Clinton on Nevada Victory: This is a 'Campaign to Break Down Every Barrier that Holds you Back'
Hillary Clinton gave victory remarks in Las Vegas tonight, thanking her supporters and highlighting her agenda to break down barriers. In her remarks, Clinton said: “This is your campaign. It is a campaign to break down every barrier that holds you back.”
The transcript of the remarks as delivered is below.
“Thank you, Nevada! Thank you so much! Thank you so much!
"I am so, so thrilled and so grateful to all my supporters out there. Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other. This one’s for you!
"I want to congratulate Senator Sanders on a hard-fought race here. And I want to thank each and every one of you. You turned out in every corner of this state, with determination and purpose. Hotel and casino workers who never wavered. Students with too much debt, and small business owners who never go off the clock. Tens of thousands of men and women with kids to raise, bills to pay, and dreams that won’t die.
"This is your campaign. And it is – it is a campaign to break down every barrier that holds you back. We’re going to build ladders of opportunity in their place, so every American can go as far as your hard work can take you.
"And to the thousands of volunteers and organizers who worked so hard in this state, to the more than 750,000 people who’ve gone to HillaryClinton.com and contributed what you could, the vast majority giving less $100, and to the millions of people across this country who are supporting our campaign, thank you from the bottom of my heart. We hear you. We see you. We're incredibly grateful to you because we're in this together.
"We look at our country and see so much that isn’t working the way it should. We see grandparents forced to choose between paying rent and buying medicine because a prescription drug company has increased prices 5,000 percent overnight. We see African-American families denied mortgages at nearly three times the rate of white families. We see small towns and rural communities hollowed out by lost jobs and lost hopes. We see a rising generation of young people coming of age in a world where opportunity seems out of reach. And worst of all, we see children growing up in poverty or pain or fear.
"Here in Nevada, a brave young girl told me how scared she is that her parents are could be deported. In South Carolina, I met kids trying to learn in crumbling classrooms and neglected communities. Then there’s Flint, Michigan, where children were poisoned by toxic water just because their governor wanted to save a little money. So Americans, Americans are right to be angry. But we’re also hungry for real solutions.
"In the campaign, you’ve heard a lot about Washington and Wall Street. We all want to get secret, unaccountable money out of politics. That starts with appointing a new justice to the Supreme Court who will protect the right of every citizen to vote, not every corporation to buy elections. And we also agree that Wall Street can never be allowed to threaten Main Street again. No bank can be too big to fail, no executive can be too powerful to jail. But if we listen to the voices of Flint and Ferguson, if we open our hearts to the families of Coal Country and Indian Country, if we listen to the hopes and heartaches of hardworking people across America, it’s clear there’s so much more to be done.
"The truth is, we aren’t a single-issue country. We need more than a plan for the big banks. The middle class needs a raise and we need more jobs. We need jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced. We can do it the entrepreneurs and small businesses. We can do it with new investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, and clean energy, especially here in Nevada, the center of solar power. Some country going to be the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. It’s either going to be China, Germany, or us, and I want it to be us. And it will be when I’m president.
"We also have to do more to make it easier for parents to balance work and family, and break down barriers that keep so many people on the sidelines of the economy, especially women. Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough? It’s time for equal pay for equal work!
"Don't you think it's time to face head-on the reality of systemic racism and investing in communities that have been left out and left behind? that means reforming our criminal justice system, our immigration systems. Ensuring that people with disabilities have the opportunity to work and fully participate in our society. It means to make sure nothing holds you back – not debt, not discrimination, not a deck stacked for those at the top.
"Now, no one can get this done alone – not even the President of the United States. It’s got to be the mission of our entire nation. I’ve never believed in dividing America between “us” and “them.” We’re all in this together. And we all have to do our part. So let me say this to the men and women who run our country’s corporations: If you cheat your employees, exploit consumers, pollute our environment, or rip off the taxpayers, we’re going to hold you accountable. But if you do the right things, invest in your workers, contribute to your communities, and help build a better America, we’re going to stand with you. We're going to go into the future together. We need more jobs. We need more opportunity.
"And I want to say this to all the young people out there: I know what you’re up against. If you left college with a ton of loans, it’s not enough just to make college more affordable. You need help right now with the debt you already have. That’s why I have a plan to cut your interest rates and cap payments so you never have to pay more than you can afford. But I want you to – I want you to think about this. It can’t be just about what we’re going to give you. It has to be about what we’re going to build together. Your generation is the most tolerant and connected our country has ever seen. In the days ahead, we’ll propose new ways for more Americans to get involved in national service and give back to our communities because every one of us has a role to play in building the future we want. Washington is never going to have all the answers. But for every problem we face, someone somewhere in America is solving it. And we need you to be part of that exciting journey we can make together.
"We need the community activist who decides to run for school board. The entrepreneur who stays instead of leaving a hometown who has seen better days. We need millions of teachers and nurses, police officers and firefighters who get up every day and do quiet, heroic work to make our country a safer, fairer, better place. It’s going to take each of us, working together, growing together, looking out for one another and lifting each other up. Because there’s a basic truth about this country: America can only live up to its potential when each and every American has the chance to live up to our own potential, too.
"Because there is a basic truth about America. It's something that Bill and I have been the beneficiaries of, that we have tried to contribute to and do all we could to continue. America can only live up to its potential when each and every American has the chance to live up to your potential, too. So imagine, imagine a tomorrow where no child grows up in the shadow of discrimination or under the specter of deportation. and every child in every zip code gets the education he or she needs and deserves. Imagine a tomorrow where every parent can find a good job and every grandparent can enjoy a secure retirement. Where small businesses thrive, and big businesses play by the rules and give more back to the country that has given them so much. Where hard work is honored, families are supported and communities are strong. With your help, that is the tomorrow we will build for our country.
"Please join us. Go to HillaryClinton.com and become a part of this campaign. Or text 47246, JOIN, right now. Now I am heading on – I am on my way to Texas. I'm on my way to Texas. Bill is on his way to Colorado. The fight goes on. The future that we want is within our grasp. Thank you, all. God bless you!"
