Hillary Clinton: Leadership on The Economy

SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS

Hillary called for a foreclosure timeout on March 15, 2007. In a speech to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Hillary calls for a "foreclosure timeout, during which borrowers will have the opportunity to put their financial houses in order and to work out a payment plan." [Speech, 3/15/07]

Bush administration follows Hillary's lead 11 months and 2.4 million foreclosures later. [USA Today, 2/12/08]

Hillary called for a five year freeze on interest rates on December 5, 2007. Hillary calls on the Administration to negotiate a freeze in interest rates of at least 5 years for all subprime mortgages to give the housing market time to stabilize and families an opportunity to rebuild equity in their homes. [CNN, 12/5/07]

Bush administration follows the next day with weaker proposal. [AP, 12/6/07]
Sen. Obama still opposes, placing him to the right of Bush administration. [Obama Release, 2/20/08]

PROMOTING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Starting in her first days as Senator, Hillary urged fiscal responsibility to avoid a return to deficits. "You know, I respect the comment about the tax burden on our children, but we also are imposing other burdens on our children if we return to deficits, or if we do not adequately prepare for the retirement of the baby boom generation so that entitlement programs, in whatever way we can provide, will be available so that the burden doesn't shift to our children." [Hillary Remarks, Senate Budget Committee Hearing with Greenspan, 1/25/01]

OPPOSING BUSH'S TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY, SUPPORTING TAX CUTS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
Starting in her first days as a Senator, Hillary spoke out against was the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. "What do we do with our budget? I believe in affordable tax cuts. I would like to see some tax cuts. But I also believe that we have to continue to pay down our debt, we have to invest in education, health care, and the environment….so I am going to be looking for a balanced approach…(B)ased on the numbers that I've seen, if he has set forward as I believe he has a $1.6 trillion tax cut, I'm very worried about that. " [Clinton Senate Office press release, 2/5/01]

REBUILDING AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE
Hillary was a leader in the effort to rebuild the nation's aging infrastructure. "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today applauded Senate passage of the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007, bipartisan legislation she introduced with Senators Carper, Voinovich and Coleman, to address the deteriorating condition of our nation's roads, bridges, drinking water systems, dams and other public works. The bill will establish a National Commission on Infrastructure of the United States, charged with aiding in the nation's economic growth and ensuring the nation's infrastructure meets current and future demands…" [Press release, 8/2/07]

PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Hillary fought to extending unemployment benefits for out of work Americans. Clinton co-sponsored an amendment to the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 to extend the temporary extended unemployment compensation program for five months. In a floor statement, Hillary said "The House Leadership and the President did not support extending benefits then, but now they do now." [S. 23, 1/07/03; Floor statement, 1/7/03]