[applause] marc say save our cities. I dont hear you. Say save our cities. Save our cities. Marc education. Education marc jobs. Jobs. Marc justice. Justice. Marc good morning. I am so proud to see all of you. You are a wonderful audience. We want to thank everyone who is here at the Fort LauderdaleBroward County convention center. I also want to thank all who may be watching from home, their office, on mobile devices all over the world and the nation. The National Urban league is center stage on this morning july 31, 2015. Now on behalf of the National Urban league, the urban League Movement and our hosts, im proud to welcome you to the 2016 president ial candidates plenary. This is a very special event because it is the first time in this election cycle that candidates from both the democratic and republican parties have come together on one stage. The presence here today of these candidates represents an outreach hand, an important signal that they take our issues, our communities and each and every one of you very seriously. Now as the nations largest civil rights, urban advocacy and social justice conference, i also believe their presence here speaks volumes. I would like to state for the record that the National Urban league welcomed all the declared candidates to address us today and share their plans for saving our cities. As each of you know, the National Urban league is a Nonpartisan Organization and does not endorse any Political Party or candidate. As a nonpartisan 501c3 organization, the National Urban league extended an invitation to any 2016 president ial candidate who either appeared in a reputable Public Opinion poll such as gallup, rasmussen or others, or who reached out and contacted us before july 1. You might be surprised but according to the federal election commission, there are so far at least 484 individuals who are vying for the president ial election. You could run for president , too. [laughter] seriously, even the National UrbanLeague Conference is not big enough to provide a stage for 484 candidates to have a fair opportunity to speak. If we could, what could we possibly learn from such a circus . All we ask from these candidates is they work with us in a timely fashion to coordinate their appearance at this private event. We are grateful to them that they did just that and made our community and our concerns a priority. In addition to the candidates who will address us today, the following candidates were invited, but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts senator rand paul of kentucky. Senator marco rubio of florida. Former senator jim webb of virginia. Former arkansas governor mike huckabee. Senator Lindsey Graham of south carolina. Louisiana governor bobby jindal. Ohio governor john kasich. The following candidates were invited, but never responded in any way to our invitation. [laughter] we believe in transparency. [laughter] [applause] those candidates are former hewlettpackard ceo carly fiorina, former new york governor george pataki, former senator Rick Santorum of pennsylvania, former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee new jersey governor chris christie, and new York Real Estate tycoon donald trump. [laughter] and perhaps we will hear from them in the future. We are here because we want to listen to the candidates plans to save our cities. And, in preparation for today, we gave the candidates a little homework. We shared with them some of our very best ideas to saving american cities. Each of the candidates received the 21st century agenda for jobs and freedom which is endorsed by 60 civil rights and social justice organizations put together in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the march on washington. That document and that agenda identifies five urgent domestic goals for the nation. Economic parity for africanamericans. Equity in educational opportunities. Protection and defense of Voting Rights. Elimination of Health Care Disparity and comprehensive criminal Justice System reform. We also shared with the candidates our 10 point plan for Police Reform and accountability which includes recommendations such as mandatory body cameras and dashboard cameras and a comprehensive overhaul of police hirings and training practices because we are here to save our cities and not just ourselves. In memory of our brothers and sisters such as michael brown, eric garner, tamir rice, sandra bland and so many others, we will say their names because their lives matter and we say black lives matter because every life matters. [applause] and you know that while Police Tactics may have been the spark that ignited explosions in places like ferguson and baltimore, poverty, hopelessness and joblessness are the tinder the kerosene. It is now time that we come together as a nation and demand reform not only in criminal justice and in policing, but also in economics and in education. These issues are inextricably intertwined. The National UrbanLeague Movement will be working with the next president to implement reform that is meaningful, that can help us all create a better, a stronger, a more equitable and a more inclusive america. This morning, we look forward to hearing from each candidate and after a few words from our chairman, michael neidorff, we will be off to the races and our program will be underway. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you once again. I ask you to please join me in welcoming michael neidorff, chairman of the board of trustees of the National Urban league. [applause] michael good morning. Im not a candidate. [laughter] i want to thank you for continuing to welcome me in this organization as marc has tso eloquently stated, todays plenary is one of the most important sessions. There are currently 22 major candidates who have officially declared their candidacy. 21 of whom were invited here. Yet only five are here to share the tenants of their platform. Lets just say the others were busy campaigning. As the ceo of an organization that shares a constituency with the urban League Movement, im especially interested in hearing what these candidates have to say. To me, it is ok for republicans and democrats to stand across the aisle and have differing perspectives on how to accomplish goals of government that are best for all americans but it is not ok to ignore the disenfranchised communities for any reason. Urban leaguers represents a hardworking families like the ones who built this country. They are mostly the background and the next president would do well to remember that. Lets all listen with open minds and ears. I know that is what i will be doing and hope you will as well. Thank you and bring back marc. [applause] marc well said. We are fortunate to have you as the leader of our team. At this time, i would like to acknowledge pepsico our sponsor for this plenary. To deliver a brief welcome please join me in greeting tony west, executive Vice President of General Affairs and corporate secretary of pepsico. Lets take a look at what pepsi is doing. Pepsico 22 billion brand and 50 years of delighting consumers when it matters most. Fun times with friends. Movements that bring communities together. A company that has repeatedly adapted, always with an eye towards the future. Helping new nourishment. A company you love and trust. Among the worlds most ethical companies. More than a company, a community of families. This is pepsico. [applause] tony thank you. Good morning, National Urban league. Thank you, National Urban league, on behalf of of our our ceo pepsico. Thank you marc, for inviting us. We are here to talk about an important, timely topic the future of our cities and how we will Work Together to build a better, stronger, more equitable america for our children and for each other. Every four years, we have this great opportunity to engage in a National Conversation with those who will be our leaders about where this nation is and where we are going. About how we will prepare our young people to compete and win in a global marketplace. About how we will tackle the disproportionately high Unemployment Rate among people of color especially young africanamerican men. And how we can harness the talents, the potential of this country to propel ourselves into a future better than our past. For the National Urban league, this is not a new conversation. These issues have been front and center. The country listens. That is why when you call on president ial candidates, they show up, or they should show up. It is no surprise that the National Urban league is pressing this agenda, but why pepsico . Why us . We are located in cities and countries, cities and towns throughout this country. We are an integral part of the community. What we know as pepsico is if the communities in which we operate do not succeed, we dont succeed because we are all in this together, all of us. Teachers and parents activists and policymakers, business and labor all of us are in this together. And each one of us will rise when all of us are lifted. At pepsico, we call this corporate philosophy performance with purpose. It is a corporate philosophy that says we must be a value added not just to our shareholders in the short term but we must be a value added to all the shareholders in the ecosystem we are a part of. That is why we have invested in young people. Over 16 million in a program that boosts High School Graduation and college which regulationrates among africanamericans and young latino youth. By 2020, we will have served over 100,000 students. We have invested 1. 