Hillary Clinton made promoting women’s rights a signature part of her tenure as Secretary of State. She elevated their role in peacekeeping efforts and helped inaugurate Georgetown’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. Recently, she spoke about security through inclusive leadership, saying, “Today marks a very important next step. Shifting from saying the right things to doing the right things. Putting into action the steps that are necessary to not only protect women and children but to find ways of utilizing women as makers and keepers of peace.” As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton fought to do just that.
Elevated Role of Women as Peacekeepers
Under Hillary Clinton, “tradition-bound” bureaus and agencies were pushed “to think differently about the role of women in conflicts and peacemaking.”
In her book Hard Choices, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote, “We had to push tradition-bound bureaus and agencies to think differently about the role of women in conflicts and peacemaking, economic and democratic development, public health, and more. I didn’t want [the Office of Global Women’s Issues] to be the only place where this work was done; rather I wanted it to be integrated into the daily routine of our diplomats and development experts everywhere.” [Hard Choices, pg. 567, 2014]
Sec. Clinton “funded aid programs to train women leaders in developing countries for government, civil society, and peace negotiations.”
“Last week, Georgetown University inaugurated a new Institute for Women, Peace, and Security to research the role of women in mitigating global conflicts. The institute was first announced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who made promotion of women’s rights a signature part of her tenure. Clinton funded aid programs to train women leaders in developing countries for government, civil society, and peace negotiations. Ambassador Melanne Verveer, who will head the Georgetown institute – and ran Clinton’s office for Global Women’s Issues – clearly hopes to build on that legacy in her new role.” [Trudy Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/28/13]
Sec. Clinton promoted investing in women and girls because they “build peace and prosperity and political stability for everyone.”
“The United States is committed to making women and their advancement a cornerstone of our foreign policy not just because it’s the right thing to do. Investing in women and girls is good for societies, and it is also good for the future prosperity of countries. Women drive our economies. They build peace and prosperity and political stability for everyone—men and women, boys and girls.” [Statement on International Women’s Day, state.gov, 3/8/12]
Sec. Clinton: “When women participate in peace processes, they tend to focus discussion on issues like human rights, justice, national reconciliation, and economic renewal.”
In her book Hard Choices, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote, “When women participate in peace processes, they tend to focus discussion on issues like human rights, justice, national reconciliation, and economic renewal that are critical to making peace. They generally build coalitions across ethnic and sectarian lines and are more likely to speak up for other marginalized groups. They often act as mediators and help to foster compromise. Yet despite all that women tend to bring to the table, more often than not they’re excluded. Of the hundreds of peace treaties signed since the early 1990s, fewer than 10 percent had any women negotiators, fewer than 3 percent had any women signatories, and only a small percentage included even a single reference to women. So it’s not too surprising that more than half of all peace agreements fail within five years.” [Hard Choices, pg. 571, 2014]
Sec. Clinton pushed equal participation for women in peace efforts in countries affected by war, insecurity, and violence.
According to the State Department website, the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP) “seeks to ensure that women participate equally in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity. The Department’s implementation of the NAP demonstrates its commitment to furthering the promotion of gender equality in service of U.S. foreign policy and national security.” [“Department of State Implementation of the United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security,” state.gov, 8/15/12]
Sec. Clinton: “We must support women and girls” if we want to support “stable, peaceful societies worldwide.”
“So if we want to support strong democracies, thriving economies, and stable, peaceful societies worldwide, we must support women and girls. And that means focusing on a wide range of issues – from working to improve women’s leadership in industries where they are currently underrepresented, as Australia has pledged to do in the mining and construction industries, to enforcing and strengthening laws that guarantee women’s equal political participation, as Senegal has committed to do, to addressing once and for all the problem of nationality laws that discriminate against women and leave they and their families vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.” [Remarks at the Equal Futures Partnership Launch, state.gov, 9/24/12]
Coordinated National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security
Sec. Clinton coordinated the development of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security with USAID and the Defense Department.
In her book Hard Choices, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote, “I spent years trying to get generals, diplomats, and national security policymakers in our own country and around the world to tune in to this reality. I found sympathetic allies at the Pentagon and in the White House, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy and Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. State, USAID, and Defense got to work on a plan that would change the way diplomats, development experts, and military personnel interact with women in conflict and postconflict areas. There would be new emphasis on stopping rape and gender-based violence and empowering women to make and keep peace. We called it a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. In December 2011, President Obama issued an executive order launching the plan.” [Hard Choices, pg. 572, 2014]
Under Sec. Clinton’s leadership, America developed “its national action plan to promote the essential role of women when it comes to securing peace.”
According to a Courier-Journal op-ed by Kentucky state legislator Mary Lou Marzian, “With the leadership of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, America joined the ranks of more than 30 countries in developing its national action plan to promote the essential role of women when it comes to securing peace. All of this started with a movement of women that has risen up across the globe and has been developing through the United Nations.” [Mary Lou Marzian, Courier-Journal, 8/25/12]
The National Action Plan better coordinated U.S. efforts to implement a UN resolution on women and peacekeeping.
According to a State Department fact sheet, “In this process, the United States has reaffirmed its support for [UN Security Council Resolution] 1325 and decided to initiate development of a National Action Plan to better coordinate and advance our efforts. The plan will include regular consultation with civil society groups in countries affected by conflict in recognition of their knowledge and expertise in the promotion of peace. We also will continue to partner with other countries, bilaterally and multilaterally, in support of 1325 principles.” [“The United States and UN Security Council Resolution 1325: Promoting the Political Participation of Women in all Aspects of Peace and Security,” state.gov, 10/26/10]
Secured Support for UN Security Council Resolution 1325
Sec. Clinton helped lead the charge to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325, “the first ever to recognize the role of women in restoring peace and maintaining security.”
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks on making human rights a human reality, “We led the charge for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the first ever to recognize the role of women in restoring peace and maintaining security. We created a National Action Plan and encouraged others to do the same.” According to the United Nations, “Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) stresses the importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace-building and peacekeeping.” [Remarks on Making Human Rights a Human Reality, state.gov, 12/6/12; UN.org, accessed 6/24/14]
Made Fighting Sexual Violence a Peacekeeping Priority
Sec. Clinton achieved consensus in the UN to make ending sexual violence a priority for global peacekeeping missions.
In her book Hard Choices, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote, “A little more than a month after my trip to Goma, in late September 2009, I presided over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council focused on women, peace, and security, where I proposed making the protection of women and children from the kinds of rampant sexual violence I witnessed in the Congo a priority for UN peacekeeping missions around the world. All fifteen Council members agreed. It wasn’t going to solve the problem overnight, but it was a start.” [Hard Choices, pg. 282, 2014]
Sec. Clinton “led the unanimous adoption of UN Resolution 1888,” which mandated that “peacekeeping missions protect women and children from sexual violence during armed conflict.”
“Secretary Clinton has long worked to highlight the urgent need to end sexual violence against women and promote their in participation in peace and security. She led the unanimous adoption of UN Resolution 1888, the successor resolution to UNSCR 1325 and 1320.” According to the UN website, “Resolution 1888, as a follow up to Resolution 1820, mandates that peacekeeping missions protect women and children from sexual violence during armed conflict, and requests that the Secretary-General appoint a special representative on sexual violence during armed conflict (Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict).” [“The United States and UN Security Council Resolution 1325: Promoting the Political Participation of Women in all Aspects of Peace and Security,” state.gov, 10/26/10; UN.org, accessed 6/24/14]
]]>Launched Education Initiatives to Raise the Status of Girls Around the World
Sec. Clinton launched multiple public and private sector initiatives to raise the status of girls and promote girls’ education around the world.
According to a fact sheet on Sec. Clinton’s new public and private initiatives to raise the status of girls, “On the eve of the inaugural International Day of the Girl Child, Secretary Clinton today convened a meeting with leaders in government and the private sector, including South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chair of The Elders, to discuss their shared commitment to improving the lives of girls worldwide. Following the meeting, the Secretary announced new U.S. Government and private initiatives to prevent child marriage and promote girls’ education around the world.” [“Secretary Clinton Launches New Public and Private Initiatives to Raise the Status of Girls,” state.gov, 10/10/12]
Sec. Clinton started the TechGirls classroom exchange program to increase the number of girls entering the tech field.
