working families who try every day to meet their responsibilities.

But, the reality is that day after day, people are losing out to the callous policies and incompetent leadership of this administration.

Ask families struggling every day with the rising costs of health care or college students who have been working to pay for their education and find the costs going out of reach.

Listen to senior citizens trying to deal with the Bush Medicare drug bill and finding themselves trapped by complicated rules and unanswered questions. And Katrina survivors are once again left stranded by the Bush administration.

Now the new Bush budget has come along, giving us the latest evidence that this administration is walking away from our responsibilities to our families, to respect our elders, and provide a better life for our children.

From taking the $255 Social Security death benefit away from people who have just lost a loved one and cutting off the monthly Social Security survivor benefits of 16 and 17-year olds if they're no longer in school to cutting out funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Deduction program for low-income women which had provided more than 6 million tests and diagnosed 23,000 cases since 1991, Americans are being left behind.

At the same time, the administration just handed big energy companies a $65 million giveaway - and they still refuse to negotiate Medicare drug prices with the big drug companies, which could save billions!

Don't let them get away with it. Join me today in actively and vocally rejecting the Bush Fiscal Year 2007 budget as a deeply flawed blueprint for America's future. Sign our "Veto the Bush Budget" petition today.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/budget

While we can't make George Bush respect our values, we can make him understand that we are standing up for them. There are hundreds of Republican officeholders who have to face the voters this November. We have to challenge each and every one of them to stand up to the reckless and wrong-headed policies of this administration - or face the voters' wrath for failing to do so.

Do they want to invest in a future that creates opportunity for all Americans? Or will they keep aiding and abetting the president's efforts to throw our values overboard and tilt the balance even more dramatically against middle class Americans, veterans, seniors, and children?

It's time to speak up. Sign our petition to veto the Bush budget today.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/budget

These cuts reflect George Bush's priorities, but not the values of the American people. In the weeks ahead, Hillary will do everything in her power to drive that difference home. I urge you to join me in this critical undertaking. Together, we'll win the most critical policy and electoral contests of 2006.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Budget

Really, How Low Can You Go?

2006-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Once again, the message is "you are on your own."

President Bush's budget calls for taking the $255 Social Security death benefit away from people who have just lost a loved one and cutting off the monthly Social Security survivor benefits of 16 and 17-year olds if they're no longer in school.

George W. Bush wants to produce Social Security "savings" over the next decade at the expense of widows and orphans, even as he lavishes trillions of dollars in tax cuts on the wealthy and well-connected.

These proposals - like so many other wrong-headed ideas in Bush's 2006 budget - are morally and fiscally bankrupt. And I pledge to you that I will do everything in my power to make sure they never see the light of day.

And if anyone is still asking you just what's wrong with George Bush's leadership, tell them about his latest budget. Tell them what you think of a president who wants to cut back on the meager benefits available to the most vulnerable while he goes on rewarding the most comfortable.

We thought the president got the message last year when Congress stopped his scheme to privatize Social Security. But, when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of America's families, this administration just doesn't get the message.

And, when people need our government to be there for them the most, this White House is painfully slow to act. That's the inescapable conclusion at which even Republican investigations of the response to Hurricane Katrina have arrived.

It's hard to judge which is doing more harm - their calculated proposals like denying benefits to widows and orphans or their mind-boggling incompetence. But, one thing's for sure. We can't let America's families bear the brunt of either their bad ideas or their stunning failures of execution.

Throughout 2006, the health and well-being of our families is on the line. That's why we've got to work as hard as we have ever worked to win the pivotal policy debates and electoral contests of this dramatically important year.

We stopped the attack on Social Security last year, and we will stop them again. Thank you, as always, for your support. It means a lot to know I can count on you to stand with me as we take on these challenges.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Social Security

Don't Forget Katrina Survivors

2006-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

George Bush's too-brief reference to Hurricane Katrina in his State of the Union speech gave hard-hit families another demonstration of what they can expect from this White House: Little help. No hope.

Now we have learned that the White House was told that a levee in New Orleans had broken on the night of the storm, even though administration officials claim to have been caught by surprise!