3 million every single year in minority and women owned businesses as part of our program. A lot of you stepped up to answer president obamas call by being a Founding Member of my brothers keeper which is something that will make a difference. Each of us rises when all of us are lifted. On behalf of pepsico, i want to thank all of you for being a part of this important important National Conversation. Thank you. [applause] marc thank you tony. We are off to the races. It is now time to get to the reason we are here. Ladies and gentlemen our first speaker and president ial candidate is an author and retired neurosurgeon. A little more than 10 years ago the National Urban league honored dr. Ben carson for his incredibly important work in the field of neurosurgery. Please welcome president ial candidate dr. Ben carson. [applause] dr. Carson thank you very much. We are absolutely delighted to be here. Of course, urban league is so important for what it has done historically. Im very cognizant of the many people who work so hard, including Whitney Young. In fact, im delighted that the Whitney Young award is going to benjamin. Im inordinately proud of enormously proud of him. Individuals like him and myself would never have been able to accomplish what we did without the blood, sweat and tears of so many people who have sacrificed. No one will ever know who they are, but it was their foundation that really provided the freedom for us to do what we do. That is something that Everyone Needs to always keep in mind. I remember as a nineyearold sitting on the steps in the ghetto in boston having moved from detroit after my mother who was one of 24 children had moved to detroit from rural tennessee and discovered my father was a bigamist. That led to a divorce and we went to boston to live in dire poverty with her older sister and brotherinlaw. I was sitting on the stairs looking through the building across the street which all the windows were broken. There was a sunbeam and it made me think about my future. I remember thinking i will probably never live to be beyond 25 years of age because of what i saw around me. Both of my older cousins were killed. I have seen people lying on the street with Bullet Wounds and stab wounds. It seemed like a pretty dismal place. The fact of the matter is with all that going on, america is a place of dreams. My mother had a dream of education. She had never been able to get much education herself. She worked very hard. Two three or three jobs at a time, getting back after midnight, scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets. She did not want to be on welfare. She did not like the concept of being dependent on other people. And, she worked long and hard. She occasionally accepted some aid, but was able to stay off for the most part. That is not to say that i this like people on welfare. There is a nasty rumor going on that carson wants to get rid of all welfare programs and all safety nets for people even though he must have benefited from them. The people who say that kind of stuff have an agenda and they are trying to undermine and divide people. I have no desire to get rid of safety nets for people who need them. I have a strong desire however to provide a ladder to get people out of dependency so they become part of the fabric of america. That is what we need to be talking about. We dont need necessarily to be dependent. We have to understand what true compassion is really about. There are those who came along claiming to be very compassionate and they will eradicate poverty. There is a war on poverty. We have spent a lot of money since that started in the 1960s. Over 19 trillion. What has been the result of that . 10 times more people on food stamps. More welfare, more poverty, more incarceration, out of wedlock births everything that was supposed to get better is not only worse, it is much worse. And, i think there is a reason why god gave us brains, so we could actually analyze things. We have two choices. When we make a decision to do something and it does not work, you can say, maybe we should try Something Else or you can say lets do more of it. And i think quite frankly, it is better to use that brain to think about what things do work the other way around. You know, we need to be looking at the Economic Situation of this country and how do we get to jumpstart it to give people courage and hope again . There has been a lot of change, but not a lot of hope. We need to bring real hope. How do we do that . One thing i have noticed spending decades in Corporate America is we have a lot of corporate money overseas. Some people take that to mean american corporations are horrible and greedy and unpatriotic. Our secretary of treasury said American Companies who do business overseas to escape the high taxes here are unpatriotic. You know what that indicates . A basic misunderstanding of our system. People do not go into business to support the government. If you are smart you create an atmosphere that is conducive to that making money here. Of course, you do much better if they are making money here because you get more revenue and you are able to do more things. That is the way it works. We have this strange mentality that has taken root where, lets just say, you have a tax system where you have a 10 tax rate ba. The guy makes 10 billion and pays 1 billion. A guy pays 10 and pays one dollar. Some people say that is not fair because the guy still has 9 billion left. We have to take more of his money. The problem with that kind of thinking, which is called socialism by the way, is that you now dont have as much money as the guy with 10 billion so next year you will put in less than 1 billion. More importantly, he will take what he does have and try to hide it somewhere. The american system that made us a great nation and catapulted us to the pinnacle of the world at a different philosophy. It said that guy just put in 1 billion. Lets create a system that encourages entrepreneurial risktaking in Capital Investment so next year he could make 20 million and put 2 billion in. That is what expands the pot. That is what causes real growth to occur. They are people who try to demonize that and they try to say, no, that is the wrong idea. The ideal is utopia where nobody has to worry about anything from cradle to grave. We will take care of all of their needs. Many people have tried that. The problem is it always ends up looking the same way. Small group of elite at the top, a rapidly diminishing middle class and a vastly extended expanded dependent class. That is not what we need to do. What we need to be thinking about is those corporations over there have got over 2 trillion of assets, not money over there which they do not bring back because they dont want to pay a 35 tax rate. They are asking what can they do . What if we were smart enough to say we will declare a sixmonth hiatus where they can bring that money back without paying any taxes and 10 of it has to be used to create jobs for Unemployed People and people on welfare. You want to talk about the stimulus that does not cost american taxpayers a penny and has an enormous effect there you have it. Those are the kinds of things we need to be thinking about. A lot of people, when i was growing up, concentrated on racism. A lot of racism and it will keep you from being able to do things. There was racism, no question about it. And there still is and there always will be. There will be tomorrow, as long as there are people with small brains and evil forces to stimulate them. What do you do about it . I remember when i was in the eighth grade, having turned things around tremendously because i was a horrible student before my mother made us read books and we were not happy about that. You had to do what your parents told you back in those days. I was reading these books and as a read about people of enormous accomplishment. I remember one of the first books i read was about booker t. Washington. The person that has the most to do about what you do in life is you. Not somebody else, not the environment. They cannot stop you. Once i developed the mindset, i stopped listening to the people who were telling me i was a victim. As an eighth grader, i was the only black student at wilson junior high school. And, they have a ceremony at the end of the year. The person with the highest academic performance and it was me. One of the teachers got up and chastised the other students because they obviously were not trying hard enough if a black person was number one. She was an ignorant person. That is the difference. Some people are just ignorant. When i first went to Johns Hopkins and i would have on my scrubs, invariably some nurse would say, im sorry, but mr. Brown is not ready to go to the or assuming i was an orderly. I would say, excuse me, im dr. Carson and im sorry they are not ready. I would be very nice to them. It is ok. I had a friend for life. They would do anything for me after that. You just have to understand where people are coming from. And be able to react in the appropriate way. I was doing an npr interview wants. The interviewer said i know you dont talk about race very often. Why is that . I said it is because on the neurosurgeon. I open up their heads im actually operating on the thing that makes the person who they are. It is not the skin and hair that makes them who they are, it is the brain. Ifonce we begin to understand that as a society, think we begin to make in aan enormous amount of progress. The other thing that is incredibly important is we need to start to think about economics in the inner cities. In the black community in america, there is over 1 trillion worth of assets. That is more assets than the vast majority of countries in the world. We have to learn how to use that appropriately. You have to turn your own dollars over in your own Community Two or three times before you send it out. That is how wealth is created. You cannot take that wealth and flee, you have to reconnect and pull other people along. If you do that, you have the ability, we have the ability within the black community to do enormous things on our own. We dont have to wait for somebody else. We dont have to be at the mercy of anybody else. People who have tried to convince us that we need to be subservient to them and that there, there, i will take care of you. We can take care of ourselves but we have to learn how to utilize our resources in the right way. The other thing that is vitally important is we need to be able to Work Together and stop listening to the purveyors of division who tell you just because you think differently about something then this person they are your enemy. Divide and conquer and control. We dont need people who divide and conquer and control. We need the people who learn how to use their various talents and energies together in an effective way. That is what is going to work. For our young people, we need to begin to put out the appropriate types of models. When you look at the light there, dont just talk about thomas edison. Talk about his righthand man who was a black man who came up with the filament that made that lightbulb work more than two or three days, who invented the electric lamp, who diagrammed the telephone for Alexander Graham bell. Had so many inventions when someone would come up, they would say is that the real mccoy . You can go on and on talking about the tremendous contributions of black people to this nation. We need to give those young men a very different vision of what success is for them and we need to hold up the right kinds of models. We need to talk to them about how to conduct themselves. You know is there injustice out there . Of course, but if you conduct yourself in certain ways, you are going to run into trouble. Not only with lawenforcement but with the other guy down the block. You run into somebody who was better than you are and all of a sudden guns start flaring we dont need that. Lastly im wrapping up, let me say how important it is for us to think about the fact that the thing that got us through slavery, and jim crowism segregation and all the prejudices is that we have faith in god. There are so many people who want to throw god out of our society. They want to throw that relationship out. There is such a thing as right and wrong. There are morals. There are values. There are principles. If we hold on to those things, it will make all the difference in the world because if god before you, who can be against you . Thank you, god bless you. [applause] marc one question. Dr. Carson ok. Marc lets give dr. Carson a big round of applause. Thank you. This is the beginning of the process and i wanted to pose this, the National Urban league, plans to share the candidates a short questionnaire that we will ask you for your position on issues that are contained in our 21st century agenda. The crowd is very interested in in knowing if you could commit to respond to the questionnaire on a timely basis. Dr. Carson i would be extremely happy to. As i travel around the country im doing lots of town halls and i dont screen any questions. Im very happy to answer any questions there is. The things you have outlined as important, i would love to have gotten into but i cannot do it in 15 minutes. I will be happy to get into them in some detail. Marc we appreciate it. Lets give dr. Carson a big round of applause. Thank you for your work and thank you for being here with us today. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we will stand at ease for five minutes as we prepare for our next candidate. With thank god for our talents. Our anointed abilities and to sing its praises. [applause] marc thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, please resume return to your seat. Please return to your seat. Ladies and gentlemen our next candidate absolutely need no introduction. She is the only person in history to upheld the position of first lady in the united rates states, u. S. Senator and u. S. Secretary of state. The National Urban league is proud to welcome back secretary Hillary Rodham clinton. [applause] mrs. Clinton good morning. Good morning. [applause] mrs. Clinton wow. This is a great way to start my day. Im delighted to be here with you. I want to thank marc for not only the introduction, but all of his work over the years. I have been a fan of marc since he was mayor of new orleans. He did great work there and it he is doing great work at the National Urban league. Thank you. We are all thinking, as i hope we do every year, about new orleans as we near the 10th anniversary of katrina. Something like that should never be allowed to happen in the United States of america again. We have to keep learning the lessons and repledging our commitment. I want to thank everyone for welcoming me here today. I want to give a shout out to your National Chairman of the board, michael neidorff. Also backstage, i saw a longtime friend of mine congressman hastings. And Alexis Herman who served in my Husbands Administration and tony west who served in president obamas administration. A veritable hall of fame for this event. I can never come to a National Urban league gathering without mentioning my lifelong friend vernon jordan. He may not be here today, but he is with us in spirit because of his deep love and commitment to this organization. It is also close to my heart. Over the years i have gotten a chance to work with you, learn from you. I have poured over your state of black america report. I have spoken at your conferences. Most importantly, i have seen how you change peoples lives. The theme of this conference saving our cities, education jobs and justice speaks to the important work you have been doing for decades. I know that you help black entrepreneurs get start up capital. I know you help people find jobs. I know you give families financial counseling so they could achieve their dream of buying a home or sending their kids to college. And you make sure parents have the tools to take care of their kids health. That is the kind of daytoday commitment that makes such a difference. As you help prepare young people for college and work in a world that can sometimes make them feel that they are not very important, you make sure they know just how precious and powerful they really are. This vital work has been my work too. My first job out of law school was not at some big law firm it was with the Childrens Defense Fund. That first summer after i graduated, i went door to door for kids shut out of school and denied the education they deserve. I also began a lifelong concern by working with the cdf to figure out what we did with kids caught up in the juvenile and adult prison systems. As first lady, i helped create the Childrens Health care program. As senator i champion Small Businesses owned i women and people of color and that is where a lot of the jobs from america come from. I thought to raise the minimum wage he does no one who works hard in america should raise their kids in poverty. These issues, your issues are deeply personal to me. So, im here early on this morning, first and foremost, to say thank you. Im also here to talk about the future, because the work you have been doing is more important than ever. And im going to keep doing that work right alongside you. I would love nothing more than to stay and have a conversation for hours, going into depth about every single issue we are worried about, but you have a full slate of speakers that will follow me. So, let me make three points about the work we need to do together. First, the opportunity gap that america is facing is not just about economic inequality. It is about racial inequality. [applause] that may seem obvious to you but it bears underscoring because some of the evidence that backs it up would come as a shock to Many Americans. Like how africanamericans are nearly three times as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage. Or how in 2013, the median wealth for white families was more than 134,000 but for africanamerican families, it was just 11,000. A lot of people dont realize that our schools are more segregated today than they were in 1968. [applause] or even that africanamericans are sentenced to longer prison terms than why people for the same crime than white people for the same crime. Or political operatives are trying every trick in the book to prevent africanamericans from voting. [applause] listen to this one because as somebody who started with the Childrens Defense Fund and who now is the proud and delighted grandmother of a 10 month old granddaughter, africanamerican children are 500 500 more likely to die from asthma than white kids. I studied and advocated and introduced legislation to close health disparities. I knew how severe they were, but 500 . All of this points to an on avoidable conclusion race. Race still plays a significant role in in determining who gets ahead in america and who gets left behind. Yes, while that is partly a legacy of discrimination that stretches back to the start of our nation, it is also because of discrimination that is still ongoing. Im not saying anything you dont already know. You understand this better than i do, better than anyone. But, i want to say it anyway because im planning to be president and anyone who seeks that office has a responsibility to say it. [applause] and more than that to grapple with the systemic inequities that so Many Americans face. Anyone who asks for your vote should try their hardest to see things as they actually are not just as we want them to be. So, i want you to know i hear you and the Racial Disparity you work hard every day to overcome go against everything i believe in and everything i want to help america achieve. The second point is this this is not just about statistics, as damning as they can be. This is about americans doing some soulsearching and holding ourselves to account. This is about all of us looking into our hearts, examining our assumptions and fears and asking ourselves what more can i do in my life to counter hate and injustice . How can i make our country a better fairer place . Let me be clear i think all of us need to do that kind of introspection, but those of us who have not experienced systemic racial inequities, we have an extra obligation. We need to do a better job of listening when people talk about the seen and unseen barriers they face every day. We need to practice humility rather than assume our experiences are everyones experiences. [applause] and yes, we need to try as best we can to walk in one anothers shoes to imagine what it would be like to sit our son down and have the talk. Or if people followed us around stores or locked their car doors when we walked past. That empathy that is what makes it possible for people from every background, every race, every religion to come together as one nation. That is the kind of generosity of spirit that makes a country like america endure. And given what we have seen and experienced over the last two years, this is an urgent call for people to search their own hearts and minds. Here is my third point we have arrived at a moment when all these challenges are in sharp relief. We have to seize it. Too many times, americans have come together in shock and horror to process a violent senseless tragedy. Like Trayvon Martin shot to death not in some empty desolate street somewhere that in a gated community. He was not a stranger. He had family there. Or sandra bland a collegeeducated young woman who knew her rights, who did not do anything wrong, but still ended up dying in a jail cell. Together, we mourned tamir rice, eric garner, freddie gray. These names are emblazoned on our hearts. We have seen their faces, heard their grieving families. We have seen a massacre in charleston. And black churches set on fire today in 2015. Thankfully, tragedy is not all we have seen. Yes, the confederate battle flag came down finally in south carolina. [applause] families of the charleston victims reached out with extraordinary grace to the man who killed their loved ones. And president obama delivered a eulogy that sounded as though it had come straight from angels, ending with amazing grace. [applause] young people have taken to the streets dignified and determined, urging us to affirm the basic fact that black lives matter. [applause] and because of people across this country sharing their stories with courage and strength a growing number of americans are realizing what many of you have been saying for a long time. We cannot go on like this. We are better than this. Things must change. Now, it is up to us to build on that momentum and we all have to do our part, by those of us who strive to lead have a special responsibility. Im very pleased that many president ial candidates will be here today to address you. It is a signal that the work you have been doing, laboring in the vineyards for decades, is getting the political attention it deserves. But the real test of a candidates commitment is not whether we come to speak at your national conference, as important as that is. It is whether we are still around after the cameras are gone and the votes are counted. [applause] it is whether our physicians live up to our rhetoric positions live up to our rhetoric. Too often, we see a mismatch of what candidates say at venues like this and what they actually do when they are elected. I dont think you can credibly say everyone has the right to rise and then say you are for phasing out medicare or repealing medicare. People cannot rise if they cannot afford health care. [applause] they cannot rise of the minimum wage is too low to live on. They cannot rise if their governor makes it harder for them to get a college education. You cannot seriously talk about the right to rise and support laws that denied the right to vote. [applause] yes, what people say matters but what they do matters more. Americans, especially today deserve leaders who will face in equity raise and justice issues in all their complexity head on. Who will not just concede there are Barriers Holding people back. Will do instead what it takes to tear those barriers down once and for all. I will never stop working on issues of equality and opportunity, race and justice. That is a promise. I have done it my entire adult life. I will always be in your corner because issues like these are why im running for president. They are why i got involved in Public Service in the first place. To tear down the barriers that hold people back from developing their talents and achieving their dreams. Im asking you to hold me accountable. To hold all of us accountable. Because the work that you are doing must lead to action and you deserve leaders who not only get that, but who will work hard every day to make our country a better place, to make it live up to its potential and to provide the opportunities for every single child in this country to live up to his or her godgiven potential. Yes, i do have this tenmonth old grandchild now. I have to tell you anyone who is already reach this point in their lives understand this, there is nothing like it to focus you on the present. When bill and i are with charlotte doing our best to babysit, phones are off the tv is off we are just focused on this miracle of life. We are the kind of grandparents, i confess when she learns to clap her hands, we give