According to a State Department press release, “The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that the inaugural group of TechGirls – an initiative that brings 25 teenage girls from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, and Yemen to the United States – will arrive June 25 in New York City for a three-week exchange. As part of U.S. efforts to increase the number of girls and women entering the technology field, the TechGirls will engage with their American counterparts in the classroom and within the broader technology community as they learn how to harness their potential in the science and technology sectors through hands-on skill development, such as programming, robotics, mobile application building, web design, video graphics, and 3D game design.” [“TechGirls: Empowering Girls in the Middle East and North Africa through Technology,” state.gov, 6/22/12]
Under Sec. Clinton, the State Department partnered with the NGO Room to Read to support girls from South Asia who were at risk of dropping out of school.
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks at the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education, “The United States has partnered with the NGO Room to Read to support girls from South Asia who are at risk of dropping out of school. This is a small project. We invested only $145,000 in things like school uniforms, shoes, educational supplies, and medical checkups. And we also put in place support for mentoring programs, tutoring and community organizing. Not a single one of the more than 1,000 participating girls dropped out of school.” [Remarks at the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education, state.gov, 5/26/11]
Sec. Clinton introduced the Empowering Adolescent Girls to Lead through Education (EAGLE) initiative, emphasizing leadership training and reducing barriers for girls to attend secondary school.
According to a State Department fact sheet on Sec. Clinton’s new public and private initiatives to raise the status of girls, “Empowering Adolescent Girls to Lead through Education (EAGLE). The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) are working together to ensure thousands of adolescent girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) make successful transitions to secondary school. Just 11 percent of Congolese women over age 25 have secondary educations, and studies show that keeping girls in school dramatically reduces their vulnerability to HIV and improves overall health outcomes. A five-year $15 million initiative, EAGLE seeks to raise this rate by tackling many of the barriers keeping girls from continuing their post-primary educations – including cost and school safety. The program will emphasize leadership training for girls.” [“Secretary Clinton Launches New Public and Private Initiatives to Raise the Status of Girls,” state.gov, 10/10/12]
Spearheaded Efforts to Study and Improve Education for Girls
Sec. Clinton launched the Secretary’s International Fund for Women and Girls to invest in improvements to education, health, and economic opportunities.
According to a State Department press release, “Secretary Clinton announced the launch of the ‘Secretary’s International Fund for Women and Girls’ this morning during remarks for the Summit on Entrepreneurship. The Fund is a State Department-led public-private partnership committed to providing flexible, rapid, targeted, and high-impact grants to nongovernmental organizations working to meet the critical needs of women and girls around the world. It is administered by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. The Fund invests in efficient and innovative solutions to combat violence, improve health and education, promote climate change solutions, and create economic and political opportunities for women and girls.” [“Secretary Clinton Announces the ‘Secretary’s International Fund for Women and Girls,’” state.gov, 4/28/10]
Sec. Clinton’s State Department sponsored teacher exchange programs focused on education for girls.
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks in honor of the first-ever International Day of the Girl, “Every teacher who comes to the United States through our teacher training programs will receive training to address the challenges that girls face staying in school. And we will sponsor teacher exchanges focused exclusively on girls’ education.” [Remarks in Honor of the First-ever International Day of the Girl, state.gov, 10/10/12]
Sec. Clinton initiated a study with UNESCO on “education for women and girls around the world.”
In her remarks at the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education, Sec. Clinton said, “The United States is proud to join with UNESCO to launch what we hope will be an important new study on education for women and girls around the world. And before you say, ‘Another report,’ which is often the reaction, let me quickly add that this report will draw on UNESCO’s unique expertise in data collection and analysis to provide new insights into the causes of gender disparities and education and what we can do about them. It will focus in particular on two critical areas: adult literacy and secondary education. We are making progress in many parts of the world on primary education, but something happens at the end of primary school.” [Remarks at the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education, state.gov, 5/26/11]
Secured Greater Investment in Education for Women and Girls
Sec. Clinton launched a partnership with the Abbott Fund “to invest one million dollars in the health and education” of women and girls.
In her remarks to the Lower Mekong Initiative Women’s Gender Equality and Empowerment Dialogue in Cambodia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “[T]oday I am pleased to add that we are also launching a new partnership with the nonprofit Abbott Fund to invest one million dollars in the health and education for women and girls.” [Remarks to the Lower Mekong Initiative Women’s Gender Equality and Empowerment Dialogue, state.gov, 7/13/12]
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program committed $39 million to support secondary education to disadvantaged girls in Ghana and Uganda.
According to a State Department fact sheet on Sec. Clinton’s new public and private initiatives to raise the status of girls, including, “The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program. As part of a $500 million commitment to education, The MasterCard Foundation has committed $39 million over the next ten years to provide comprehensive support for secondary education, including peer support and mentorship, to talented yet economically disadvantaged girls in Ghana and Uganda.” [“Secretary Clinton Launches New Public and Private Initiatives to Raise the Status of Girls,” state.gov, 10/10/12]
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation committed $10 million to improve participation in education for marginalized girls.
According to a State Department fact sheet on Sec. Clinton’s new public and private initiatives to raise the status of girls, including, “MacArthur Foundation Girls Secondary Education in Developing Countries Strategy. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has committed $10 million over the next five years to efforts to improve participation by marginalized girls in quality, relevant secondary education.” [“Secretary Clinton Launches New Public and Private Initiatives to Raise the Status of Girls,” state.gov, 10/10/12]
A collaborative effort by “the MacArthur Foundation, The MasterCard Foundation, the Douglas B. Marshall Jr. Family Foundation and two anonymous donors” awarded $6 million to support secondary education initiatives.
According to a State Department fact sheet on Sec. Clinton’s new public and private initiatives to raise the status of girls, including, “Joint Initiative on Girls’ Secondary Education. The MacArthur Foundation, The MasterCard Foundation, the Douglas B. Marshall Jr. Family Foundation and two anonymous donors will collaborate to award more than $6 million over the next year to support innovative secondary education initiatives that provide learning opportunities and life and livelihood skills for underserved youth in East Africa, Nigeria, and India, with a special focus on girls.” [“Secretary Clinton Launches New Public and Private Initiatives to Raise the Status of Girls,” state.gov, 10/10/12]
]]>Fighting to Protect AmeriCorps
Senator Clinton fought alongside America’s mayors and governors to protect AmeriCorps from budget cuts.
Senator Clinton stood with the nation’s governors and mayors in 2003 against budget reductions to the AmeriCorps program. Senator Clinton noted that 44 governors, “including Governor Bush from Florida,” and 145 mayors sent a letter to the President and Congress asking for additional funding for AmeriCorps. [Senator Clinton floor speech, 7/31/03 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton called for an emergency appropriation of $100 million to protect AmeriCorps.
Senator Clinton called for an “emergency appropriation of $100 million to save AmeriCorps and prevent 20,000 volunteers—including 1,300 New Yorkers—from being cut from the program.” Following the inclusion of such an appropriation in the Senate supplemental appropriations bill, Senator Clinton praised the appropriations committee for taking action and noted the “funds will mean a tremendous amount to New York communities across the state.” After Senator Session’s amendment to eliminate the additional AmeriCorps funding was rejected 71-21, the funding increase passed the Senate as part of the appropriations bill. The appropriation for AmeriCorps was not included in the final version of the bill that became law. [Senator Clinton press release, 7/9/03 (via archive.org); Vote #272, 7/11/03; Vote #273, 7/11/03]
Senator Clinton called the House Republican’s obstruction of increased AmeriCorps funding “wrong for America.”
Senator Clinton blasted the House Republican leadership for killing an effort to add $100 million for AmeriCorps to the House supplemental appropriations bill. Following this legislative action by the House, Senator Clinton called them out: “What the House Republican Leadership did was wrong. It was wrong for America, New York, and every young person who has a desire to give back to their community.” [Senator Clinton press release, 7/25/03 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton to House Republicans: “AmeriCorps works.”
Rebuking the House of Representatives for blocking $100 million for AmeriCorps, Senator Clinton said, “of most concern to me and to the New Yorkers I represent, the House bill fails to include $100 million in emergency spending for AmeriCorps. With the passage of this bill, we are telling 20,000 eager AmeriCorps members that their service is no longer needed. And I have to say that there is something wrong with this picture. Less than three weeks ago, 71 of us voted to provide $100 million to AmeriCorps.” Noting that 54 governors, 145 mayors, and 190 college and university presidents had called for additional AmeriCorps funding, Senator Clinton asked her Senate colleagues, “how do we account for this outpouring of support? Mr. President, I submit that it is for the simple reason that AmeriCorps works.” [Senator Clinton floor speech, 7/31/03 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton urged President Bush’s nominee for CNCS administrator to protect AmeriCorps from budget cuts.
“Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton conveyed her very serious concerns about the funding crisis facing AmeriCorps in a meeting with David Eisner, the Administration’s nominee for Chief Executive of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation manages AmeriCorps… In her visit with Eisner, Senator Clinton discussed her fear that some of the outstanding New York programs funded through AmeriCorps will be gravely hurt. ‘There are so many programs at risk. Everything from the Response to Love Center in Buffalo, which serves the homeless, to the Student Conservation Association in Saranac lake, to project ROSES, which is helping small upstate towns with homeland security issues. These and many more could go by the wayside if this crisis isn’t addressed,’ Senator Clinton said.” [Senator Clinton press release, 10/3/03 (via archive.org)]
Strengthening AmeriCorps
Senator Clinton pushed through a bill that revised AmeriCorps formulas to ensure every volunteer gets their education award.
SenatorClinton cosponsored the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act. Enacted July 3, 2003, the Act revised the approval, accounting, and recording procedures used by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to manage AmeriCorps. Speaking to the legislation in the Senate, Ted Kennedy noted the bill would “ensure that every person who commits to a year of service to their community in AmeriCorps will receive the education award.” [S.1276, 6/18/03; Congressional Record, Page S8164, 6/18/03]
Senator Clinton cosponsored a bill to increase funding for AmeriCorps by $200 million for fiscal year 2002.
Senator Clinton cosponsored Senator Dodd’s Leave No Child Behind Act of 2001.This legislation would have increased fiscal year 2002 funding for AmeriCorps from $300 million to $500 million. [S.940, 5/23/01]
Expanding AmeriCorps
Senator Clinton proposed doubling the education award for AmeriCorps volunteers.
On the presidential campaign trail Senator Clinton proposed “doubling the education awards that AmeriCorps volunteers receive.” Explaining why the education awards should be expanded, Senator Clinton said the “young men and women are building homes, mentoring children, providing disaster relief, and so much more. They’re serving our country every day. And I want our country to serve them in return.” [Senator Clinton speech, 10/11/07 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton called for an AmeriCorps program in which recent college graduates would help encourage high school students to go to college.
Senator Clinton introduced the Coaching our Adolescents for College Heights (COACH) Act to “recruit, train and place recent college graduates in high schools to increase the number of low- and middle-income, high-achieving high school students who enroll in college.” The COACH Act would have created a pilot program within AmeriCorps to “train and place 100 coaches in five high-need” educational systems to build “a strong college-going culture within the school.” [S.3027, 5/15/08; Senator Clinton press release, 5/16/08 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton suggested creating an AmeriCorps program to connect high school seniors with community service opportunities.
Senator Clinton introduced the Senior Year Community Service Act to “promote community service among high school seniors by connecting them with service opportunities within their schools and communities.” Senator Clinton’s legislation would have created a pilot program within AmeriCorps to “use funds to establish partnerships with community based organizations, provide a service coordinator to assist participating high schools, and provide information regarding service opportunities to students in their junior years.” [S.3028, 5/15/08; Senator Clinton press release, 5/16/08 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton cosponsored a bill to base AmeriCorps’ education awards on the average public college tuition.
Senator Clinton cosponsored the AmeriCorps: Together Improving Our Nation Act. This legislation would have changed “the formula for determining the amount of the national service educational award to base the award on the average cost of attending a four-year institution of higher education.” [S.3037, 5/20/08]
Championing AmeriCorps in the White House
Hillary Clinton pressed Congress to extend AmeriCorps through 2002.
“Saying millions of Americans are learning ‘age-old, eternal’ lessons while giving back to their communities, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Congress Thursday to extend AmeriCorps and other national volunteer service programs. ‘These programs work,’ said Mrs. Clinton. The first lady was joined at a Capitol Hill news conference by a bipartisan group of lawmakers who are sponsoring a bill to extend the Corporation for National Service through 2002… Mrs. Clinton said every participant was learning important ‘age-old, eternal lessons about how much more we get when we give.’ ‘I think if every member of Congress heard just these three stories there wouldn’t be any doubt that the bill you are introducing today would pass unanimously,’ she said.” [Associated Press, 3/19/98]
Hillary Clinton unveiled a plan for AmeriCorps volunteers to help out in D.C. high schools.
“Hillary Rodham Clinton visited a District of Columbia high school Friday to push for projects that link students to community service and to unveil a plan to put AmeriCorps volunteers in all city high schools by the fall. The volunteers will help teachers and administrators coordinate service learning programs, which combine community service with classroom learning, in the troubled school system’s 20 high schools, she said. ‘Service learning is good for students and the community,’ Mrs. Clinton told volunteers, teachers and AmeriCorps administrators in a round-table discussion at Cardozo High School. ‘Service learning programs can help young people build their own sense of confidence and can inspire them to be active volunteers in communities throughout their lives.’ Around the country, 750,000 young people are involved in such projects, Mrs. Clinton said, adding that she hoped more schools and states would make community service part of the curriculum.” [Associated Press, 4/11/97]
]]>Paycheck Fairness Act
Senator Clinton consistently advocated for paycheck fairness.
Senator Clinton introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act in 2005 and 2007. Speaking to her bill in 2007, Clinton noted that “pay discrimination continues to result in women earning less than men for performing the same job.” The Paycheck Fairness Act would add nonretaliation requirements for folks who inquire about or discuss their wages. Senator Clinton co-sponsored the legislation in 2003 and 2001 as well. This policy was adopted, in part, by President Obama’s April 2014, Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss their wages. [S.77, 1/22/01; S. 76, 1/7/03, S. 841, 4/19/05; S. 766, 3/6/07; Senator Clinton floor remarks, 3/6/07; Executive Order, 4/8/14]
Senator Clinton co-chaired Senate hearing on the need to close the pay gap between men and women.
“Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today co-chaired, along with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a Senate hearing to draw attention to the need to close the continuing pay gap between men and women. Senator Clinton is the lead Senate sponsor of The Paycheck Fairness Act which would take critical steps to empower women to negotiate for equal pay, to create strong incentives for employers to obey the Equal Pay Act and to strengthen federal outreach and enforcement efforts. […] ‘It is in all of our interests, men and women, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, to pursue, and finally achieve, equal wages for equal work. The pay gap is not a problem to be ignored or denied. Equality works for all of us and it’s my hope that in this new Congress, we can make sure that everyone in America works in equality,’ said Senator Clinton.” [Senator Clinton press release, 4/12/07]
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Senator Clinton was an original co-sponsor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Senator Clinton co-sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which became the first law signed by President Barack Obama on January 29, 2009. The Act, which expanded workers’ rights to take pay discrimination issues to court, was originally introduced in 2007 by Ted Kennedy as the Fair Pay Restoration Act. That version was co-sponsored by Clinton as well. [S. 181, 1/8/09; S. 1843, 7/20/07]
Senator Clinton called out the Senate Republicans that voted against moving the bill forward.
Bypassing Congress to Fight for Pay Equity
Senator Clinton worked directly with young women entering the workforce to help them achieve pay equity.
“Today, at a seminar regarding gender equity salary issues, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton underscored that while young women entering the workforce today have more opportunities than ever, women still face pay inequity in the workplace… Topics covered at the seminar included educating young women about how to negotiate equal pay in the workforce, how young women should handle pay equity once they are a part of the workforce, as well as legislative efforts to close the wage gap.” [Senator Clinton Press Release, 3/23/06 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton published a guide for young professional women on getting equal pay.
Senator Clinton released a guide to help young professional women know their rights when it comes to getting equal pay for equal work. The guide, titled, “Know How to Ask & Know Your Rights: A Pay Equity Guide on How to Help Yourself in the Workplace,” gave tips for negotiating a fair wage and informed women about what to do if they suspected they were victims of wage discrimination. The guide noted that women “have the right to” be “paid the same amount as a man for doing the same job,” and the right to bring “litigation against your employer if you think you have been discriminated against.” [“Know What to Ask & Know Your Rights: A Pay Equity Guide on How to Help Yourself in the Workplace,” Senator Clinton, 3/23/06 (via archive.org)]
Pushing the Bush Administration to Enforce Equal Pay Laws
Senator Clinton called for an investigation into the enforcement of equal pay laws by the Bush Administration.
“As Americans across the country mark Equal Pay Day, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) called for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the role the federal government has and can play to remedy pay inequities in the workplace. […] The Senators asked GAO to investigate whether laws are being enforced to remedy the wage gaps that persist for men and women performing the same jobs.” [Senator Clinton press release, 4/24/07 (via archive.org)]
The GAO report found the Bush Administration was not monitoring the enforcement of equal pay laws.
“Last week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report, requested by Clinton, Maloney and their colleagues, finding that the Bush administration has neglected to monitor the enforcement of the pay equity laws… ‘This report is a call to action that we cannot afford to ignore,’ said Senator Clinton. ‘It is clear that while woman have long fought for equality in the workplace, the Bush Administration has turned back the clock by failing to enforce the equal pay requirements that are already on the books.’” [Senator Clinton press release, 9/15/08 (via archive.org)]
Senator Clinton called on the Bush Administration to release a study affirming the existence of a wage gap.
“Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton joined Senator Tom Harkin and others in calling on the Administration to release a Department of Labor study that affirms that the wage gap exists… ‘I believe the Department of Labor study should be released right away so that we can learn more about the inequalities that continue to hurt women and families in this country,’ Senator Clinton said.” [Senator Clinton press release, 4/3/01 (via archive.org)]
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Boosting Awareness of Student Financial Aid
Introducing legislation that would expand public awareness of financial aid opportunities, Senator Clinton made the case that such an outreach program could increase attendance and student retention, especially for non-traditional students.
Sen. Clinton introduced legislation to boost awareness of student financial aid through outreach programs.
Senator Clinton introduced the Nontraditional Student Success Act three times. The legislation directed the creation of “a website and brochures for providing outreach about financial aid and education tax credits.” The outreach effort would have been targeted towards “employers, one-stop centers, Head Start centers, and other locations the Secretary of Education determines appropriate.” Introducing the legislation in 2006, Senator Clinton noted its proposal for “an information campaign so that students will know more about the financial aid available to them. Research shows that one of the most significant challenges to making ‘lifelong learning’ a reality is to overcome the perception held by many nontraditional students, especially first-generation and adults with few work skills, that they are not ‘student material.’ A direct mailing campaign combined with outreach to employers about the financial resources available to non-traditional students could significantly boost attendance and retention of non-traditional students.” [S.2360, 4/29/04; Congressional Record, Page S4695, 4/29/04; S.3528, 6/15/06; S.301, 1/16/07]
A public awareness campaign on financial aid was started as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Enacted August 14th, 2008, the Higher Education Opportunity Act included a section directing the Secretary of Education to “implement a public awareness campaign in order to increase national awareness regarding the availability of financial aid under this title. The public awareness campaign shall disseminate accurate information regarding the availability of financial aid under this title and shall be implemented, to the extent practicable, using a variety of media, including print, television, radio, and the internet.” Praising the enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Senator Clinton stated that “[n]ontraditional students are not only pursuing their goal of obtaining a college degree, but are also juggling the responsibilities of work and family… Today we are opening the doors of higher education wider than ever, helping to fulfill the historic promise of the Higher Education Act.” [H.R.4137, 11/9/07; Senator Clinton press release, 8/15/08 (via archive.org)]
Fair Student Loan Repayment
As Senator Clinton noted when she introduced the Student Borrower Bill of Rights, student loan debt “can put people in economic handcuffs,” preventing students from taking noble but lower-paying jobs or purchasing their first homes. Senator Clinton fought in the Senate to allow student borrowers to make monthly loan payments that are fair percentages of their income. Just over a year after Senator Clinton proposed income-based repayment of student loans, legislation was enacted to do just that.
Sen. Clinton introduced legislation to allow student loan repayments to be a certain percentage of income.
In a section in her Student Borrower’s Bill of Rights titled, “A Right to Make Affordable Loan Payments,” Senator Clinton would have required the Secretary of Education to “limit the total monthly payment amount for all such loans of a student borrower to not more than” a level determined by their income. Introducing her Student Borrower Bill of Rights in 2006, Senator Clinton stated that the bill would “give student borrowers the right to make fair, monthly payments that do not exceed a percentage of their incomes and fair interest rates and fees.” [Congressional Record, Page S5344, 5/26/06; S.3255, 5/26/06; S.511, 2/7/07]
Income-based student loan repayment was enacted as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.
Enacted September 27th, 2007, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) included a section titled “Income-Based Repayment.” As the Dallas Morning News noted after its passage, the CCRAA “caps student loan repayments at a reasonable percentage of income. It’s a sliding scale, so the lower the borrower’s income, the lower the percentage cap.” Praising the passage of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, Senator Clinton said she was “proud that the new bill that the Democratic majority just passed and was signed into law provides an income-based repayment program like I had in law school and based on what I championed in the Senate.” [H.R.2669, 6/12/07; Senator Clinton speech, 10/11/07 (via archive.org); Dallas Morning News, 10/9/07 (via Baylor University)]
Making Lenders Provide More Information to Student Borrowers
Students deserve to make choices about their college loans based on sound facts. Senator Clinton fought in the Senate to push college lenders to provide student borrowers with more helpful and timely information about their loans.
Sen. Clinton introduced legislation to force lenders to provide more timely information to student borrowers.
In section of her Student Borrower’s Bill of Rights titled “A Right To Timely Information About Loans,” Senator Clinton would have required student lenders to provide borrowers with regular updates on, among other things, “the borrower’s principal borrowed;” “the interest level on such loan;” and “the total amount the borrower has paid for the loan, including the amount the borrower has paid in interest, the amount the borrower has paid in fees, and the amount the borrower has paid against the balance.” [S.3255, 5/26/06; S.511, 2/7/07]
The Higher Education Opportunity Act required lenders to give accurate and timely information to borrowers.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was enacted August 14th, 2008, included a section titled “Student Loan Information By Eligible Lenders.” This section required lenders to “provide thorough and accurate loan information” to borrowers “in simple and understandable terms” on, among other things, “the principal amount of the loan;” “the stated interest on the loan;” and “the amount of any charges, such as the origination fee and Federal default fee.” [H.R.4137, 11/9/07]
Helping Veterans Continue their Education
Senator Clinton pressed for the creation of campus centers to coordinate assistance for veterans pursuing postsecondary education.
Sen. Clinton cosponsored legislation to establish centers on college campuses to assist veteran students.
Senator Clinton cosponsored the Supporting Education for Returning Veterans Act. The legislation would have established “a Center for Excellence for Veteran Student Success” on college campuses that “provides a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive support services for veterans who are students.” [S.2677, 2/28/08]
Centers for Excellence for Veteran Student Success were enacted as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Enacted August 14th, 2008, the Higher Education Opportunity Act included a section “establishing a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success” on college campuses “to provide a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive support services for veteran students…” Hailing the enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Senator Clinton’s office noted that “Representative Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) introduced similar legislation” to the proposed Centers for Excellence for Veteran Student Success “in the House of Representatives and was instrumental in ensuring its inclusion in the final bill.” As the Veterans Affairs Director of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service put it in 2011, the program “provides grant funds to colleges to encourage model programs” to “address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of Veteran-students.” [H.R.4137, 11/9/07; Senator Clinton press release, 8/15/08 (via archive.org); Fanning Testimony, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 3/31/10]
Helping Student Borrowers Consolidate Loans
Senator Clinton introduced legislation in the Senate to repeal the so-called “single holder” rule that limited the number of lenders from which student borrowers could choose from to consolidate their student loans. Following the enactment of this proposal in 2006, USA Today observed that, “[i]f you’re planning to consolidate your student loans, you no longer have to dance with the date that brung you.”
Sen. Clinton introduced a bill to allow borrowers to shop around for a consolidation loan from more student lenders.
In a section of her Student Borrower’s Bill of Rights titled, “Repeal of Single Holder Rule,” Senator Clinton would have amended the Higher Education Act of 1965 by repealing “the single holder rule which requires borrowers to apply to their current lenders for FFEL [Federal Family Education Loan] consolidation loans.” [S.3255, 5/26/06]
The ‘single holder’ rule for loan consolidation was repealed in 2006.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the Emergency Supplemental Defense Appropriations bill, enacted on June 15th, 2006, amended the Higher Education Act of 1965 “to repeal the single holder rule for student consolidation loans which limits such loans to a lender which holds an outstanding loan of the borrower.” USA Today reported after its enactment that the law “eliminated a decades-old rule that required borrowers whose student loans were all from one lender to consolidate with that lender,” also noting to readers that, “[i]f you’re planning to consolidate your student loans, you no longer have to dance with the date that brung you.” In remarks re-introducing her Student Borrower Bill of Rights in 2007, Senator Clinton noted she was “happy to report that two of the provisions from the Student Borrower Bill of Rights Act of the 109th Congress were enacted into law through the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense 2006. These provisions, a repeal of the single holder rule and consolidation between loan programs, will enable borrowers to choose lenders with acceptable income-sensitive repayment terms when consolidating student loans.” [H.R.4939, 3/13/06; “End of ‘single holder rule’ lets student loan consolidators shop around,” USA Today, 6/20/06; Congressional Record, Page S1711, 2/7/07]
Supporting Pell Grants
Senator Clinton has long championed America’s Pell Grant program that provides need-based grants to middle and lower-income students to expand access to higher education. From promoting its expansion on the presidential campaign trail to fighting attempts to divert or cut funding to the program, Senator Clinton has been there to protect the program for America’s future and current students.
Sen. Clinton introduced a bill to allow students to make Pell Grants available year-round.
A section of Senator Clinton’s Nontraditional Student Success Act, which she introduced three times, would have required the Secretary of Education to “allow a student to receive 2 Federal Pell grants during a single award year.” Speaking to her legislation in 2004, Senator Clinton noted it would create “a pilot program that will make Pell Grants available year round so students are not forced to discontinue their studies for the three-month summer period.” [S.2360, 4/29/04; Congressional Record, Page S4695, 4/29/04; S.3528, 6/15/06; S.301, 1/16/07]
The Higher Education Opportunity Act allowed student borrowers to receive 2 Pell Grants in one award year.
A section of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, enacted on August 14, 2008, required the Secretary of Education to “award a student not more than two Federal Pell Grants during a single award year to permit such student to accelerate the student’s progress toward a degree or certificate.” [H.R.4137, 11/9/07]
Sen. Clinton fought to restore the Bush Administration’s cuts to Pell Grants.
Senator Clinton fought against the Bush Administration’s “revisions to financial aid eligibility formulas” by cosponsoring an amendment to “restore $270 million in Pell Grants” to the appropriations bill that funded the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in 2004. Senator Clinton also cosponsored Senator Patty Murray’s Student Loan Abuse Prevention Act. Senator Clinton predicted the bill would “produce an estimated savings of $5 billion over 10 years” to “be redirected to fund the successful Pell Grant Programs for college students.” [Senator Clinton press release, 9/16/03 (via archive.org); S.Amdt.1602, 9/9/03; Senator Clinton press release, 10/12/04 (via archive.org); S. 2861, 9/29/04]
Helping Single Parents Continue their Education
Hillary Clinton served as the founding chairwoman of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Established in 1990 under then-Governor Clinton, the program has awarded more than 30,000 scholarships since that time to help single parents finish post-secondary education and find better jobs.
Hillary Clinton was the founding chair of an Arkansas program to help low-income single parents get their degrees.
The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund [ASPSF] was established in 1990 “to assist low-income single parents to complete their post-secondary education in preparation for skilled employment.” According ASPSF, as of 2013, the fund had “awarded a combined total of 33,458 scholarships worth $18,811,152 since 1990.” As the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted in 2009, “Hillary Clinton was the founding chairman of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund.” Hillary Clinton made the case that many single parents are not “looking for a handout or a free ride” but are “eager to make the sacrifices and commitments necessary to further their education” and “improve conditions for themselves and their families.” Clinton also advocated for the growth of the program beyond Arkansas, suggesting there “is no reason that this wonderful idea can’t work” in other states. [“Talking It Over,” Hillary Clinton, 3/11/97; “About,” Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Accessed 5/8/14; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7/1/09]
]]>“Energy cuts across the entirety of U.S. foreign policy. It’s a matter of national security and global stability. It’s at the heart of the global economy. It’s also an issue of democracy and human rights.”
– Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, 10/18/12
Elevated Energy as a Driver of Foreign Policy
Sec. Clinton significantly elevated the role of energy as a driver of foreign policy.
According to National Journal, “Over the last year, Clinton has significantly elevated the role of energy as a driver of foreign policy. Last year, Clinton created the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources, charged with forging energy-driven foreign policy around the globe. In the coming weeks, she said, she will be sending out policy guidance to U.S. embassies to elevate reporting on energy and increase outreach to international energy partners.” [National Journal, 10/19/12]
Sec. Clinton stressed energy’s importance to American foreign policy because the U.S. had an interest in “making sure that the American people’s access to energy is secure, reliable, affordable, and sustainable.”
In her remarks on energy diplomacy in the 21st century, Secretary Clinton said, “Energy matters to America’s foreign policy for three fundamental reasons. First, it rests at the core of geopolitics, because fundamentally, energy is an issue of wealth and power, which means it can be both a source of conflict and cooperation. The United States has an interest in resolving disputes over energy, keeping energy supplies and markets stable through all manner of global crises, ensuring that countries don’t use their energy resources or proximity to shipping routes to force others to bend to their will or forgive their bad behavior, and above all, making sure that the American people’s access to energy is secure, reliable, affordable, and sustainable.” [Remarks on Energy Diplomacy in the 21st Century, state.gov, 10/18/12]
Sec. Clinton created the Bureau of Energy Resources “for the purpose of channeling the domestic energy boom into a geopolitical tool to advance American interests around the world.”
According to the New York Times, “At the helm of the new energy diplomacy effort is Carlos Pascual, a former American ambassador to Ukraine, who leads the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources. The 85-person bureau was created in late 2011 by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state at the time, for the purpose of channeling the domestic energy boom into a geopolitical tool to advance American interests around the world.” [New York Times, 3/5/14]
Sec. Clinton’s Bureau of Energy Resources helped European nations reduce dependence on Russian gas.
Sec. Clinton’s Bureau of Energy Resources lessened Putin’s leverage over Ukraine and Europe’s energy supply.
Iran sanctions were central to Sec. Clinton’s vision of energy diplomacy.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday described ‘energy diplomacy’ as a driving force behind U.S. foreign policy […] Mrs. Clinton detailed some of the highest-profile diplomatic efforts involving energy, including what she called the most important: sanctions on Iran’s oil sector. That required persuading Iran’s customers to stop buying its oil and oil producers to pump more to make up the difference. U.S. diplomatic efforts in Iraq helped unlock nearly a million additional barrels of oil a day, she said, helping make sanctions on Tehran workable and bolstering the Iraqi economy.” [Wall Street Journal, 10/18/12]
Advanced Energy Programs that Created Economic Opportunity
Sec. Clinton launched the Connect 2022 initiative to make “power more affordable, reliable, and efficient” and more economically viable in the Western Hemisphere.
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks at the launch of the Connect 2022 Initiative, “The Connecting the Americas 2022 campaign aims to give every person the sustainable energy they need at a price they can afford, so they can live their lives, do their work, educate their children. We’ve set ourselves a deadline of 10 years. We know it won’t be easy. Those 30 million-plus who are not yet able to access electricity are the hardest to reach. Otherwise, companies like some of those represented here would’ve already gotten them power long ago. So we need to expand power grids, develop effective off-grid solutions to reach remote communities, and more broadly, modernize the power infrastructure throughout the hemisphere. So not only can we can make power more affordable, reliable, and efficient, but we can make it more economically viable to add renewable energy to the mix.” [Launch of Connect 2022 Initiative at CEO Summit, state.gov, 4/13/12]
Connect 2022 promoted “interconnection” of energy resources between countries which created opportunity for U.S. businesses and “ultimately lower the costs for the consumer.”
Sec. Clinton launched the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative to drive private sector investment into Africa’s energy sector.
In remarks at the launch of the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative, Sec. Clinton said, “The U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative will help clean energy projects in Africa get started. This is an innovative partnership between three United States Government entities – the State Department, OPIC, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. We want to drive private sector investment into the energy sector. We plan to use an initial $20 million grant fund to leverage much larger investment flows from OPIC. That will open the door then for hundreds of millions of dollars of OPIC financing, plus hundreds of millions of more dollars from the private sector for projects that otherwise would never get off the drawing board.” [Launch of the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative, state.gov, 6/22/12]
Supported Renewable and Sustainable Energy Programs
Sec. Clinton promoted U.S. development of clean energy projects for Caribbean nations through the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas.
In her remarks on the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, Sec. Clinton said, “First, we will work to advance sustainable energy in the Caribbean. As I said, this is the area of the world most dependent on imported fossil fuels and suffering from the world’s highest electricity rates. That’s shameful in our hemisphere, and it shouldn’t be. The people of the Caribbean are creative, resilient; they’re able to lead the way in new forms of energy, and we want to be a partner. The United States will provide a grant to the Organization of American States to lend technical and legal expertise to any Caribbean country seeking to help get clean energy projects off the ground. We are committed to helping you with energy security. We think clean energy and energy security go hand in hand.” [Remarks on the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, state.gov, 4/15/10]
Sec. Clinton launched 11 EcoPartnerships with China that collaborate on “clean energy and sustainable development.”
According to a State Department fact sheet on the U.S.-China EcoPartnerships program, “The EcoPartnerships program is an innovative manifestation of U.S.-China cooperation on energy and environmental issues. Established under the U.S.-China Ten Year Framework on Energy and Environment Cooperation (TYF), EcoPartnerships establish formal collaboration between U.S. and Chinese stakeholders who work on clean energy and sustainable development. Eighteen partnerships already share best practices on preventing air pollution, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, protecting water resources, developing technology for electric vehicles, increasing energy efficiency, and safeguarding natural habitats.” [“The U.S.-China EcoPartnerships Program,” state.gov, 7/10/13]
]]>Made Climate Change an American Foreign Policy Priority
Sec. Clinton changed the way the U.S. approached climate change.
According to the New York Times,“Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton wrapped up her first diplomatic mission to Asia yesterday with climate change experts praising her for putting global warming at the center of U.S. foreign policy… Kenneth Lieberthal, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and co-author of a new blueprint on how to bring China and the United States into cooperation on climate change, said he thinks Clinton sent a powerful signal that was ‘fundamentally different’ from the one sent by the Bush administration over the past eight years. He noted that Clinton chose [Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd] Stern as her travel companion — and not a Treasury Department official, a nonproliferation expert or an envoy on any number of other top-tier foreign policy issues. ‘Climate change is one of these existential threats that the U.S. and other countries face, and we do not have the luxury of procrastinating anymore. I think that’s the message that Hillary Clinton brought to China,’ Lieberthal said. ‘She’s saying, “We have changed the U.S. approach to this in a huge way. We want you to know that, and we want you to know the door is wide open for serious communication,’” he said.” [New York Times, 2/23/09]
Sec. Clinton appointed a Special Envoy for Climate Change to “serve as a principal advisor on international climate policy and strategy.”
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks announcing the appointment of Todd Stern as Special Envoy for Climate Change, “The Special Envoy will serve as a principal advisor on international climate policy and strategy. He will be the Administration’s chief climate negotiator. He will be leading our efforts with United Nations negotiations and processes involving a smaller set of countries and bilateral sessions. Because the main cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuel and because the solution rests with our ability to shift the global economy from a high to a low carbon energy base, the Envoy will be a lead participant in the development of climate and clean energy policy. He will participate in all energy-related policy discussions that, across our government, can have an impact on carbon emissions, and will be looking for opportunities to forge working alliances.” [Remarks Announcing the Appointment of Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern, state.gov, 1/26/09]
Sec. Clinton established the Bureau of Energy Resources because “how the world uses energy is a key factor” to addressing the threat of climate change.
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks on delivering on the promise of economic statecraft, “Next, on energy. We know energy can be a source of healthy competition, with countries racing to develop new technologies and renewables. But it can also be a source of conflict, fueling corruption and instability. And how the world uses energy is a key factor as to whether we will finally address the threat of climate change. So we have created at the State Department a new Bureau of Energy Resources, and made this issue a priority in our diplomacy.” [Remarks on Delivering on the Promise of Economic Statecraft, state.gov, 11/17/12]
Sec. Clinton viewed U.S. leadership on climate change as both “a responsibility we should accept and an opportunity we should seize.”
In her book Hard Choices,Secretary Clinton wrote, “In our meeting in Copenhagen, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia told me that the world was looking to the United States to lead the way on climate change. I believe this is both a responsibility we should accept and an opportunity we should seize. After all, we’re still the largest economy and the second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. The more serious the effects of climate change, the more important it will be for us to lead.” [Hard Choices, pg. 504, 2014]
Advanced International Partnerships on Climate Change
Sec. Clinton expanded U.S. efforts to assist developing countries hit hardest by climate change.
In her remarks on the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, Sec. Clinton said, “A year ago, President Obama proposed this partnership as a forum for sharing ideas and devising solutions. And through consultation with many of the countries here today, we identified five critical areas of engagement: energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner fossil fuels, energy poverty, and infrastructure. And today, I propose we add two new areas to help advance the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and to be prepared for the next conference in Cancun. Those are: sustainable forestry and land use, and adaptation to assist developing countries that have been and are being hardest hit by climate change.” [Remarks on the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, state.gov, 4/15/10]
Sec. Clinton launched the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which has 37 countries working to reduce methane emissions.
In her book Hard Choices,Secretary Clinton wrote, “I held an event at the State Department with the Environmental Ministers from Bangladesh, Canada, Mexico, and Sweden, the Ambassador from Ghana, and the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson, to launch the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. In 2014, there are thirty-seven country partners and forty-four nonstate partners, and the Coalition is making important strides toward reducing methane emissions from oil and gas production and black carbon from diesel fumes and other sources.” [Hard Choices, pg. 501, 2014]
Sec. Clinton launched the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to negate the “serious health risks” of dirty cookstoves and to reduce their contribution to climate change.
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks on the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, “The World Health Organization considers smoke from dirty stoves to be one of the five most serious health risks that face people in poor, developing countries. Nearly 2 million people die from its effects each year, more than twice the number from malaria. And because the smoke contains greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane, as well as black carbon, it contributes to climate change. […] I know that maybe this sounds hard to believe, but by upgrading these stoves, millions of lives could be saved and improved. This could be as transformative as bed nets or even vaccines. So today, I am very pleased to announce the creation of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.” [Remarks on the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, state.gov, 9/21/10]
Sec. Clinton helped drive an unprecedented deal between major economies, developed and developing, to curb carbon emissions.
According to Foreign Affairs, “Obama and Clinton barged into a meeting at the 2009 global climate change talks in Copenhagen and forced the Chinese president to agree to a nonbinding pact under which rich and poor countries alike pledged to curb their carbon emissions.” In her book Hard Choices,Secretary Clinton wrote, “Sitting [in Copenhagen] next to President Obama in the small leaders’ meeting he and I had just forced our way into, I hoped that we might finally be getting somewhere. I looked across the table at Wen Jiabao, then at the leaders of India, Brazil, and South Africa. […] In the end, after lots of cajoling, debating, and compromising, the leaders in that room fashioned a deal that, while far from perfect, saved the summit from failure and put us on the road to future progress. For the first time all major economies, developed and developing alike, agreed to make national commitments to curb carbon emissions through 2020 and report transparently on their mitigation efforts. The world began moving away from the division between developed and developing countries that had defined the Kyoto agreement.” [Foreign Affairs, May/June 2013; Hard Choices, pg. 499, 2014]
Sec. Clinton signed an agreement with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim to “strengthen bilateral cooperation” on climate change efforts.
