By CAP Action War Room

Hillary Clinton Argues For “Inclusive Prosperity,” John Boehner Ignores His Past

The Center for American Progress was honored today to host a dynamic panel of women leaders featuring Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Patty Murray, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro to discuss why women’s economic security matters for everyone. Clinton spoke forcefully about the need for workplace policies that work for women and families: “The number one thing we can do to make our economy grow is to tap into the full potential of women who want to be in the workforce,” she said.

Across town, Speaker John Boehner delivered his own remarks on what he termed “resetting America’s economic foundation.” But for all the talk about setting a new foundation for the future, the Speaker reminded us of somebody who can’t remember the past.

Secretary Clinton and Speaker Boehner outline two very different visions of America’s future: Clinton recognizes our changing society and seeks to expand economic prosperity for all Americans; Boehner offers platitudes while ignoring his long track record of hurting the middle class.

What Clinton Says: “Without equal pay, without flexibility or predictability at work, without access to quality affordable childcare, without the ability to take a day off if your child or aging parent gets sick, without paid family and medical leave, this woman is really on the brink.”

TRUTH. With women increasingly the primary breadwinner or co-breadwinner in their families, the workplace policies that exist today are simply from a bygone era. Clinton recognized that challenge and spoke about how 21st century policies would help women–and men. And this isn’t just about helping those at the top, as Clinton says, this is fundamentally about working-class people: “We talk about the glass ceiling? — These women don’t even have a secure floor under them.”

What Clinton Says: “The failure of our political leadership on the other side of the aisle to recognize the importance of making sure that people who work hard and play by the rules — that old description — have a chance to get into the middle class and certainly a chance to stay in the middle class.”

TRUTH. While incomes at the top continue to go up, working-class and middle-class families are being squeezed by stagnating wages and rising prices. Policies like those Clinton addressed in the panel, such as an increase in the minimum wage and policies for women and families, are a critical step to not only helping all citizens achieve economic security but also to really grow the economy and create jobs for everyone.

What Boehner Says: “Let’s fix the whole tax code. Make it pro-growth and pro-family. Bring down the rates for every American, clear out all the loopholes, allow people to do their taxes on two – yes, two – sheets of paper.”

What Boehner Does: The Speaker does not lay out any details of what kind of tax reform he supports, but a look at his support for the Ryan Budget plan is enough: it would raise taxes on middle class families by an average of $1,358 to pay for a $286,000 tax cut for millionaires. This isn’t just unfair—it’s a recipe for economic stagnation. A tax cut for the rich has no measurable effect on growth while a tax cut for everyone else actually does boost the economy.

What Boehner Says: “We have to solve our spending problem. For 53 of the last 60 years, we’ve spent more money than we’ve brought in…It is stealing from our kids and grandkids, robbing them of benefits they’ll never see and leaving them with burdens that are nearly impossible to repay.”

What Boehner Does: There are two sides to any budget deficit, spending and revenue, a reality Boehner has willfully ignored as Speaker. He famously refused a “Grand Bargain” with President Obama in 2011 that would have cut federal spending by $2.2 trillion because the President asked for $650 billion more in revenue and said in 2013 that the “the talk about raising revenue is over.”

And speaking of robbing kids, it’s worth noting that Boehner has refused bills that would help state and local governments halt teacher layoffs.

What Boehner Says: “We’ve gotten to a point in America where litigation has become a first resort instead of a last. The costs are staggering: Americans are spending more per person on litigation than just about any other country, and it’s not even close. Our liability costs are more than 2.5 times the average level of Eurozone economies. Not something to be proud of.”

What Boehner Does:The Speaker should first take his own advice on frivolous lawsuits before he begins offering policy prescriptions on litigation. After all, he led the charge this summer to win approval of a resolution authorizing him to sue the Obama Administration for waiving the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate. The lawsuit is the definition of frivolous—not only is it likely to lose, but Boehner doesn’t even support the employer mandate he is suing to enforce!

What Clinton Says: “Congress is living in a evidence-free zone.” When it comes to Speaker Boehner, that’s the truth.

What gets you fired from Cablevision, using the N-word, or saying the word ‘slavery’? If you’re a union supporter like Jerome, apparently saying the word slavery is the real crime.

