Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016/Federal assistance programs

Hillary Clinton announced her presidential run on April 12, 2015.

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The overview of the issue below was current as of the 2016 election.
Social Security is said to touch the lives of more Americans than any other federal program. At the end of 2014, 59 million individuals were receiving benefits and 166 million were paying into the system by way of payroll taxes. The ratio of workers to beneficiaries has declined over time and reduced the amount of excess funds earning interest. This ratio is not predicted to increase in the near term, particularly as more baby boomers retire. Under the present system, today's Social Security taxes pay the benefits of today's retirees. For these and other reasons, the system is unsustainable over the long term. The 2016 presidential candidates offered policy solutions and plans that could benefit workers and future retirees and address the system's financial outlook should the next president take action.

See below what Hillary Clinton and the 2016 Democratic Party Platform said about federal assistance programs.

CANDIDATE SUMMARY

Clinton proposed expanding Social Security benefits for those caring for elderly relatives to make up for the benefits they lose by taking time off of work.

Clinton supported enhanced benefits for our most vulnerable seniors and improving how Social Security works for women.

Clinton on federal assistance programs

• In an interview with Vox conducted on June 22, 2016, and published on July 11, 2016, Hillary Clinton discussed extreme poverty and welfare reform with interviewer Ezra Klein. Clinton said, “We had policies that I think contributed greatly to the increase in childhood poverty starting in 2001, the Great Recession being the worst of those. But there were also policy decisions, regulatory changes — providing more leeway to the states, so that they did not have either the requirement or the incentive to continue lifting people, particularly kids, out of poverty. … I think we have to do much more to target federal programs to the poorest, where intergenerational poverty is once again a cycle. Congressman Jim Clyburn has a creative idea called the 10-20-30 approach, where you would put a percentage of federal funds — 10 percent of federal funds — in those communities that are most impoverished and have been for 30 years.”

• At a campaign event in Iowa, on November 22, 2015, Hillary Clinton unveiled a proposal to expand Social Security benefits for those caring for elderly relatives to compensate for the loss of benefits they face when they take time off of work to do so. Those benefits would be calculated based on their top thirty-five years of earnings. The plan also would allow people caring for aging parents and grandparents to offset up to $6,000 in out-of-pocket caregiving costs, for a savings of up to $1,200 off of their tax bill. She framed the plan as an extension of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature healthcare law. According to Clinton's proposal, caregiving encouraged “seniors to remain in their own homes, maintain independence, save costs, and still obtain the support they need. Clinton also recommended expanding "respite care," which provides care when the caregiver needs a break from the responsibility. The entire plan was estimated to cost $10 billion over 10 years, according to Politico.

Hillary Clinton on Social Security & Medicare

• On October 21, 2015, Clinton posted an essay on Medium criticizing Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) for signing over the management of the state’s Medicaid program to private companies. “I’m very wary of proposals like this because when Republicans say ‘privatize services,’ too often they mean cut services. At the federal level, Republicans put forward budgets year after year that would block grant the program and cut Medicaid by up to a third, putting millions of beneficiaries at risk. In particular, in Iowa, I believe advocates have raised some legitimate concerns about the companies that were awarded contracts that have faced accusations of mismanagement,” wrote Clinton.

• In April 2015, Clinton completed a questionnaire on labor issues for the AFL-CIO. Reuters reported on August 17, 2015, that Clinton stated in this questionnaire that she wanted to “improve how Social Security works for women” and “enhance benefits for our most vulnerable seniors.”

• In 2013, while members of Congress were debating the details of HR 2642 - Agricultural Act of 2014, also known as the Farm Bill, Clinton tweeted: "What happens to kids in families cut from unemployment insurance & food stamps? They’re #2SmallToFail, & deserve an equal chance to succeed."

• According to the The Washington Post, during the 2008 presidential campaign, Clinton said that "she did not think the Social Security system is in crisis, would appoint a bipartisan commission as president to make recommendations for a long-term fix, would not talk about specific ideas during the campaign and would resist doing so as president until the commission offered up its proposals." In addition, Clinton opposed "private or personal accounts as any part of a Social Security fix."

• According to The New York Times, in May 2002, Clinton "joined a group of moderate and conservative Democratic senators in supporting a bill to increase the work requirement for welfare recipients to 37 hours a week, a significant increase over the current 30 hours."
• Read what other presidential candidates said about federal assistance programs.

The 2016 Democratic Party Platform on federal assistance programs

“ Protecting and Expanding Social Security Democrats are proud to be the party that created Social Security, one of the nation’s most successful and effective programs. Without Social Security, nearly half of America’s seniors would be living in poverty. Social Security is more than just a retirement program. It also provides important life insurance to young survivors of deceased workers and provides disability insurance protection. We will fight every effort to cut, privatize, or weaken Social Security, including attempts to raise the retirement age, diminish benefits by cutting cost-of-living adjustments, or reducing earned benefits. Democrats will expand Social Security so that every American can retire with dignity and respect, including women who are widowed or took time out of the workforce to care for their children, aging parents, or ailing family members. The Democratic Party recognizes that the way Social Security cost-of- living adjustments are calculated may not always reflect the spending patterns of seniors, particularly the disproportionate amount they spend on health care expenses. We are committed to exploring alternatives that could better and more equitably serve seniors. We will make sure Social Security’s guaranteed benefits continue for generations to come by asking those at the top to pay more, and will achieve this goal by taxing some of the income of people above $250,000. The Democratic Party is also committed to providing all necessary financial support for the Social Security Administration so that it can provide timely benefits and high-quality service for those it serves. Our plan contrasts starkly with Donald Trump. He has referred to Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” and has called for privatizing it as well as increasing the retirement age. Ensure the Health and Safety of All Americans Democrats have been fighting to secure universal health care for the American people for generations, and we are proud to be the party that passed Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Being stronger together means finally achieving that goal. We are going to fight to make sure every American has access to quality, affordable health care. We will tackle the problems that remain in our health care system, including cracking down on runaway prescription drug prices and addressing mental health with the same seriousness that we treat physical health. We will fight Republican efforts to roll back the clock on women’s health and reproductive rights, and stand up for Planned Parenthood. And we will tackle the epidemics of substance abuse and gun violence, which each claim tens of thousands of lives every year. Securing Universal Health Care Democrats believe that health care is a right, not a privilege, and our health care system should put people before profits. Thanks to the hard work of President Obama and Democrats in Congress, we took a critically important step toward the goal of universal health care by passing the Affordable Care Act, which has covered 20 million more Americans and ensured millions more will never be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Democrats will never falter in our generations-long fight to guarantee health care as a fundamental right for every American. As part of that guarantee, Americans should be able to access public coverage through a public option, and those over 55 should be able to opt in to Medicare. Democrats will empower the states, which are the true laboratories of democracy, to use innovation waivers under the ACA to develop unique locally tailored approaches to health coverage. This will include removing barriers to states which seek to experiment with plans to ensure universal health care to every person in their state. By contrast, Donald Trump wants to repeal the ACA, leaving tens of millions of Americans without coverage. For too many of us, health care costs are still too high, even for those with insurance. And medical debt is a problem for far too many working families, with one-quarter of Americans reporting that they or someone in their household had problems or an inability to pay medical bills in the past year. Democrats will also work to end surprise billing and other practices that lead to out-of-control medical debt that place an unconscionable economic strain on American households. We will repeal the excise tax on high-cost health insurance and find revenue to offset it because we need to contain the long-term growth of health care costs, but should not risk passing on too much of the burden to workers. Democrats will keep costs down by making premiums more affordable, reducing out-of-pocket expenses, and capping prescription drug costs. And we will fight against insurers trying to impose excessive premium increases. Democrats will fight any attempts by Republicans in Congress to privatize, voucherize, or “phase out” Medicare as we know it. And we will oppose Republican plans to slash funding and block grant Medicaid and SNAP, which would harm millions of Americans. We will keep fighting until the ACA’s Medicaid expansion has been adopted in every state. Nineteen states have not yet expanded Medicaid. This means that millions of low-income Americans still lack health insurance and are not getting the care they need. Additionally, health care providers, clinics, hospitals, and taxpayers are footing a higher bill when people without insurance visit expensive emergency rooms. Democrats believe your zip code or census tract should not be a predictor of your health, which is why we will make health equity a central part of our commitment to revitalizing communities left behind. Democrats believe that all health care services should be culturally and linguistically appropriate, and that neither fear nor immigration status should be barriers that impede health care access. ” —2016 Democratic Party Platform

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See also

• Hillary Clinton
• Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016