According to a State Department fact sheet, “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Regarding Climate Change’ that will strengthen bilateral cooperation between the United States and Brazil as we work to meet the global climate and clean energy challenge. This Memorandum of Understanding launches a new ‘Climate Change Policy Dialogue’ to discuss key issues, including: The implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and ways to build on the Copenhagen Accord as quickly as possible; Strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; Joint efforts on research, development, deployment and dissemination of clean energy technologies; Adaptation; Cooperation on climate change scientific research; and Capacity-building in sectors related to climate change.” [Announcement of Increased Cooperation on Climate Change, state.gov, 3/3/10]
Urged Global Cooperation in the Fight against Climate Change
Sec. Clinton called for a cooperative international effort to implement climate change action plans “in individual countries, in regions and globally.”
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, “All of us participating today must cooperate in developing meaningful proposals to move the process forward. New policy and new technologies are needed to resolve this crisis, and they won’t materialize by themselves. They will happen because we will set forth an action plan in individual countries, in regions, and globally. It took a lot of work by a lot of people to create the problem of climate change over the last centuries. And it will take our very best efforts to counter it.” [Remarks at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, state.gov, 4/27/09]
Sec. Clinton: “No solution” to the climate problem “is feasible without all major emitting nations joining together and playing an important part.”
According to Sec. Clinton’s remarks announcing the appointment of Todd Stern as Special Envoy for Climate Change, “As the President has made clear, he is committed to enacting a far-reaching new energy and climate plan. As we take steps at home, we will also vigorously pursue negotiations, those sponsored by the United Nations and those at the sub-global, regional, and bilateral level that can lead to binding international climate agreements. No solution is feasible without all major emitting nations joining together and playing an important part.” [Remarks Announcing the Appointment of Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern, state.gov, 1/26/09]
]]>As Hillary Clinton states in Hard Choices, creating opportunity for women and girls throughout the world “directly supports everyone’s security and prosperity, and should be part of our diplomacy and development work.” As Secretary of State, she followed through on a lifetime of championing women’s causes by expanding women’s economic prospects, initiating programs dedicated to entrepreneurship around the world. Through international partnerships, Sec. Clinton elevated women’s political and economic prospects and raised women’s issues “at all international economic forums.”
Elevated Political and Economic Empowerment for Women and Girls
Sec. Clinton worked “to raise women’s issues at all international economic forums.”
According to an op-ed by former Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer in the Christian Science Monitor, “Clinton worked to raise women’s issues at all international economic forums – from APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) to the G20 to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). She launched regional networking and training programs for women entrepreneurs and formed many robust public-private partnerships to promote women’s economic empowerment.” [Melanne Verveer, Christian Science Monitor, 3/8/13]
Sec. Clinton told delegates of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Women and the Economy Summit that empowering women meant a stronger, more stable world economy.
According to San Jose Mercury News, “Empowering women means a stronger, more stable world economy, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday to the largest diplomatic gathering in the Bay Area since the United Nations charter was signed here in 1945. And although the past half-century has seen tremendous progress, there’s still much to be done to ensure women have the opportunity, information, resources and legal rights they need for economic success, Clinton told delegates to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Women and the Economy Summit.” [San Jose Mercury News, 9/16/11]
Sec. Clinton: “The United States is committed to advancing opportunities for women as entrepreneurs and business leaders.”
According to video remarks at an event for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Sec. Clinton said, “Businesses owned by women make considerable contributions to national economies. But too often, their growth is limited by unfair barriers. The United States is committed to advancing opportunities for women as entrepreneurs and business leaders. We view it as both a moral and strategic imperative for the 21st century. That’s why we are helping women entrepreneurs with business training and mentoring; and support policies that improve women’s access to finance, technology, and networks.” [Remarks at OECD Event on Women’s Entrepreneurship, state.gov, 11/1/11]
Created Programs to Achieve Greater Empowerment for Women
Sec. Clinton launched the Equal Futures Partnership to fight for women’s political and economic empowerment.
According to a White House fact sheet on the Equal Futures Partnership, “A growing body of evidence shows that women’s political and economic empowerment are critical to fostering international peace and security, growing vibrant market economies, and supporting open and accountable governance. Recognizing that no country can realize its potential if half its population cannot reach theirs, President Obama issued a challenge before the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011 to break down barriers to women’s political and economic empowerment. […] In response to this challenge, on September 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Equal Futures Partnership on behalf of the United States along with 12 other founding members (Australia, Benin, Bangladesh, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, and Tunisia; as well as the European Union).” [“Fact Sheet: The Equal Futures Partnership to Expand Women’s Political and Economic Participation,” whitehouse.gov, 9/24/12]
Under Sec. Clinton, the Asian-Pacific partners of APEC agreed to the “San Francisco Declaration,” an agreement to take concrete actions to realize the full economic potential of women.
In 2011, Secretary Clinton brought together representatives from APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) nations to agree to the “San Francisco Declaration.” The Declaration stated, “We, APEC ministers and senior government officials, along with private sector leaders, met in San Francisco, California, September 16, 2011 for the High Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy, under the Chairmanship of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. […] In 2011 and beyond, APEC economies will take concrete actions to realize the full potential of women, integrate them more fully into APEC economies, harness their talents, remove barriers that restrict women’s full economic participation, and maximize their contributions towards economic growth.” In 2012, Sec. Clinton traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, where she “led the U.S. Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Women and the Economy Forum (WEF). During this event, participants focused on leadership and skills and capacity building, two main areas of the San Francisco Declaration on decreasing barriers to women’s economic participation, as they relate to innovation, STEM, entrepreneurship, and healthy lifestyles.” [APEC.org, 9/16/11; state.gov, 6/30/12]
Sec. Clinton’s Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society project brought activists in the Middle East and North Africa together to discuss “how to further women’s political and economic engagement.”
According to a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, “Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer arrived on a four-day visit to Jordan today. While in Amman, Ambassador Verveer will host a regional convening of the Working Group on Women’s Empowerment. Under Secretary Clinton’s Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society, the Working Group brings together activists from across the Middle East and North Africa to discuss how to further women’s political and economic engagement in the region.” [U.S. Embassy Jordan, 6/24/12]
Promoted Women’s Entrepreneurship around the World
Sec. Clinton launched WEAmericas to help women in Latin America and the Caribbean start and grow small businesses.
According to a State Department fact sheet on WEAmericas, “Recognizing that investing in women is not only the right thing, but also the smart thing, President Obama announced and Secretary Clinton launched the Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) initiative at the Summit of the Americas in April 2012. WEAmericas leverages public-private partnerships to increase women’s economic participation in Latin America and the Caribbean by reducing barriers women often confront in starting and growing SMEs: access to training and networks, access to markets, and access to finance.” [“Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas),” state.gov, 10/12/12]
Sec. Clinton’s State Department created the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program to “provide women with the tools and skills” to implement the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
According to a State Department report on women’s and girls’ issues, “In conjunction with the 2010 AGOA Ministerial (African Growth and Opportunity Act), the Department created the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program to provide women with the tools and skills they need to more successfully implement AGOA and its benefits for building businesses and markets. The Department secured $200,000 from Exxon-Mobil to fund follow-up entrepreneurship training to support building businesses.” [“Sidebar on Women’s and Girls’ Issues,” state.gov, 11/15/10]
Under Sec. Clinton’s leadership, the Invest for the Future program focused on improving women’s entrepreneurship and economic situations across Southern and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
According to the Invest for the Future website, “The Invest for the Future program was initiated by the US Department of State under the leadership of Secretary of State, [Hillary] Clinton and Global Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues, Melanne Verveer. IFTF was conceptualized to focus on improving the economic situation for women across Southern and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Through a series of events it brought together women entrepreneurs, educators, policy-makers, and civil society leaders to foster development and overcome barriers to fully realize the promise of gender equality and ‘smart economics’, as investing in women profits all of society.” [Invest for the Future, accessed 2/4/14]
Sec. Clinton founded the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council with American University and the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America “to promote economic opportunities for women in Pakistan.”
In her remarks at the Equal Futures Partnership launch, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “I’m pleased to announce that the State Department and American University, along with the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America and our counterparts in Pakistan, are founding the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council to promote economic opportunities for women in Pakistan. The Council will connect businesses, universities, and individual donors in both the United States and Pakistan. And I’m very pleased that Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States is here with us today.” [Remarks at the Equal Futures Partnership Launch, state.gov, 9/24/12]
Sec. Clinton held a conference for women entrepreneurs through the Pathways to Prosperity program.
According to her remarks at the Pathways to Prosperity Women Entrepreneurs Conference, Sec. Clinton said, “Part of what we are trying to do here in the State Department with all of you is to make the case that empowering women is a key to progress and prosperity and peace. Bringing together the mentors and the entrepreneurs is one way of creating even more support for all of you in business to be able to spread the benefits of women taking leadership roles. I’ve heard about some of the work that you are doing in your own lives, and I am very touched by the courage and the commitment that so many of you have already shown.” [Remarks at the Pathways to Prosperity Women Entrepreneurs Conference, state.gov, 10/9/09]
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While Sec. Clinton was telling the world that gay rights were human rights, her message of LGBT equality started at home at the State Department. She strived to ensure the State Department was an LGBT-friendly place to work, extending several benefits to Foreign Service employees which served as a model for other agencies. Building on Sec. Clinton’s efforts, President Obama expanded federal benefits to “same-sex partners of Foreign Service and executive branch government employees.”
“Now, leaders of all kinds will stand in front of audiences like this and tell you that our most important asset is our people…But what our success truly depends on is our ability to forge strong relationships and relate to people of all backgrounds. And what that means for me, as your Secretary, is that creating an LGBT-welcoming workplace is not just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do.” -Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 11/28/12
Implemented Policies to Make the State Department an LGBT-Friendly Workforce
Sec. Clinton directed the State Department’s equal employment opportunity policy to “explicitly protect against discriminatory treatment of employees and job applicants based on gender identity.”
In her book Hard Choices, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote, “In 2010, I directed that the State Department’s equal employment opportunity policy explicitly protect against discriminatory treatment of employees and job applicants based on gender identity. We also made it easier for Americans to change the sex listed on their passport and made it possible for same-sex couples to obtain passports under the names recognized by their state through their marriage or civil union.” [Hard Choices, pg. 578, 2014]
Sec. Clinton updated State Department policy to offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats.
According to the New York Times, “The State Department will offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats, according to an internal memorandum Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent last week to an association of gay and lesbian Foreign Service officers. Mrs. Clinton said the policy change addressed an inequity in the treatment of domestic partners and would help the State Department recruit diplomats, since many international employers already offered such benefits. ‘Like all families, our Foreign Service families come in different configurations; all are part of the common fabric of our post communities abroad,’ Mrs. Clinton said in the memorandum, a copy of which was provided to The New York Times by a member of the gay and lesbian association. ‘At bottom,’ she said, ‘the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex partners because it is the right thing to do.’” [The New York Times, 5/23/09]
Sec. Clinton extended to the “partners of gay U.S. diplomats” many benefits, including visas and diplomatic passports.
According to the Washington Post, “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that the partners of gay U.S. diplomats are eligible for many benefits currently denied them and allowed to spouses of heterosexual diplomats, according to lawmakers and others advocating the change. […] Thus those partners were denied a wide array of benefits, such as paid travel to and from overseas posts, shipments of household effects, visas and diplomatic passports, emergency travel to visit ill or injured partners, and evacuation in case of a security emergency or medical necessity. Those benefits will be extended to all unmarried domestic partners — both same-sex and heterosexual — under the policy shift to be announced by Clinton in the coming days, according to a draft memo prepared for Clinton’s signature.” [Washington Post, 5/25/09]
Sec. Clinton ended regulations denying same-sex couples and families “the same rights and privileges” of straight diplomats, including use of U.S. medical facilities abroad.
According to the Associated Press, “In a notice to be sent soon to State Department employees, Clinton says regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families the same rights and privileges that straight diplomats enjoyed are ‘unfair and must end,’ as they harm U.S. diplomacy. ‘Providing training, medical care and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety and effectiveness of our posts abroad,’ she says in the message, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. […] Among the benefits that will now be granted gay diplomats: the right of domestic partners to hold diplomatic passports, government-paid travel for their partners and families to and from foreign posts, and the use of U.S. medical facilities abroad.” [Associated Press, 5/24/09]
With Sec. Clinton’s “strong encouragement,” USAID became the first federal agency to publish a recruitment brochure targeting LGBT applicants.
In a presentation at the 20th anniversary celebration for GLIFAA, USAID Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg said, “With the strong encouragement of the President and Secretary Clinton, we were the first federal agency to publish a recruitment brochure targeting LGBT applicants. Along with the State Department, we’ve adopted new regulations to provide full benefits for same-sex domestic partners for our various classes of employees. We’ve proudly sworn-in openly gay mission directors to lead key missions abroad, and we’re providing awards to those within our ranks who are leading the LGBT space. Our internal list-serve, LGBT Champions, provides a forum for 200 officials to address these issues. And we meet regularly with GLIFFA to seek your guidance and counsel.” [Donald Steinberg Presentation at the 20th Anniversary Celebration for GLIFAA, usaid.gov, 11/28/12]
Worked with LGBT Organizations to Strengthen Policies
Sec. Clinton recommended Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) for an award, applauding its “17 years of promoting equality in the federal workplace.”
According to a USAID press release, “GLIFAA membership consists of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and straight employees of U.S. federal agencies including USAID and the Department of State. As part of this award process, GLIFAA received letters of recommendation from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Representative Tammy Baldwin, and the Human Rights Campaign. Secretary Clinton applauded GLIFAA for 17 years of promoting equality in the federal workplace and acknowledged its influence in changing Department of State policy regarding same-sex partners of Foreign Service Officers. ‘This change in policy will increase morale and help us to retain our talented employees,’ said Clinton.” [“Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies Named Employee Resource Group of the Year,” usaid.gov, 10/9/09]
GLIFAA was the first federal employee organization to be named “Employee Resource Group (ERG) of the year by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates.”
According to a USAID press release, “Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) was named Employee Resource Group (ERG) of the year by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates. GILFAA is the first federal employee organization to receive an award from Out and Equal. Ajit Joshi, Program Director for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance and Policy Director for GLIFAA, will accept the award on behalf of GLIFAA.” [“Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies Named Employee Resource Group of the Year,” usaid.gov, 10/9/09]
Recognized for Efforts to Advance LGBT Rights within the State Department
USAID Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg: Sec. Clinton made it “easy to be an LGBT advocate within the State Department and USAID.”
According to USAID Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg at the 20th anniversary celebration for GLIFAA, “It’s a great privilege to add my welcome to you at this celebration of Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies’ (GLIFFA) first two decades. I wanted to begin by thanking you, the activists and advocates who have stepped forward, often at great personal risk, to claim your rights and those of the LGBT community around the world. I also wanted to thank President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Counselor Mills for making it easy to be an LGBT advocate within the State Department and USAID.” [Donald Steinberg Presentation at the 20th Anniversary Celebration for GLIFAA, usaid.gov, 11/28/12]
Amb. Rice: Sec. Clinton’s extension of benefits for LGBT State Department employees overseas “served as a model for similar changes on behalf of American LGBT staff of the UN Secretariat.”
According to the United States’ UN Ambassador Susan Rice’s statement on LGBT pride month, “The Obama Administration has taken active steps to honor this commitment, starting in the federal workforce. Last summer, the President extended benefits to same-sex domestic partners of U.S. Government federal employees. I am pleased that Secretary Clinton’s extension of benefits for overseas State Department employees has served as a model for similar changes on behalf of American LGBT staff of the UN Secretariat. Thanks to this work, the partners and families of many hard-working Americans serving abroad may now receive the benefits, training, and allowances that are increasingly the standard for world-class international civil servants. I am very proud of the contributions of LGBT employees in the foreign affairs agencies of the U.S. Government, and am pleased to see that these actions will support them as they continue their good work.” [Susan Rice Statement on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, usun.state.gov, 6/30/10]
GLIFAA Policy Director Ajit Joshi predicted that Sec. Clinton’s actions to extend benefits for LGBT Foreign Service staff “may have serious ‘domino-effect’ benefits for LGBT diplomats of other nations.”
According to a USAID press release, “GLIFAA’s successful influence on this policy came from its grass roots coalition of 2,200 people, 92% of whom were married to an opposite-sex spouse or single, and efforts on the Hill, the Administration, and LGBT organizations. [GLIFAA Policy Director Ajit] Joshi predicts that Secretary Clinton’s actions ‘may have serious “domino-effect” benefits for LGBT diplomats of other nations serving in the United States, LGBT immigrants, and LGBT government employees outside the State Department.’” [“Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies Named Employee Resource Group of the Year,” usaid.gov, 10/9/09]
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