Hillary Clinton in State of Wisconsin Archives
On Civil Rights:
Fight systemic racism in education & employment
Sen. Bernie SANDERS: We need fundamental police reform. I would hope that we could all agree that we are sick and tired of seeing videos on television of unarmed people, often African-Americans, shot by police officers.CLINTON: We have to restore
policing that will actually protect the communities that police officers are sworn to protect. But, I would also add this. There are other racial discrepancies. Really systemic racism in this state, as in others, education, in employment,
in the kinds of factors that too often lead from a position where young people, particularly young men, are pushed out of school early, are denied employment opportunities. So, when we talk about criminal justice reform,
and ending the era of mass incarceration, we also have to talk about jobs, education, housing, and other ways of helping communities.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Civil Rights:
LGBT people now married on Saturday & fired on Monday
I do not believe we live in a single-issue country. Yes, does Wall Street and big financial interests, along with drug companies, insurance companies, big oil, all of it, have too much influence?
You're right. But if we were to stop that tomorrow, we would still have LGBT people who get married on Saturday and get fired on Monday.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Will fight for minorities, immigrants, & women's rights
I want to tackle those barriers that stand in the way of too many. African-Americans who face discrimination in the job market, education, housing, and the criminal justice system.
Hardworking immigrant families living in fear, who should be brought out of the shadows so they and their children can have a better future. Guaranteeing that women's work finally gets the pay, the equal pay that we deserve.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Root out systemic racism exposed by social media
Under President Obama we have seen a lot of advances, the Affordable Care Act has helped more African Americans than any other group to get insurance. We have a lot more social media, so, we are seeing the dark side of the remaining systemic racism
that we have to root out. We're going to enforce the law, we're going to change policing practices, we're going to change incarceration practices, but we're also going to emphasize education, jobs, and housing.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Unleash the full potential of women and girls
I have spent my entire adult life working toward making sure that women are empowered to make their own choices, even if that choice is not to vote for me. I believe that it's most important that we unleash the full potential of women and girls
in our society. I have a record that does respond to a lot of the needs that women in our country face. So I'm going to keep making that case.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Civil Rights:
After 200 presidential debates, female majority on stage
I would note, just for a historic aside, somebody told me earlier today we've had like 200 presidential primary debates, and this is the first time there have been a majority of women on the stage [the two moderators were Gwen Ifill and
Judy Woodruff, with Bernie Sanders the only male on stage]. So, you know, we'll take our progress wherever we can find it.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Education:
My plan is debt-free college for young people
SANDERS: 150 years ago, Americans said low income kids deserve to get a free education. That free education was from first grade to 12th. This is 2016.
A college degree today is equivalent to what a high school degree was 60 years ago. We should have free tuition at public colleges and universities.
That should be a right of all Americans regardless of the income of their families. CLINTON: Both of us share the goal of trying to make college affordable for all young Americans. I have a compact that would do that for debt-free tuition.
We differ, however, on a couple of points. One of them being that if you don't have some agreement within the system from states and from families and from students, it's hard to get to where we need to go.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Foreign Policy:
We achieved a lot, but not yet normal relations with Iran
SANDERS: I recall when Secretary Clinton ran against then-Senator Obama, she was critical of him for suggesting that maybe you want to talk to Iran, that you want to talk to our enemies. Iran is sponsoring terrorism in many parts of the world,
destabilizing areas. Everybody knows that. But our goal is to try to deal with our enemies, not just ignore that reality. CLINTON: I think we have achieved a great deal with the Iranian nuclear agreement.
That has to be enforced absolutely with consequences for Iran at the slightest deviation from their requirements under the agreement. I do not think we should promise or even look toward normalizing relations because we have a lot of other
business to get done with Iran. Yes, they have to stop being the main state sponsor of terrorism. Yes, they have to stop trying to destabilize the Middle East, causing even more chaos.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Government Reform:
I am not beholden to Super PACs or Wall Street
Q: Nearly half of your financial sector donations appear to come from just two wealthy financiers, for a total of about $10 million.CLINTON: You're referring to a Super PAC that we don't coordinate with, that has decided that they want to support me.
They are the ones who should respond to questions. Let's talk about our campaigns. I'm very proud of the fact that we have more than 750 thousand donors.
SANDERS: What we are talking about is a corrupt campaign finance system.
It is undermining American democracy. We had a decision to make early on, do we do a Super PAC? We said no. Secretary Clinton's Super PAC received $25 million dollars last reporting period, $15 million dollars from Wall Street.
Our average contribution is $27 dollars.
CLINTON: But, the real issue, I think, that the Senator is injecting into this is that if you take donations from Wall Street, you can't be independent.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Government Reform:
I will streamline wasteful and redundant programs
SANDERS: I believe in government, but I believe in efficient government, not wasteful government. We have also got to take a look at the waste and inefficiencies in the Department of Defense, which is the one major agency of government that has not
been able to be audited. I have the feeling you're going to find a lot of cost overruns there and a lot of waste and duplicative activities.