her a standing ovation. [laughter] you see, it is not just about our granddaughter, is it . We will do everything we can to make sure she has all the opportunities she should as a citizen of this country, as a child of god, as a person who has the right to go as far as her hard work and talent will take her. But, that is not enough. I dont want that just for my granddaughter. Im a granddaughter of a factory worker who work at the time he was a teenager and retired i know how blessed i have been. And opportunities that i have had come and others with just as much talent did not. So let us tear down the barriers, so no matter whose child or grandchild you are, you, too, will have the same chance. I am proud to be your ally. Im committed to being your partner. I will keep fighting right alongside you today and always. To make the United States of america a country where all men and women, all boys and girls are treated as they deserve to be. As equals. I know we can do this. I know the path ahead is not easy. But i am absolutely convinced that we will once again join hands and make a difference for those young people who not only need a path, but need the love and embrace of a grateful nation for the contributions they each will make to a Better Future for us all. Thank you and god bless you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen secretary Hillary Rodham clinton. I have three short questions first we are as a part of this process going to be sharing with you a questionnaire. Which asks for your positions in the 21st century agenda for jobs and freedom. I want to know if you can commit to respond to that questionnaire. We will make it public. Ms. Clinton yes. The second question, we have an exciting generation a new generation of leaders. Who are coming of age could you talk to them a bit about the role they would play that you plan for them to play in your campaign. Some people refer to them as millennials, they are part of our young professionals. Some have emerged as leaders of our affiliates. They are represented in large numbers here. Could you talk to them for a minute . Ms. Clinton i would be happy to. Let me make some important points. This is important question you ask. I have been so blessed over the years to have had a lot of wonderful people working for me. And now, i have the next generation the millennial. The young activists who themselves have been successful. And i see a difference between this generation and maybe some prior generations where africanamericans, women, others who felt like they had to struggle to be successful emma there was a, there was a sense that they goodness i made it. I will do the best i can. I will make contributions. But the days of activism are behind me. This new generation is in a very important way combining personal success with continuing activism. And even education. I think we need that. I not only welcome it, i hope we can together harness it. Because like i said about my granddaughter, it is not enough that some of us are successful. It is not enough when we see growing inequality economic, racial, social. I enlist and ask for the help of this active, committed generation. You know, there is that great old saying, what are you to do . You can comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. That is part of your role. Even though i sometimes may be on the receiving end, that is ok. As i said in my remarks, i want you to hold me accountable. Particularly by young people who know the kind of future they want to help us create. Thank you very much. My final question, in the discussion around income inequality, the racial wealth gap, one part of the conversation that has been missing and not really addressed is the role of Small Businesses africanamericanowned businesses. Many of them face closing credit markets, difficulty in building the business. What would you say to the entrepreneurs about how you would address those concerns . They are indeed job creators many of them are womenowned. We serve 12,000 Small Businesses across the nation, about 70 are womenowned. They are so crucial to closing the racial wealth gap. How would you address their concerns . Ms. Clinton we could be here all day. Let me quickly say i want to be the smallbusiness president. My dad was a Small Businessman. I saw how hard he worked, how he provided a life for my family. Mark is right 60 of the net jobs created in america are created by Small Businesses. Right now, we have tax burdens, regulatory burdens and other barriers that are starting to limit growth and expansion. It is particularly a problem of people of color and women of color especially. Part of what i want to do, and im starting to talk about this all across the country, is to really zero in on tearing down those barriers. One of the problems as mark said is a lack of credit for i have worked on how you get more credit. I helped to start a Development Bank in arkansas, it is still funding Small Businesses. Someone here from arkansas . Thank you. I want to expand the Small Business administration, make sure we have online lending that is especially attuned to the needs of Small Business. I have a whole agenda because this is one of the keys to not only creating wealth and creating jobs, but getting our economy back moving as quickly and fast as it can to get back to where we were before the big crash. There is a lot more to talk about, to put points. Towo quick points, in my economic plan, i talk about strong, fair, and longterm growth. We cannot have any of that unless we do more to get women into the workforce and have them paid fairly and take into account their particular challenges. Secondly, we have to get off the load of student debt. That is stopping young businesses. And so, this is about the whole economy. But in particular, what do we need to do to clear the way for Small Businesses to start and grow . I will be the Small Business resident. Mark secretary Hillary Rodham clinton. Makes for being at the urban league. Thanks for being at the urban league. We are fighting for our lives been through a war, put up a fight i can see it in your eyes i feel the fire, burning inside you i can see it in your eyes raise up, dont forget we were born to be fighters we are survivors they cannot you down, but we will get back up we are born to be fighters and we are fighting for our lives dont forget, erased the fear we were born to be fighters we soar with survivors they cannot you down, we will get back up we were born to be fighters we were born to be fighters we soar with survivors they cannot you knock you down, we will get back up we were born to be fighters and we are fighting for our lives we are fighting for our lives yeah, we are fighting for our lives i used to bite my tongue and hold my breath make a mess i sit quietly breeze politely i let you push me past the breaking point i fell for everything you held me down, but i got up you hear my voice you held me down but i got up, get ready because ive had enough i have seen it all i have the eye of the tiger the fire dancing through the fire the eye of the champion you are going to hear me roar im the am the champion you are going to hear me roar you are going to hear me roar now i am floating like a butterfly stinging like of a bee i went from zero to hero you held me down, but i got up like thunder, i am going to shake the ground you held me down, but i got up i see it all, i see it now ive got the eye of the tiger dancing through the fire i am a champion you are going to hear me roar louder than a lion i am a champion you are going to hear me roar you are going to hear me roar you are going to hear me roar i got the eye of the tiger dancing through the fire the eye of the champion, you are going to hear me roar ladies and gentlemen, we are about to resume with our program. Once again, please take your seats. Ladies and gentlemen, please we are running slightly behind. We want to catch up. Those of you who are in the aisle, if you will help us by taking your seats. Ladies and gentlemen, please move as quickly as possible. Ladies and gentlemen our next speaker is a former colleague of mine as a member of the United States conference of mayors. He is a former mayor of baltimore, former governor of maryland. And the front man for the celtic rock band, omalleys march. I have heard he can rock. Please welcome governor Martin Omalley. Martin omalley good morning. It is wonderful to be here with all of you. I want to thank the urban league and mark, your ceo. Lets give it up for the mayor. [applause] the highest title in the land mayor. I want to thank your ceo for inviting me to be here with all of you today. My name is Martin Omalley. I am the former mayor of baltimore, former governor of maryland. Im a democrat, and i am running for president of the United States. [applause] the mayor and i will always share a certain bond of having served as mayors together of two of americas oldest and greatest cities new orleans and baltimore. The mayor and i have discussed many issues over the years. Some people are called to work. And the gap between justice and injustice how do we rebuild our cities . Baltimore is growing, rather than trading. How to improve schools . In the middle of recession, we invested more to make our schools number one in america five years in a row. And to make college more affordable by freezing tuition four years in a row. How to create jobs and opportunity for all . In our state, we had the secondhighest percentage of africanamericanowned business. The secondhighest Median Income of africanamericans. And the topics i would like to speak to you about today, how can we save lives . How can we improve and reform our criminal Justice System . And how can we together make real the promise of equal protection under the law . When i ran for mayor of baltimore as a longshot candidate way back in 1999, it was not because our city was doing well. Despite many well intentioned efforts, our city had become the most violent addicted, most abandoned city in america. And every year we buried 300 young, black men who died violent deaths on our streets and black lives matter. [applause] i would like to share with you a true story. From my time in service in those turnaround years in baltimore. Difficult but important years, it was october 16, 2002. And the phone by our bed rang at 3 00 a. M. It was loud and insistent. And i suppose one can get phone calls with good news. At 3 a. M. , but as a mayor calls at that hour never have good news. The deputy mayor had the rotating duty of screening emergency calls. She said there has been a fire, are really bad fire. In a house with a mother, and we think five children. And the father is real bad, too. He is in intensive care. There he badly burned. Although, i said. But there was something in her wish that night that only the story was not over. She said police and fire are here. And they believe it was intentional. And they are very shaken up. I am here, neighbors are here they are very angry. They say it was retaliation. I said, retaliation . By whom, for what . She said for calling the police about drug dealers. This is so terrible. And indeed, it was. 23 years of service two terms as governor, two terms as mayor the tragic events of the Early Morning are forever seared into my memory. The reality was this when Angela Dawson lived in east baltimore, mom and dad both work. They love their children, provided for them. I reveled in their individual talents. Like so many families in our city, in those days, they were threatened harassed, and they had life made miserable by open air drug dealing. They would call the police to complain. Miss dawson would go to court to testify. Two weeks later two weeks earlier to this incident someone had thrown a molotov cocktail through their living room window. The bottle failed to explode. Lisa responded, no witnesses. States attorneys offered to move the family, but they refused to leave. Eastern district gave extra tension, this morning, the major road by. Like many families and humble neighborhoods have a hard time making ends meet, the dawsons were keeping their home he did by leaving the gas of an open and on. At 2 20 a. M. , a 21yearold man from the neighborhood more the lookout than a dealer. He lit the wrag that caught the gasoline, kicked in the door, and tossed the bottle inside where it smashed on the stairs. The old rowhouse was engulfed in seconds, everyone died quickly and painfully, except for mr. Dawson. Who clung to life for two more days. I stood in a line a couple of days later as we filed past the caskets. The kidss School Portraits on top. Angela dawsons mother and relatives make clear to the prosecutor that they did not want to see the Death Penalty pursued. They did not want to see these deaths lead to one more death. And life without parole was imposed. To this day, it is impossible for me to think about the dawsons without becoming very sad and emotional. And i suppose it always will be. Their little house became our alamo. It would be the beginning. They are buried together at delaney valley cemetery, the resting place of so many fallen who have given their lives in the line of duty. And every time i visit that cemetery on Fallen Heroes day or other occasions, i walk just over the hill to the good dawsons grade. And i still wait and hope for love, peace, justice to have the final word. You and i are part of a living, self creating mystery. Called the United States of america, our country was not born in perfection, or without original sin. Because of the sacrifices and perseverance of so many in generation after generation, we have moved toward a full respect. We have moved toward more equal justice, equal protection under the law. But we are not there yet. Every headline or video of official abuse injustice indifference reminds us of how far we have to go. Every story reminds us that americans of color must in your a constant must enduirere a constant state. How many individuals like sandra bland have been subject to abuse of arrest when the cameras were not rolling . How many names will we never know . How many Walter Scotts have been savagely shot down and set up to take the blame when cameras and Cell Phone Technology were not in the on position . How many names do we not know . There are certain beliefs we share as americans. I believe in the dignity of every individual, a belief to advance the common good, understanding we are all in this together. In our idea of country, there is no such thing as a spare american. We believe you do not surrender your Human Dignity when you change lanes without signaling. As americans, we believe you do not surrender your Human Dignity when your taillight on your car happens to burnout. And no american surrenders their dignity whatever the emergency because of the color of their skin. [applause] and if you do not believe that, you are not qualified to run a city. And if you do not believe that, you are not qualified to wear a badge or carry a gun. [applause] leading my own city and state forward to achieve the largest reductions in Violent Crime in modern history, we strived and search every day to become smarter about Public Safety and the actions that actually work to save lives and to redeem lives. The constant search for this better way to shape our approach to courts, prisons, drug treatment, policing, policing the police and Everything Else we did. 1999 forward, 1000 fewer black man died thanks to the biggest improvement in any big city in america. I closed the largest and most violent prison in the state of maryland the maryland house of corrections. By the time i left office in january, we had not only reduced Violent Crime to a 35 year low we took actions to reduce recidivism by 15 . We reduced incarceration rate to a 20 year low, and we reduced new prison admissions by 19 compared to 10 years before. [applause] how . By doing the things that work, like expanding reentry programs, not cutting them. By dramatically increasing drug and Mental Health treatment expanding education and workforce training inside the wall, by giving access vendors and identification card before they are released so they can apply for jobs, housing benefits afterwards. We did this by doing away with the things that clearly do not work. And that clearly do not serve. For example, we decriminalized small amounts of marijuana. We restored Voting Rights to 52,000 citizens with old felony records. [applause] and not our first try, not on the second, but with perseverance. And on the third try, we repeal the Death Penalty in the state of maryland. [applause] in our party, we have lots of good candidates who will make progressive promises lots of people that can talk about criminal justice reform. I have actually done it. Today, i want to talk to you about a new agenda for an entire nation. Policing will always be locally controlled and locally directed. But there is a vital role the federal government must fulfill in setting standards, funding programs that serve justice, and the common good we share. We can reduce racial disparities, we can reduce and redirect dollars that we are currently spending on incarceration, and we can get more of our people opportunities to turn their lives around. First, our laws must allow punishments to suit the crime. And congress appears to be making progress to reducing mandatory minimums for nonViolent Crimes, and i support this important bipartisan and longoverdue