PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- I am
honored to stand before you as a proud member of the progressive
California delegation. I'm also
very happy to acknowledge my D'Alesandro Maryland roots. It is a
privilege to stand before you as the Leader of the House Democrats
– a caucus honored to serve with our partner Sen. Harry Reid and our friend Vice President
Joe Biden; a caucus honored to serve
with one of the greatest Presidents in our history, President
Barack Obama! Together we passed the
Affordable Care Act, which would not have been possible without the
courage of the House Democrats
We are a caucus proud that we look like 21st-century America;
more than 50 percent women, people of color, and LGBT Members. What
a contrast with the narrow and restricted club that met in
convention in Cleveland last week.
Our convention is different, and so is our mission.
We come to public service and to this convention not to trumpet
darkness, but to light a way forward for our country.
We come here conscious that we are approaching a milestone
moment in the American journey – the election of the first woman
President of the United
States.
Hillary Clinton knows that this
moment is not just about one woman's achievement. It's about what
electing a woman President will mean for achieving the dreams and
hopes and aspirations of every woman, every daughter, every son,
and every family, all across our land, for generations to come.
This moment is about the landmark progress President
Hillary Clinton will achieve for
families everywhere yearning for a better life, a better chance, in
a better America. Hillary Clinton
has a vision rooted in deeply held values. She has a genuine
strength that differs profoundly from her opponent's bluster. She
has a gift for strategic thinking, seasoned by knowledge and
experience. And she has a connection to hard-working American
families forged in her lifetime of leadership and service to
others.
Leadership and public service are our cause and our calling as
Democrats. Here is our commitment to the American people, for a
stronger America. First, secure our nation with strong action to
keep Americans safe, fighting terror at home and abroad, and
eliminating ISIS. We must be strong and smart, not reckless and
rash.
At home, safer communities demand courage, not cowardice, in the
face of the NRA. For the sake of the 91 Americans who are killed by
gun violence each day, we must break the grip of the gun lobby on
Congress and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and suspected
terrorists. If you're on the no-fly list, then you belong on the
no-buy list. That is why Democrats, led by Congressman John Lewis, held our historic 26-hour sit-in in
the Capitol. And we won't stop until Congress heeds the will of the
American people and disarms hate.
Second, secure our future – by investing in education,
innovation, and opportunity. Our imperative is to create more good
jobs and a living wage, with equal pay and paid leave for everyone,
so that every family can earn their dreams – buy a home, send their
children to college, retire with dignity – and never have to worry
that their Social Security will be privatized or Medicare's
guarantee will be taken away. And our imperative is quality health
care that builds on the Affordable Care Act – which now covers 20
million more Americans.
Third, secure our democracy by removing barriers to voting and
draining the poisonous swamp of secret money in our politics. We
Democrats believe the future of America should be decided by the
voices of the voters, not the pocketbooks of the powerful.
Not far from here, our Founders pledged their lives, their
liberty, and their sacred honor to create a democracy. A government
of the many, not a government of the money. So Hillary Clinton and Democrats in the House and
Senate are sworn to free our democracy by overturning Citizens
United. Then – and only then – can we make America truly
fair.
And only then can we have fairness in a budget that is a
statement of our values, that invests in the future, creates jobs,
reduces the deficit, and ensures that everyone is paying their fair
share.
We know what is on the line in what truly is the most important
election of our lifetime: for the future of the Supreme Court, for
the fate of a planet imperiled by climate change, for the sake of
immigration reform, for the promise of an America that rewards hard
work instead of those who exploit America's workers, for women's
reproductive rights, equal rights, civil rights, and to do what is
right for our service members, veterans and military families who
have given so much for our country.
We will stand and speak and campaign for Hillary Clinton and Tim
Kaine. And I tell you this: They will win in November. We
will fight to restore Democratic majorities in the Senate and the
House, and I tell you this: We can do it.
Are you ready to work for a great Democratic victory? Are you
ready to make history, electing Hillary
Clinton President of the United
States? I thought so. Onward to victory!
God bless you. God bless our men and women in uniform. God bless
America.
Media contact:
press@demconvention.com
Phone: 215-398-5252
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SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee