Subject: Re: Topper for tomorrow's SEIU event
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Cc: Milia Fisher <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 18:54:18 -0400

Updated below:

*HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON*

*REMARKS AT SEIU CHILD CARE EVENT*

*CHICAGO, ILLINIOIS*

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015*

Thank you to everyone at New Horizons for welcoming us today.  And thank
you to all my friends at SEIU.

We’re here today to talk about childcare.  But I want to begin with what’s
happening more broadly with America’s economy and America’s families.

We’ve come back from very tough economic times.  Our economy and our
country are in much better shape today because families worked so hard.
They took extra jobs, skipped vacations, scrimped and saved and made it
work.

But the deck is still stacked for those at the top. Something is wrong when
top CEOs earn 300 times more than a typical American worker and some hedge
fund managers pay a lower tax rate than a truck driver or a nurse.

I’m running for President because everyday Americans and their families
need a champion and I want to be that champion.  I want families to do more
than just get by – I want you to get ahead and *stay* ahead.  I want to
make the words “middle class” *mean* something again.

Strong families have always been the backbone of America.  But our economy
is different than it was for previous generations, and our families are
different too.  Most need two incomes to make ends meet.  And 40 percent of
moms are now the sole or primary breadwinners in their household.

Back before I had Chelsea, I used to see many of the women I worked with
urgently whispering into their phones every afternoon around three
o’clock.  I realized they were checking that their children had gotten home
from school safely.  They had to whisper because it just wasn’t accepted
back then that you could be a good worker and a devoted parent at the same
time – especially for women.

Today that kind of juggling is a reality for most families.

Moms and Dads alike are squeezing every minute out of a 24-hour day with
barely enough time to breathe, let alone relax.  And many can’t count on
relatives to pitch in because so many families now are scattered across the
country.

That means that finding high quality, affordable, flexible childcare is
more important than ever.  But it’s also harder than ever.

  *Federal and state funding for childcare hasn’t kept up with changing
times and rising demand.  In fact, it’s lower today than it was a decade
ago.  So it’s no surprise that out-of-pocket childcare costs for families
have soared by nearly 25 percent since then.  And now the Republican budget
would cut funding even further.  America can’t turn its back on our
children like this.  Family values are economic values.  We have plans to
fix this.  We should do it now.  And Republicans should either get out of
the way or get on board.*

Our families and our economy need new solutions designed for today and
tomorrow, not yesterday.

First, to bring down out-of-control family costs, we need to make
investments in childcare a national priority.

What President Obama has proposed is a great start.  I’ll look for
responsible ways to go even further, whether it’s providing tax cuts to new
parents or grants to states targeted for infants and toddlers.  And it is
time for America to finally join the rest of the developed world in
providing paid family leave.

Second, we have to focus on quality so all our kids have access to the best
possible care.  That means reducing overcrowding and increasing training
and wages for providers.

To all the childcare workers here today, the service and care you provide
not only strengthens America’s economy, it strengthens America’s families.
And you should be valued for that, respected for that, and get the pay you
deserve.

When we short-change childcare workers, we’re short-changing our kids and
short-changing American’s future.  It makes it harder to retain the best
staff.  It makes it harder to keep up high standards.  And it’s just plain
wrong.

So we need to stand against those who are trying to deprive you and other
workers across the country of your right to organize, to collective
bargaining, to fighting together for the higher wages that reflect the
value of your work.  And it’s hard to imagine work more valuable than
caring for our youngest children.

That’s why SEIU’s work, under the leadership of Mary Kay Henry, is so
vital.

As President, I’ll stand with you in the fight for fair wages.  And I’ll
stand against any attempts to roll back worker’s rights.  Those at the top
already have plenty of friends in Washington.  I want to be *your*
champion.

Ultimately, this is about how we work together to give every child the
chance to live up to his or her God-given potential.

There’s nothing more important.  Because when we unlock the full potential
of every American, we can unlock the full potential and prosperity of
America.