Knowing that his administration's stunning incompetence deepened their pain and suffering, you might think President Bush would feel a special obligation to take action. Far from it.

The Bush White House has moved on. Their new budget, flush with more tax cuts for the well-to-do, offers no new aid and no additional reconstruction funds.

We cannot let that stunning display of indifference stand as America's response.

Yesterday, Senator Clinton heard first-hand from members of the Katrina Survivors Association. These are hard-working people asking only for help rebuilding their lives, their neighborhoods, their schools and their communities.

Hillary has made clear her commitment to do right by these survivors. Simple human decency demands no less.

As Hillary said, "If America doesn't take care of its own, how can we go around and tell the rest of the world that we're going to help take care of them?"

"We owe these fellow Americans every possible effort to ensure the problem is not exacerbated by sending those who lost everything into communities without continued care and a plan for the future," she told Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whose department oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It has been five months since Hurricane Katrina and the inept response of the Bush Administration devastated an entire region of our country. That's far too long for people to go without answers to fundamental questions: When can I go back home? How can I get my family's life back to normal? When will my children's schools be rebuilt?

As you know, Senator Clinton has led the drive to create an independent Katrina Commission to get to the bottom of the failed governmental response to this crisis. She believes we have an obligation to ensure that no American ever goes through a natural disaster of this magnitude again with so little help from our government. And just as important, we have to be there for those who have gone through it until they get back on their feet.

Thank you for your friendship and for standing with Hillary as she speaks up for our values and speaks out for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. A number of you have written in cheering Hillary’s speech to the United Autoworkers, where she took on the administration for trying to use fear as a political strategy. You can see the speech for yourself here.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Hurricane Katrina

Republicans & The Fear Card

2006-02-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hillary, as usual, tells it like it is ...

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday accused Republicans of "playing the fear card" of terrorism to win elections and said Democrats cannot keep quiet if they want to win in November.

The New York Democrat, facing re-election this year and considered a potential White House candidate in 2008, said Republicans won the past two elections on the issue of national security and "they're doing it to us again."

She said a speech by presidential adviser Karl Rove two weeks ago showed the GOP election message is: "All we've got is fear and we're going to keep playing the fear card."

Via CNN.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

A Budget That Leaves Millions Behind

2006-02-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

As Hillary said, "Instead of investing in the future and creating opportunity for more Americans, the president's budget tilts the balance even more dramatically against middle class Americans, veterans, seniors, children and our most vulnerable Americans. I will fight these misplaced priorities in the Senate."

The latest Bush budget takes another big step toward remaking America as this administration wants to see it: slashing programs that mean hope and opportunity for middle class families, like keeping the doors of college open.

From education to veterans' health benefits, from Medicaid to Medicare, from chronic disease prevention and research to the National Institutes of Health - everyone is cut.

For the last five years, the Bush Administration's misplaced priorities have caused real hardship and suffering for ordinary Americans. This budget means more of the same, leaving more and more citizens behind.

And no area is hit harder than health care.

The Bush Administration proposes $36 billion in cuts to Medicare during the next 5 years - $105 billion in a decade. That means even more problems for those seniors now struggling with the Republican drug plan, which has brought so much confusion and hardship!

In George W. Bush's new budget, even veterans are asked to pay higher co-payments and a new enrollment fee for their health care. The result will be that many veterans will opt out of the system because they won't be able to shoulder the new costs.

Like most Americans, Hillary understands that we need to be in the business of supporting our troops - whether supplying them with needed body armor or providing affordable health care when they return home. But the Bush Administration just doesn't get it.

Hospitals - already squeezed by the soaring cost of drugs and the rising costs of technology - will be squeezed once again as their reimbursement rates are reduced in the new Bush budget.

None of this comes as a surprise -- but that doesn't mean we can just let it happen, either.

That's why it is so important that we can count on Hillary to speak out for our values and those of mainstream Americans as she responds to this right-wing budget. Just as she's speaking out for the thousands of you who shared your health care stories, and signed her petition for an open debate on health care solutions, Hillary will do the same for the millions left behind by the Bush budget.

