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Last night, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talked marriage, guns, climate change and other hot button political issues.
Clinton was at George Mason University to give her first campaign speech in Virginia.
A crowd of more than 2,000 filled the seats at the Patriot Center to hear Clinton speak about her values and plans as a presidential candidate.
Clinton is one of many Democratic presidential primary candidates in the field, alongside Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley and Lincoln Chafee.
Virginia politicians speak, $1 million raised
According to VADems spokesman Stephen Carter, over $1 million was raised from ticket sales for the event.
Several of Virginia’s elected officials were in attendance and gave comments before Clinton spoke, including Congressman Gerry Connolly, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam, Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Bobby Scott, Senator Mark Warner and Governor Terry McAuliffe.
During his remarks, McAuliffe spoke about his long time history with the Clinton family.
“Folks, let me say this – this is personal for me. I’ve known Hillary for decades. We’ve worked hard together, we’ve played hard together. I have to be honest with you…when we we’re on a vacation, and it’s about six o’clock at night, and I’m ready for a cold beer…I don’t go looking for Bill Clinton – I go looking for Hillary Clinton…She is smart, she is tough, and she is compassionate. But most of all…because Hillary Clinton is a tenacious fighter. She will fight average single day to give that average Joe a shot at the American Dream,” said McAuliffe.
Clinton talks about hot political issues
When Clinton spoke to the crowd, she touched on several timely political issues, including the Supreme Court’s decision to make same sex marriages legal, and the death of nine individuals during the shooting in South Carolina.
“This morning, love triumphed in the highest court in our land. Equality triumphed, America triumphed…this is was that [Supreme Court] decision said, ‘No union is more profound than marriage. For it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, and devotion and sacrifice…two people become greater than once they were’…and to that I say amen,” said Clinton.
Additionally, Clinton talked about Congress’ decision to halt a Center for Disease Control (CDC) study on gun violence.
“Sadly before the funeral of the nine murdered church going faithful men and women were even finished, some Republicans in the Congress voted to stop the Center for Disease Control from studying gun violence. How can you watch massacre after massacre and take that vote? That is wrong,” said Clinton.
During Clinton’s remarks, she addressed climate change briefly. She also spoke about healthcare and women’s reproductive health, referencing the trans-vaginal ultrasound bill that came up in the Virginia legislature, and continues to be a topic of interest as new restrictions on women’s health clinics may close some of the 18 locations in the state.
“Ask them about women’s reproductive health. They’re likely to talk about defunding Planned Parenthood, or maybe they’ll insist on forcing women to undergo some demeaning and invasive medical procedure, as was attempted right here in Virginia…we don’t need any more leaders who shame or blame women, rather than respect our right to make our own decisions,” Clinton said.
Clinton also called out Republicans on their economic policies.
“They’re the party of the past – not the future. And when you ask them, ‘What are your new ideas on the economy’ well you guessed it – tax cuts for the wealthy and fewer rules for Wall Street. Now if that sounds familiar, it’s because those are exactly the same top down economic policies that failed us before. Americans have come too far, to see our progress ripped away,” Clinton said.
According to Clinton, her campaign’s goal is to look out for all Americans.
“I’m not running for some Americans, I’m running for all Americans. I will always stand my ground, so you and our country can gain ground. For the successful, for the striving and the struggling. For the innovators and the inventors – for the factory workers and the food servers, that stand on their feet all day. For the nurses who work the night shift, for the truckers who drive for hours, for the farmers who feed us, for the veterans who served our country. For the small business owners who progress, for the gay couple who love each other. For the black child, who still lives in the shadow of discrimination, and the Hispanic child who still lives in the shadow of deportation,” said Clinton.