effort at the federal level. [applause] as president , i will root out the sentencing disparities like crack and powder cocaine. I will work with a consensus that leads to the repeal of the Death Penalty in america and removes the United States from that small group of nations responsible for the worlds public execution. Second, i will take action to put the work of rehabilitation at the center of our justice agenda for the sake of employment. There is no progress without a job. Our nation currently has the highest incarceration rate of any nation in the free world. We must recognize that investments we make for reentry pay for themselves by reducing recidivism. Our federal government must expand investments and reentry programs job training, we must support Community Services that help people return to their families and make the transition back to productive lives. To that end, our federal government must lead by example in banning the fact that a past criminal record does not prevent someone from gaining employment. [applause] third, we must recognize that many people who fall into our criminal Justice System would be far more effectively helped by our Public Health system. And yet, police are often First Responders to people in crisis. I will invest in training and equipping Law Enforcement to better prepare officers with encounters with the mentally ill. I will expand Community Health services. Fourth and finally we must improve policing and the way we police our police. In order to rebuild trust. [applause] when i ran for mayor of baltimore in 1999, i was not endorsed by the fraternal order of police. In that election, i promised for the protection of both our neighbors and Police Officers, that we together as a people could do a much better job at policing our police with better training and pay. That is exactly what we did. There are things every Police Department should do, every day to improve the trust necessary between citizens and the officers sworn to serve and protect us all. All of us. Among those things, and adequately staffed internal Affairs Division and independently staffed civilian review boards, to safeguard professional integrity of every police force. And our federal government can play a vital role in lifting of these practices and investing Adoption Across the country. Today, everyone reports murder, rape, robbery. And in a public and open way, as president , i will require every Police Department to recall all custodial deaths, legal force, complaints regarding discourtesy and excessive force. [applause] it is a fact of human nature. We cannot understand what we do not see. We cannot improve what we do not measure. But once we measure, once we see, and once we understand, we can certainly improve. The reality is, Racial Injustice in Law Enforcement in america has been painfully intertwined since the very first day of our nation. And if we are to have any hope of improving Police Community relations for our own sakes and the sakes of our children and grandchildren, these measures of professional policing must be open and visible for all to see. We must also advance new Technology Like body cameras cruiser cameras that promise openness and transparency. Technology will not fix everything, but it is a vital step forward to achieving professional policing. We must free ourselves from the tyranny of that is the way we have always done it. Every Police Department must pass the test of whether it saves lives and every policy we adopt and Public Safety must pass the same test are we saving or redeeming lives . This is ongoing work we share as a nation. To do more of what works, less of what does not. To create an america where there is truly Liberty Justice for us all. Final thoughts, the great Barbara Jordan once said, the gap between the promise and the reality of america can one day be finally close. We believe that. Barbara jordan grew up amidst some of the harshest segregation in our country. Denied everything from the use of a water fountain to admission to her state university. But she never stop believing that we can make the promise of america reality. To begin the first African American in the texas senate since the days of reconstruction, the first africanamerican from texas ever sent to congress. And there, she fought for Voting Rights. For human rights, what was right. One of her various bills was to strengthen prairie view and m. Which happened to be the school where sandra bland was to work. She never made it to work. On july 10. Barbara jordan was fond of saying, that when it came to justice, people who are right must do battle with people who have the might. And Barbara Jordan passed away, not yet even 60 years old, the headline read a voice for justice dies. I dont believe that is true. Voices of justice never die. Voices of justice will always resonate. Sandra bland told a Police Officer she cannot wait to get to court so her voice would be heard. And we are hearing her voice right now. We can make ourselves a more just nation. A more compassionate nation, a more just people. We can teach all of our children a more generous, compassionate caring way forward. There is more that unites us than divides us. We must help each other if we are to succeed. And love, piece justice will have a final word. Thank you all very, very much. [applause] Mark GovernorMartin Omalley. Governor, very quickly the same three questions. I will ask you all three, you can respond at once. We will be sending you a questionnaire, and i want you to commit to responding to the questionnaire in a timely basis. Second, talk about the role of Young Leaders emerging generations what role they would play in your campaign, administration . And the third is an element of income inequality and the racial wealth gap what happens with a frozen markets of Small Businesses . And africanamerican businesses, what you have done to expand opportunity there . Martin omalley first of all, i will absolutely with zeal and speed fell of the questionnaire. I look forward to having a larger discussion about the new agenda for americas cities, investments, mass transit, as well as making cities leaders and ain in a green, clean future. Our headquarters in baltimore are packed with young men and women representing great strength of diversity. They keep me going. As ive traveled around the country, and you talk to young americans, i rarely meet people under 30 who deny the Climate Change is real or think we should do something about it. I rarely ever meet people under 30 who want to discriminate against gay couples or bash immigrants. That tells me we are moving to a much better place in the country. I am going to speak to that better america, i think you will see a tremendous response. A lot of leaders will come forward in the campaign. And the final point, as mayor as soon as i was elected, they struck down the case. I had to put it back into place right away. And i did it with an executive order that actually raise it higher, while we do the study. He put in place a way to measure our outcomes. As governor, we raised the goal a legacy. Marilyn has the highest goal in the country maryland has the highest goal in the country. We exceeded it. We have to walk the walk when it comes to understanding the genius is we take actions to include more people more fully in the economic, social, and political life of our nation. When we make opportunities, loans our state as the secondbiggest black owned percentage in america. We have to take actions if we want Economic Growth that liftoff. Mark thank you for being here. We will see you. Governor Martin Omalley thank you. I am finding it strange when you see it in your suitcase when it is rolling down the track but you dont know where you are going now but you know you wont come back well darling we will take what we can carry big reels roll throughwheels roll through fields hand me the latter of broken adder of broken dreams here i will provide for you i will stand by your side to be a good friend now leave me in sorrow tomorrow there will be sunshine and all the darkness dad as wheels roll through fields give me the land of open dreams dreams will not be thwarted they will be rewarded steel wheels letting freedom ring this trains carries losers and lovers this train carries gamblers a carries ourit carries our soul this train dreams will not be forthwarted they will be rewarded steel wheels mark let me ask you again to take your seats. Move very quickly, we thank governor Martin Omalley again. Lets give them a round of applause. Thank you for being at the National Urban league. Very quickly ladies and gentlemen, i would like you to get seated. As i briefly introduce our next speaker. Our next speaker has been active in the Civil Rights Movement as a student. At the university of chicago in the early 1960s, there he was arrested for protesting segregated student housing. He participated in the 1963 march on washington. Having served as mayor of burlington vermont in the 1980s, he went on to congress and now serves in the United States senate. Lets hear from him now. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the urban league senator Bernie Sanders. [applause] senator Bernie Sanders thank you all very much. For inviting me, im looking at the teleprompter. Unfortunately, there is nothing there. [laughter] i am not the teleprompter guy. Let me congratulate the National Urban league, all of you for the enormous role you are playing in this country. Of fighting for social justice not only the ideas you are bringing forth, but the daytoday work you are doing. In terms of job training, helping Small Businesses secure financing and contracts. And help providing families with counseling when theyre trying to realize the American Dream of home ownership. Notthose are the few areas you have excelled in. My views are little bit different than others. I am the longestserving independent in the history of United States congress. And i am running for president of the United States today within the democratic primary and caucus process. It is my belief from the bottom of my heart, and i would not be running for president if i thought otherwise, that given the enormous crises that this country faces today crises that may be more severe than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s, that frankly it is too late for establishment policies. It is too late for establishment politics. It is too late for establishment economics. We need some new thinking, some bold thinking. [applause] and most importantly, this may make some people nervous, that is the way it is. [laughter] i think when we have a nation today where a handful of billionaires have unbelievable influence over the economic and political life of this country there is nothing significant that we will accomplish unless we have the current to take them on. That is what this campaign is about. [applause] the themes that you have outlined for this conference are exactly right. Save our cities, education jobs, and justice. As i get into those themes, the first point i want to make, is perhaps the most important. I do understand that for some people, this is uncomfortable. But i believe it has to be addressed. And that is that the United States of America Today is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. But most people do not know that because much of that wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. Today, in america, we have more wealth and income inequality then in any other major country on earth. It is worse today than at any time since 1928. To me, it is not acceptable that the top 1. 10 10 of 1 owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 . It is not acceptable that one family family that owns walmart, owns more than the bottom 40 . It is not acceptable that in the last two years, the 14 wealthiest people solve their wealth increase more wealth that is owned by the bottom 130 million americans. The truth of the matter is, that we cannot run away from that reality. Income and wealth inequality is the great moral issue of our time. It is the great economic issue of our time. It is the great social and political issue of our time. And together we must address that issue. [applause] let me talk to you on another issue before i get to your theme of equal consequence. Some of you may have heard maybe you didnt. It didnt get a whole lot of press. A few days ago, former president jimmy carter described the american political system as corrupt. He described the United States as an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nomination for president or to elect the president. What he was talking about is the Disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United. [applause] a decision which said to the wealthiest people in this country, you already own much of the economy. Now, we are going to give you the opportunity to buy the United States government. That decision is undermining the very foundations of american democracy. What manyen and women have fought to defend. You tell me, what it means when one family the Koch Brothers family they will spend more money on this election cycle than either the democratic or republican party. They spend almost 1 billion to buy candidates will make the rich richer and everyone else poorer. That to me is not democracy. That is oligarchy, that is why we have to overturn this disastrous Citizens United decision. [applause] and i guarantee you, that all of the issues that candidates have talked about that you believe in will not take place when a handful of wealthy people are able to control our political system. Now when we talk about education i trust that all of you know as you do, that we live in a highly competitive, global economy. To my mind, it is insane and i use that word wisely. That we have hundreds of thousands of bright, young people, often minorities who have the desire, who have the ability to get a Higher Education and go to college. But they cannot go to college for the simple reason that their family cannot afford tuition. That is absurd. We need to have the best educated workforce in the world and not tell hundreds of thousands of bright young people that they cannot make it into the middle class, that they cannot contribute as engineers, doctors, scientists. And that is why i have introduced legislation and will fight for it as president. To make every Public College and university in america tuitionfree. [applause] and what that means, is that kids in the fourth grade and in the sixth grade will know that if they study hard, pay attention, do their school work, even if their parents like my parents, they did not go to college. Even if the kids in the neighborhood did not go to college, they will be able to go to college because the income of their families will not be a determining factor. This will revolutionize education. We talk about education, what we have to understand and be frank the world has changed since the 1940s and 1950s. Mom is in the workplace. Dad is in the workplace. We need a firstclass childcare prek system in this country. [applause] in my state and all over the country, workingclass families struggling to find affordable, Quality Childcare childcare workers are paid minimum wage. That is not how we should treat the most Vulnerable Children in america. Universal prek wellpaid teachers. Let me say a word about jobs. You read every month that unemployment is 5. 3 . That is a statistic. Please know that that statistic is only one of many statistics the government releases on jobs. That statistic does not include those people who have given up looking for work, those people working parttime millions who want to work fulltime. Real unemployment is 10. 5 . It is a crisis. And now let me tell you what very few people are talking about, which is an even greater crisis. And that is youth unemployment, which we do not talk about at all. I ask last month for a study from the Economic Policy institute. They came up with results the nobody is questioning. Listen to this. If you are a white kid between 7020 who graduates high school you have a 33 Unemployment Rate. If you are an and hispanic kid you have a 36 Unemployment Rate. If you are an africanamerican kid, 1720 high school graduate, you have a 51 Unemployment Rate. That is unacceptable. That is turning our backs on an entire generation. And we must not allow that to continue. [applause] now when people talk about the tragedy of the United States having more people in jail than any other country, including china, one of the contributing factors is that we have 5. 5 million young people in my state, your state without jobs, without education, hanging around on street corners doing bad things. It is my very strong opinion that it makes a lot more sense for us to be investing in jobs, education you rather than jails and incarceration. Sen. Sanders i introduced legislation that would create one million jobs for kids. I have introduced legislation that would call for a trillion dollar investment to create 13 million decent paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure. When we talk about income, let me be clear. The 7. 25 minimum wage is a starvation wage. That is why last week alongside young people in the fast Food Industry fighting for dignity i introduced the legislation that will move us to 15 an hour minimum wage over the next few years. I strongly supported the Affordable Care act. It has done a lot of good things