Hillary has been a life long advocate for children and families, and for policies that invest in America's future. She will fight harder than ever to get our nation back on track. Thank you in advance for standing with us. And thanks, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. In 2006, Hillary will continue to address your concerns as she speaks out for a commonsense approach to health care that benefits ordinary Americans. Your support will help her spread her message and fight back against the inevitable right-wing attacks that she will face every day.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Budget

What About the State of Our Health Care?

2006-01-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

George Bush may have had an election year conversion about the importance of health care, but as I listened to his State of the Union Speech tonight, it's clear he still wants to take us in the wrong direction.

I can tell you from the people I have spoken to, and the thousands of stories you have sent me concerning your health care struggles, that few Americans, if any, would find relief from the Bush assortment of flimsy band-aids and "private account" gimmicks.

George Bush and his Republican allies want us to think they share our concerns about making health care more accessible. But the reality is, they offer nothing but more of the same - help for those who need it the least, and everyone else is left out in the cold.

As Rose from Johnstown, NY wrote me: "If this administration has botched up the Medicare RX plan, making it so confusing, what will they do to a health care plan? I shudder to think of it. Whatever they attempt to do becomes a disaster except for helping their wealthy friends."

It's time to have a real conversation about health care. What kind of country do we want to live in? I believe in an America where every single person has the best possible chance for a healthy future.

If you agree, join me in calling for an open debate about one of the most important issues we face as a nation.

http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions

For the sake of Democrats, Republicans, and all Americans, we can and we must do better at helping people get the health care they need.

Jill, in Minneapolis, who suffers from Graves Disease, wrote me to say she can't find coverage for any of the medications prescribed by her doctors. "My health issues are not my fault," she writes. "I've done nothing to give myself a chronic disease. Why am I being punished for having it?"

We can't allow our fellow Americans to be punished any longer. The time for this discussion is right now. No more backroom deals with insurance companies. No more health care decisions behind closed doors that place the special interests over the interests of ordinary Americans.

We may not control the levers of power in Washington, but we can make a powerful statement by showing our strength in numbers. Please join me in calling for an open discussion on health care now.

http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions

We have already succeeded in getting health care back on the front pages. That's why the Bush Administration was forced to throw together a plan which essentially tries to do with health care what they failed to do with Social Security.

The President can talk all he wants about caring for America's seniors, but we know the true beneficiaries of his policies are the insurance companies and the well to do.

Health care decisions must be made for the benefit of all Americans.

When drug and insurance companies spend $140 million lobbying Republicans on the Medicare drug benefit, and the result is that Medicare is barred from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors; safe, affordable drugs from Canada are blocked; and there is a back-door $22 billion giveaway to insurance companies. It's no wonder the American people have lost confidence in the ability of this Congress' to make common-sense decisions for the public good.

I've had my own experience in working for health care reform, and I know it won't be easy. But I also know we can never address this issue until we are willing to have an honest conversation - not behind closed doors - but through an open discussion.

http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions

Together, we can jumpstart this conversation and start finding solutions. I'm ready to speak out for health care, and I hope you will join me.

Thanks for your friendship and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. This is not a partisan issue - the need for health care impacts all Americans. If you agree, please sign on at http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions - and ask your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Health Care

Stop the $22 Billion Special Interest Giveaway!

2006-01-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Republicans are nothing if not consistent in putting their special-interest friends first.

Today, the Washington Post revealed a back-room deal by Republicans to preserve a loophole in Medicare payment policies that allows insurance companies to receive excess payments from Medicare -- to the tune of $22 billion.

You read that correctly.

The Senate tried to act to save Medicare $26 billion in payments to insurance companies. But, in the Republican-controlled conference committee -- where both Democrats and the public were shut out -- lobbyists for the insurance companies successfully eliminated all but $4 billion of the savings.

Even a prominent Republican health care lobbyist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "I have worked many [budget] bills, and this was the most closed I've ever seen."

Once again, Republicans and their campaign contributors win, and the American people lose.

I am not going to stand for it.

Just because Republicans have the audacity to hand over $22 billion in Medicare payments to their lobbyist friends while cutting Medicaid for children and seniors – that doesn't mean we have to take it.

