Chelsea rallies for her mom
WAYNESBURG – Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Democratic presidential candidate and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, made a campaign appearance in Greene County Tuesday, bringing her “Your Future, It’s Bright” bus tour to the Waynesburg University campus one week before the Pennsylvania primary elections. Several hundred supporters and curious students filled the Carl D. Johnson Commons for Clinton’s 9:30 a.m. appearance.
Her speech was preceded by brief greetings from three fellow Clinton campaign supporters: former “Rock the Vote” president Jehmu Greene, actor Sean Astin and actress Erika Alexander, all of whom praised Hillary Clinton’s political platform and urged the crowd to vote for the senator in the April 22 primaries.
The bus tour traveled to different stops across the state before it wrapped up in Philadelphia Wednesday evening in time for the Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.
Addressing her support of her mother, Chelsea Clinton told the crowd that, as a 28-year-old woman, she feels encouraged by the senator’s plans and platform.
“I am really proud to be here in support of my mom,” she said. “I passionately support my mom, not only because she is my mom, and I hope that each of you are as biased towards your parents, or that your daughters are as biased towards you as I am towards my mom. But also as a young woman and as a young voter, I believe my mom is the strongest and the most progressive and the most prepared candidate on the issues that are so important to me, and I imagine so important to you.”
For the members of the crowd still undecided on a candidate as the primaries approach, Chelsea Clinton asked those voters to seek out as much information as possible before making their decision.
“For those of you who are already supporting my mom, thank you,” she said. “And for those of you who are still thinking about it, I hope that we can talk about some things this morning that will help persuade you and that if we don’t get to the things that are really critical to you as you think about whom to support next Tuesday, you’ll still reach out for answers.”
Before answering questions, Chelsea Clinton also explained her mother’s position on college and graduate school accessibility and affordability.
Noting that her mother promises to increase the channels through which to receive financial aid, Chelsea Clinton listed as solutions the doubling of Federal Pell Grants to $10,800 and tax credits to $3,500 for students; the expansion of the AmeriCorps program – created by President Bill Clinton – to a maximum of $10,000 a year for two years for students performing public service; and the elimination of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form, which Chelsea Clinton called “cumbersome.”
“It should never be difficult to apply for aid,” Chelsea Clinton said, adding that the FAFSA form would be replaced by a simple checkbox on federal income tax forms.
The federal government would then send the level of financial aid for which an individual qualifies, she said.
As far as promises for post-graduate students, Chelsea Clinton said her mother also has proposed plans for reducing student debt, especially for students who will work jobs in the public interest, such as teachers and nurses, and would have their work counted as a “payment in kind” toward their debt.
After 20 years, Chelsea Clinton said, individual student debt would be forgiven under her mother’s plan.
Chelsea Clinton then proceeded to address and answer several questions from young audience members, each of whom asked for explanations of Hillary Clinton’s campaign pledges.
Chelsea Clinton explained her mother’s support of quality affordable universal healthcare, noting, “You’re more likely to die in our country if you don’t have health insurance. You’re more likely to not have health insurance if you’re a woman, a single parent, a minority, if your family is in the bottom 25 percent of family income in our country. I think that is immoral in the United States of America in the twenty-first century.”
In addition to healthcare, students also raised concerns about lowering gas prices and the cost of home heating oil; preserving funding for quality public education, police forces and community development in urban areas; and instituting new foreign policy that would restore the country’s friends and allies and bring an end to the war in Iraq.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Chelsea Clinton ended her remarks and proceeded to sign autographs and pose for photos with dozens of students and supporters.