###

On Tue, May 19, 2015 at 5:34 PM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> John, I wanted to be sure you got a chance to see this for tomorrow at
> SEIU:
>
> *HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON*
>
> *REMARKS AT SEIU CHILD CARE EVENT*
>
> *CHICAGO, ILLINIOIS*
>
> *WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015*
>
>
>
> Thank you to everyone at New Horizons for welcoming us today.  And thank
> you to all my friends at SEIU.
>
>
> We’re here today to talk about childcare.  But I want to begin with what’s
> happening more broadly with America’s economy and America’s families.
>
>
>
> We’ve come back from very tough economic times.  Our economy and our
> country are in much better shape today because families worked so hard.
> They took extra jobs, skipped vacations, scrimped and saved and made it
> work.
>
>
>
> But the deck is still stacked for those at the top.
>
>
>
> People aren’t getting a fair shake.  Something is wrong when top CEOs earn
> 300 times more than a typical American worker and some hedge fund managers
> pay a lower tax rate than a truck driver or a nurse.
>
>
>
> I’m running for President because everyday Americans and their families
> need a champion and I want to be that champion.  I want families to do more
> than just get by – I want you to get ahead and *stay* ahead.  I want to
> make the words “middle class” *mean* something again.
>
>
>
> Strong families have always been the backbone of America.  But our economy
> is different than it was for previous generations, and our families are
> different too. Most need two incomes to make ends meet.  Sixty-four percent
> of moms with children under 6 are now working outside the home.  And 40
> percent of moms are the sole or primary breadwinners in their household.
>
>
>
> Back before I had Chelsea, I used to see many of the women I worked with
> urgently whispering into their phones every afternoon around three
> o’clock.  I realized they were checking that their children had gotten home
> from school safely.  They had to whisper because it just wasn’t accepted
> back then that you could be a good worker and a devoted parent at the same
> time – especially for women.
>
>
>
> Today that kind of juggling is a reality for most families.  Moms and
> Dads alike are squeezing every minute out of a 24-hour day with barely
> enough time to breathe, let alone relax.  And many can’t count on relatives
> to pitch in because so many families now are scattered across the country.
>
>
>
> That means that finding high quality, affordable, flexible childcare is
> more important than ever.  But it’s also harder than ever.
>
>
>
> Federal and state funding for childcare hasn’t kept up with changing times
> and rising demand.  In fact, it’s lower today than it was a decade ago.
>
>
>
> So it’s no surprise that out-of-pocket childcare costs for families have
> soared by nearly 25 percent.
>
>
>
> Our families and our economy need new solutions designed for today and
> tomorrow, not yesterday.
>
>
>
> First, to bring down out-of-control family costs, we need to make
> investments in childcare a national priority.
>
>
>
> What President Obama has proposed is a great start.  Universal Pre-K for
> all 4 year-olds would give our kids support and enrichment at a crucial
> period for brain development and would help meet childcare needs for their
> families as well.  So would additional assistance to families in the first
> three years.
>
>
>
> I’ll look for responsible ways to go even further, whether its providing
> grants to states targeted for infants and toddlers, or tax cuts to new
> parents, or finally joining the rest of the developed world in providing
> paid family leave.
>
>
>
> And when Republicans try to slash funding for childcare, I’ll fight back.
> Because investing in our kids means investing in our families and our
> future.
>
>
>
> Second, we have to focus on quality so all our kids have access to the
> best possible care.  That means reducing overcrowding, providing more
> information to parents, and increasing training and wages for providers.
>
>
>
> You know better than anyone that we don’t give the people who care for our
> kids the pay or respect they deserve.
>
>
>
> That makes it harder to retain the best workers.  It makes it harder to
> keep up high standards.  And it’s just plain wrong.
>
>
>
> We have to defend the right of workers to organize and bargain for higher
> wages that reflect the value of their work.  And it’s hard to imagine work
> more valuable than caring for our youngest children.
>
>
>
> SEIU’s leadership is so vital here.  When I see childcare workers out
> there organizing and marching and advocating, I want to cheer.
>
>
>
> As President, I’ll stand with you in the fight for fair wages.  And I’ll
> stand against any attempts to roll back worker’s rights.  Those at the top
> already have plenty of friends in Washington.  I want to be *your*
> champion.
>
>
>
> Ultimately, this is about how we work together to give every child the
> chance to live up to his or her God-given potential.  There’s nothing more
> important.  Because when we unlock the full potential of every American, we
> can unlock the full potential and prosperity of America.
>
>
>
> So I’m eager to hear your stories.  What more can we do to help families
> get the childcare they need?  What more should we be doing to support our
> kids and the professionals who care for them?
>
>
>
> ###
>
>
>
>
>