Rep. John Dingell of Michigan and I will introduce legislation to close, once-and-for-all, the loophole allowing insurance companies to bilk Medicare. We will use the savings to restore funding to children's health care and Medicaid slashed by Republicans.

I know how fundamental this issue is to New Yorkers and to Americans everywhere. In fact, before the Washington Post story broke, I had hoped to write you with one simple update today: the first day that I asked you to your share your health care stories with me, over 1,000 of you responded.

That's no fluke. It shows how many Americans are suffering as they have to make terrible choices. Bills they can't pay, insurance they can't afford, pain they can't get treated. It's simply wrong, and I'm going to make sure that all Americans and their representatives know just how wrong it is.

If you haven't shared your health care story with me yet -- about how it is impacting you and your family -- please do so today. Many of your stories will be posted on HillaryClinton.com, and others will be shared at roundtable discussions going forward.

Please use this link to send your story:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

We are united in our determination to stop George Bush from doing with health care what he tried to do with Social Security. We will find real solutions for Americans – not more Republican corporate giveaways under the guise of helping people.

This is a national crisis and a moral failing. And, together, we will turn it around. Please stay tuned for our next steps as we chart a better course to provide health care for all Americans. In the meantime, please send me your health care story by using this link.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

Thanks for your friendship and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. To read the Washington Post article on the secret GOP sessions with insurance lobbyists, use this link.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Speak Up for Health Care

2006-01-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

They are at it again. What the Bush Administration tried and failed to do with Social Security, they now intend to do with health care. They want to shift the health care system into private health care savings accounts.

We're not going to let them. Once again, we must stop their ill-advised, unfair plan in its tracks.

What would private health care savings accounts (HSA's) mean for Americans? It would mean that the well to do, those who are already the best able to pay for health care, would perhaps be fine. But those who are already struggling to pay for health care -- everybody else -- would be left out in the cold again.

Just as they did with their Medicare Drug bill, the Bush Administration is putting the special interests first and wishing everybody else the best of luck.

Now, I've had some experience with health care. I know that making health care more accessible for every American family will not be easy. But I also know that we will never get there if we don't address the facts and determine we are going to help all Americans. That's why I am hosting a roundtable on health care this week in Rochester, New York -- the first in a series.

Many of you will not be able to attend; that's why I need to hear from you about your stories about health care -- or lack thereof. Many of your stories will be posted on HillaryClinton.com, and others will be shared at our roundtable discussion going forward.

Please use this link to share your story:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

We have already seen the ineptitude of the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress when it comes to health care. Their new Prescription Drug Plan, touted as a benefit for America's seniors, has literally left tens of thousands of seniors denied their medications, overcharged, or turned away from pharmacies.

Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is the true beneficiary. The Bush plan prevents Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors. It bars Americans from re-importing safe, affordable prescription drugs from Canada. It has the wrong priorities.

I didn't vote for the Bush Medicare plan, but I am determined to fix it. And I'm determined to do the same with access to affordable health care as well.

There are now over 45 million uninsured Americans. There are over 13 million uninsured children. In New York alone, 3 million people do not have health insurance. Premiums are rising at over twice the rate of inflation and the number of employers offering coverage is dropping.

The Republican majority's proposed cuts in Medicaid would raise co-pays and premiums for over 7 million Americans, including 3.5 million children.

This is a national crisis and a flat-out moral failing. We need to make sure all Americans and their representatives know the truth about how our present health care policies are impacting you and your family.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

It's time to speak up about health care. Please help me tell the true story –- your story –- about health care and our need to chart a better course.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

Thanks for your friendship and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

President Clinton In 2008

2006-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Even the White House knows who will be president in 2008 ...

President Bush's advisers are resigned to the Democratic capture of the White House in 2008, according to senior Republican sources close to the White House.

GOP sources said White House strategists have attempted to persuade Mr. Bush that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Democrat and her party's current front-runner to be the next presidential nominee, cannot be defeated in 2008. Bush strategists said the president should instead focus on seeking to retain the Republican majority in both houses of Congress in 2006 and 2008.

"There is nobody in the White House that will openly say we lost the presidency in 2008," a senior GOP source said. "But while the Democrats are completely focused on 2008, the White House has been completely aloof."

Of course, they are thinking she will only have it for one term, but I am thinking they are wrong. They were about Bill too. :)

Thanks to ISOU for the initial coverage.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, 2008

Hillary Tells It Like It Is

2006-01-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Hillary took the opportunity to speak on this administration and the legacy it is leaving behind ...

Speaking during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, Clinton also offered an apology to a group of Hurricane Katrina survivors "on behalf of a government that left you behind, that turned its back on you." Her remarks were met with thunderous applause by a mostly black audience at the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem.

The House "has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about," said Clinton, D-New York. "It has been run in a way so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to make an argument, to be heard."

"We have a culture of corruption, we have cronyism, we have incompetence," she said. "I predict to you that this administration will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country."

The White House couldn't actually come up with and adequate response, so they did what they always do ... attack the messenger.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Unforgivable!

2006-01-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

ABC News
January 10, 2006

Sen. Clinton Says Lack of Body Armor is 'Unforgivable'
She Has Called for an Investigation Into Why Soldiers Are Not Fully Protected

Dear Friends,

I wanted to let you know that Hillary is taking action in response to press reports that supplying more extensive body armor to our troops in Iraq could have saved lives. She has called for investigations by the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which she is a member, and the Government Accountability Office, and she has written to the Army urging that every effort be made now to provide additional body armor to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It is our duty to protect our men and women in uniform," Hillary said in an interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday, January 10. "The very least we can do is give them the very best body armor and armored vehicle."

"This is Bush-Cheney policy. ...The President speaks out strongly and even harshly from time to time about issues he thinks are important. Let's hear him speak about men and women who wear the uniform of our country."

As Hillary wrote to the Secretary of the Army, "According to these press reports, the Army is still deciding what body armor plates to purchase. With every day the Army delays the decision of which additional body armor to procure, we put more of our men and women at risk."

And in her letter to the General Accountability Office she said, "In April 2005, the Government Accountability Office found that there were delays in body armor acquisition as well as ineffective distribution. I request that you expand your investigation to include the military's effectiveness in providing body armor designed to limit fatalities and injuries to our troops."

For full copies of Hillary's letters to the Secretary of the Army, the General Accountability Office and the Senate Armed Services Committee, please go to www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/letters/

Thank you, as always for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Defamation Suit Dismissed

2006-01-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

According to CNN:

A federal appeals court Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit that Gennifer Flowers filed against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and two advisers to former President Clinton.

Flowers sued James Carville and George Stephanopoulos in 1999 after they suggested on talk shows that the audiotapes she used to try to prove she and President Clinton had an affair were doctored.

Flowers, a former lounge singer, amended the suit in 2000 to add the former first lady, whom she accused of conspiring to plant false reports that the tapes were doctored.

On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a Nevada district court ruling that the claim against Hillary Clinton was barred by the state's four-year statute of limitations.

Flowers also was unable to prove that Carville and Stephanopoulos intentionally or recklessly made false statements, the three-judge panel ruled in affirming U.S. District Judge Philip Pro's ruling.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Thank You

2006-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your support at my year-end reporting deadline. Your commitment sends a message loud and clear to my Republican opponents: we are strong, united, and prepared to fight back against whatever comes our way.

The urgency of these 2006 elections cannot be overstated. The Bush Administration and their allies in Congress have demonstrated time and again that they are out-of-touch and out-of-step with the needs of ordinary Americans.

Together we'll make sure their failed policies are out of time too.

You can count on me to continue to fight for the values we care about: a government that works for the American people, and serves our interests, not the special interests. An end to cronyism, incompetence, and cover-ups. Leadership that values families in actions and budgets, not just in rhetoric.

You and I know how important these mid-term elections are going to be. They are our best chance to get America going in the right direction once again.

As I prepare to go back to fighting for our priorities in the Senate, I am grateful to know I can count on your friendship and support. Your commitment will be the key to our success this year. Thank you for standing with me.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton