Friday 16 September 2016

Hillary Clinton: "This is the work of my life, and I’m not stopping now"







It was great to be back on the campaign trail yesterday. As you may know, I recently had a cough that turned out to be pneumonia. I tried to power through it, but even I had to admit that maybe a few days of rest would do me good.

I’m not great at taking it easy, even under ordinary circumstances, and sitting home was pretty much the last place I wanted to be with just two months until Election Day.

But having a few days to myself was actually a gift. I talked with some old friends and spent time with our very sweet dogs. And I did some thinking. The campaign trail doesn’t really encourage reflection, and it’s important to sit with your thoughts every now and then.

People like me—we’re lucky. When I’m under the weather, I can afford to take a few days off. Millions of Americans can’t. They either go to work sick, or they lose a paycheck.

Lots of Americans still don’t even have insurance—or they do, but it’s too expensive to actually use. So they toss back Tylenols, chug orange juice, and hope that cough or cold or virus goes away on its own.

And lots of working parents can’t afford child care. It costs as much as college tuition in many states, so millions of moms and dads have no backup if they get sick—they’re on their own. I’ve met so many people living on a razor’s edge—one illness away from losing their job, one paycheck away from losing their home.

Events like these are mere bumps in the road for some families—but for others, they are catastrophic. And that disparity goes against everything we stand for as Americans.

Some things shouldn’t come down to luck. Some things should be within reach for every American, no matter what—like financial security, affordable health care, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that if something goes wrong, your family will be okay.

That’s why I got into this race: to fight for everyone working hard, often against the odds, to support their families and contribute to our country. I want to tear down all the barriers standing in their way.

I’m running for the factory workers and food servers who on their feet all day—and the nurses looking after patients all night. I’m running for the young people who dream of changing our country and world for the better, and I’m running for all the parents and grandparents supporting those dreams by dedicating every dollar they can to their education.

Now, we’re in the final stretch. There are just 53 days left. I'm going to be campaigning hard all the way until Election Day, talking about my ideas for our country everywhere I go—from reining in Wall Street to creating good-paying jobs to, yes, guaranteed paid family leave, so that no one in this country ever has to choose between taking care of their family (or themselves) and a paycheck.

We need a president who’s spent years fighting for these issues, and who has a plan to support all families, in all their configurations. And if I have the honor of serving as your president, no one will fight harder for your children and your families—because this is the work of my life, and I’m not stopping now.

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