Three years ago, Jerome and his co-workers started trying to build a union at Cablevision and voted to join the CWA. Instead of good-faith bargaining, Cablevision have met them with intimidation and harassment and the illegal firing of 22 workers. Now, Cablevision has fired Jerome for saying that just like slavery is a stain on America, Cablevision’s unfair treatment of the Brooklyn workers and union-busting is a stain on their new brand.

Join Working Families, CWA and the Black Institute to pressure Cablevision to hire Jerome back and bargain fairly for a fair contract!

Sign the petition!

President Obama spoke to service men and women at MacDill Air Force Base yesterday about the U.S. strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL — a terrorist organization that is killing innocent, unarmed civilians in both Iraq and Syria. ISIL, also known as ISIS or the Islamic State, is also responsible for the brutal murders of American journalists Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Here are the key points the President made yesterday regarding ISIL and our strategy to defeat their forces:

1. ISIL is threatening America and our allies.

Our intelligence community has not yet detected specific plots from ISIL against our homeland, but they have repeatedly threatened our core interests, including our personnel, our embassies, our consulates, and our facilities in Iraq, Syria, and in the broader Middle East. “If left unchecked, they could pose a growing threat to the United States,” he said.

2. The U.S. continues to conduct targeted airstrikes against ISIL.

The U.S. Air Force has conducted more than 160 airstrikes against ISIL, successfully protecting our personnel and facilities, killing ISIL fighters, and giving space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. “They’ve helped our partners on the ground break ISIL sieges; helped rescue civilians cornered on a mountain; helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children,” the President said.

3. American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission.

“As your Commander-in-Chief, I will not commit you, and the rest of our Armed Forces, to fighting another ground war in Iraq,” the President told servicemembers. Along with our airstrikes, U.S. forces will train, equip, advise, and assist local partners on the ground “so that they can secure their own countries’ futures.”

4. This is not and will not be America’s fight alone.

The U.S. will lead a broad coalition of countries who have a stake in this fight. France and the UK are already flying with us over Iraq, and other countries have committed to join this effort. Saudi Arabia has agreed to host American efforts to train and equip Syrian opposition forces. Australia and Canada are going to send military advisors to Iraq, while Germany is sending paratroopers to help offer training. Arab nations have agreed to strengthen their support for Iraq’s new government, a key ally in our strategy to defeat ISIL.

International partners will help us cut off ISIL funding, gather intelligence, and prevent foreign fighters from entering — or leaving — the Middle East. And nearly 30 nations have joined American humanitarian relief to help civilians, including Sunni, Shia, Christian, Yezidi, or other religious minorities, that ISIL has driven from their homes.

5. Congress should provide the authorities and resources the U.S. military needs to succeed.

The President has called on Congress to support our military with the necessary resources to train and equip Syrian opposition fighters. As he has said, America’s leadership position is strongest when the President and Congress work together and show a united front.

“Sending our servicemembers into harm’s way is not a decision I ever take lightly,” the President said. “It is the hardest decision I make as President. Nothing else comes close.”

But this strategy will require the best military force in the world:

Frankly, there just aren’t a lot of other folks who can perform in the same ways — in fact, there are none. And there are some things only we can do. There are some capabilities only we have. That’s because of you — your dedication, your skill, your work, your families supporting you, your training, your command structure. Our Armed Forces are unparalleled and unique. And so when we’ve got a big problem somewhere around the world, it falls on our shoulders. And sometimes that’s tough. But that’s what sets us apart. That’s why we’re America. That’s what the stars and stripes are all about.

“In an uncertain world full of breathtaking change, the one constant is American leadership.”

And, because of the strength and dedication of America’s military, the President made clear that we will send an unmistakable message to ISIL:

Whether in Iraq or in Syria, these terrorists will learn the same thing that the leaders of al Qaeda already know: We mean what we say; our reach is long; if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven. We will find you eventually.

News broke late yesterday in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that federal agents arrested a convicted felon in Olympia for buying and selling guns online — even though he was prohibited by law from possessing guns.¹

This story is as scary as it is real. It demonstrates what Everytown revealed in our investigation yesterday: Criminals are flocking to the Internet to buy guns because there’s no requirement to run criminal background checks.

We have to close this loophole and that starts by voting YES on Initiative 594 on the ballot this fall — an initiative that would require background checks for all gun sales in our state.

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Thanks for standing with us.

– Meera

1. “Charge: Washington robber turned to Facebook to deal guns,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 17, 2014.