CLINTON: There are a number of programs are redundant and not producing the results that people deserve. There are a lot of training programs and education programs that I think can be streamlined.
I would like to take a hard look at every part of the federal government and do the kind of analysis that would rebuild some confidence that we're taking a hard look about what we have and what we don't need anymore.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Health Care:
Medicare-for-all is not economically feasible
SANDERS: There is one major country that does not guarantee health care to all people. There is one major country--the United States--which ends up spending almost three times per capita what they do in the U.K. guaranteeing health care to all people,
50 percent more than they do in France guaranteeing health care to all people, far more than our Canadian neighbors, who guarantee health care to all people. CLINTON: We share the goal of universal health care coverage.
But I think the people deserve to know how this would work. If it's Medicare for all, then you no longer have the Affordable Care Act, because the Affordable Care Act is based on the insurance system.
So if you're having single-payer, you need to level with people about what they will have at the end of the process. Based on every analysis I can find, the numbers don't add up, and many people will be worse off than they are now.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Homeland Security:
Haters should realize that American Muslims can help us
After 9/11, one of the efforts we did in New York was if you see or hear something suspicious, report it. We need to do that throughout the country. We need to understand that American Muslims are on the front line of our defense. They are more likely to
know what's happening in their communities, and they need to welcomed in American society. When somebody like Donald Trump stirs up the demagoguery against American Muslims, that hurts us at home. It's not only offensive; it's dangerous.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Homeland Security:
Support our NATO allies and take vetted Syrian refugees
SANDERS: I went to a Turkish refugee camp on the border of Syria. What a sad sight: Men, women, children forced out of their homes. Turkey did a decent thing, providing reasonable housing and conditions for people. Given our history as a nation that
has been a beacon of hope for the oppressed, for the downtrodden, that I very strongly disagree with those Republican candidates who say we've got to turn our backs on women and children who left their home with nothing.
That is not what America is supposed to be about. I think that the entire world needs to come together to deal with this horrific refugee crisis.CLINTON: This is a humanitarian catastrophe. The US has to support our allies in Europe.
We have to provide financial support. We have to provide the NATO support to back up the mission that is going on. And we have to take properly vetted refugees ourselves.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin on Syrian Refugees
Feb 11, 2016
On Social Security:
Expand Social Security for most vulnerable first
Rather than expand benefits for everyone, I want to take care of low-income seniors who worked at low-wage jobs. I want to take care of women. When the Social Security program was started in the 1930s, not very many women worked. Women have been
disadvantaged ever since. They do not get credit for their care-taking responsibilities. We have no disagreement about the need to buttress Social Security. I want to start by helping those people who are most at risk.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On War & Peace:
My 2002 vote for Iraq war does not impact ISIS plan today
SANDERS: Secretary Clinton has enormous experience in foreign affairs. But judgment matters as well. And she and I looked at the same evidence coming from the Bush administration regarding Iraq. I led the opposition against it. She voted for it.
But more importantly, in terms of this Libya resolution that you have noted before, this was a virtually unanimous consent. Everybody voted for it wanting to see Libya move toward democracy, of course we all wanted to do that.
CLINTON: I do not believe a vote in 2002 [for the Iraq war] is a plan to defeat ISIS in 2016. It's important we focus on the threats we face today. When people vote, they are voting for the commander-in- chief.
It's important that people look at who is best prepared for dealing with them. Senator Obama, when he ran against me, was against the war in Iraq. Yet he turned to me, trusting my judgment, my experience, to become secretary of state.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On War & Peace:
Do not negotiate with Iran about Syria
SANDERS: The agreement on a cease-fire is something that has to be implemented more quickly than the schedule the Russians agreed to. The Russians wanted time.
Are they buying time to continue their bombardment on behalf of the Assad regime to further decimate what's left of the opposition, which would be a grave disservice to any kind of eventual cease-fire?
CLINTON: This is one of the areas I've disagreed with Senator Sanders on, who has called for Iranian troops trying to end civil war in Syria, which I think would be a grave mistake.
Putting Iranian troops right on the border of the Golan right next to Israel would be a nonstarter for me. Trying to get Iran and Saudi Arabia to work together, as he has suggested in the past, is equally a nonstarter.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
On Welfare & Poverty:
Address distressed communities and generational poverty
I am concerned about what's happening in every community in America, and that includes white communities, where we are seeing an increase in alcoholism, addiction, earlier deaths. I'm going to do everything I can to address distressed communities,
whether they are communities of color, whether they are white communities. I particularly appreciate the proposal that Congressman Jim Clyburn has--the 10-20-30 proposal--to spend more federal dollars in communities with generational poverty.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
Page last updated: Jan 29, 2021