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HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
DSCC WOMEN’S SENATE NETWORK FUNDRAISING
RECEPTION
WASHINGTON, DC
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
It’s such a pleasure to welcome all of you to our home.
As you may know, it’s been quite a while since we had a political event
here. But I jumped at this chance because what could be more important
than electing more wonderful women leaders to the United States Senate?
I want to thank Senator Tammy Baldwin for leading this effort on behalf of
the DSCC, along with Senator Bennet. Thank you both.
I’m delighted that so many of my former colleagues could join us tonight.
The incomparable Barbara Mikulski – she paved the way for us all.
Amy Klobuchar, Kay Hagan, Mary Landrieu, Claire McCaskill – these are
the leaders who prove every day that the women of the Senate truly are the
Common Sense Caucus.
Oh, and how could I forget Chuck. Who let you in here? Can someone
check his invitation?
In all seriousness, Chuck, I’m glad you’re here, because no one knows more
about what it’s going to take in November.
The stakes are high and it’s up to us to make the case.
In just 50 days, Americans have a choice to make.
It’s a choice about the future we want to build together for our children and
grandchildren.
Whether hard-working American families are going to get a fair shot or a
raw deal.
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Whether we build on the hard-won gains of the past six years and push our
recovery into the next gear, or whether we fall back into the ditch.
Whether we can dust off an American Dream that’s been a little beaten and
battered but still burns brightly in our hearts and hopes.
Under President Obama’s leadership, we prevented a second Great
Depression and put our country on the road to recovery.
Across the country, more people have jobs and fewer are going without
health insurance.
Production of renewable energy is up and home foreclosures are down.
But for all the progress we’ve made, President Obama would be the first to
say that we’ve got a long way to go.
I know we can do better.
Bill and I have a grandchild on the way this fall. I want that child and all our
kids to grow up in a country that believes again in the promise of America.
When I was growing up, despite all the obstacles that still stood in the way
of women in this country, there was nonetheless a sense that anything was
possible, that there were no limits on what we could achieve.
My mother was mistreated and abandoned as a child, had to start working on
her own at fourteen, but with faith and unwavering optimism she overcame
everything life threw at her to become a wonderful, loving mom to me and
my brothers. Growing up in our middle class town, helping my dad in his
little fabric shop, listening to the conversations around the kitchen table, I
gained a deep faith in the American Dream.
Today, we’ve made so much progress – many of the old obstacles are gone.
But what’s happened to that sense of possibility and opportunity?
In so many ways today, the deck is stacked against working families. We’ve
lost the historic link between productivity gains and wage gains that people
can actually see in their paychecks and feel in their wallets.
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So people are working harder and not seeing the rewards.
Twenty years ago, American women made 72 cents on the dollar. Today it’s
still not equal.
Women hold a majority of lower wage jobs in this country… and nearly
three-quarters of all jobs in fields that rely on tips like waiters, bartenders,
and hairstylists – which pay even less than average hourly work.
Nine out of 10 workers earning the lowest wages don’t have access to paid
family leave. And forget sick days, flexibility, or predictability, which is
just as important for parents and caregivers.
Think about what that means for a single mom trying to hold down a job and
give her kids the support they need. It makes it even harder to get ahead in
this tough economy. And it deprives so many of our children of the good
start they need.
Holding women back like this isn’t right and isn’t smart.
Women can drive our recovery. They can lift up themselves, their families,
and our entire country.
All we need is a fair shot.
If we ensure equal pay for equal work and raise the minimum wage…
If we give parents flexibility on the job and paid family leave…
If we invest in early childhood development, quality affordable child care,
and STEM education and mentoring…
If we do everything we can to empower women and girls and unleash their
creative talents…
There are no ceilings on how far we can go and how much we can grow.
These are our sisters. Our daughters. Our granddaughters.
We can do better.
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When I served as Secretary of State, I had a chance to see America as the
rest of the world does. And I came home more optimistic than ever about
our future. We have so many advantages -- from the diversity and creativity
of our people to the strength of our values to the enormous opportunities
ahead in clean energy, technology, and innovation.
I’d bet on America over any other country in the world.
But we’re going to have to earn it. We’re going to have to make smart
choices.
And that’s what the election this November is about.
It’s why we need to keep leaders like Kay Hagan Mary Landrieu and Jeanne
Shaheen in the Senate.
It’s why we need to elect Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, Michelle
Nunn in Georgia, and Natalie Tennant in West Virginia.
These women will fight for American families every day.
They’ll fight for the basic bargain at the heart of the American Dream: No
matter who you are or where you come from, if you work hard and play by
the rules, you’ll have the opportunity to build a good life.
What’s the alternative?
Turn backwards. More negativity and gridlock.
So Americans have some big choices to make this fall. And we can’t afford
to have anyone sitting on the sidelines.
We all know America’s been knocked around a bit. But one of the things I
love most about our country, and that made me so proud to carry our flag to
112 nations around the world, is how resilient we are.
When times get tough, when people start to doubt whether we have what it
takes, well, that’s when we out-compete, out-innovate, and simply out-work
every challenge.
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When there’s a job to do, Americans get it done.
It’s time to summon that spirit again.
It’s time to heed the push of our values and the pull of our future.
Time to write a new chapter in the American Dream.
Thank you.
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