THE MIDDLE OF A DEMOCRATIC ELECTION CAMPAIGN AS WELL.
LET’S LISTEN IN.
>> GOOD EVENING.
I’M HONORED TO BE HERE AND
GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE TUNING IN.
I’M GRETCHEN WHITMER, THE 49th
GOVERNOR OF THE GREAT STATE OF
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. TONIGHT I AM AT MY DAUGHTER,
SHERRI AND SIDNEY’S PUBLIC
SCHOOL, EAST LANSING HIGH
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. WE’RE HERE TODAY WITH FAMILIES
AND PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, STUDENTS.
IMPORTANTLY, STUDENTS. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
COMING, BUT TONIGHT I’M GOING TO
TALK TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE
WATCHING AT HOME.
I’VE
I’VE I NEED A LOT MORE THAN TEN
MINUTES TO RESPOND TO WHAT THE
PRESIDENT JUST SAID.
SO, INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT
WHAT HE IS SAYING, I’M GOING TO
HIGHLIGHT WHAT DEMOCRATS ARE
DOING.
DOING. AFTER ALL, YOU CAN LISTEN TO
WHAT SOMEONE SAYS, BUT TO KNOW
THE TRUTH, WATCH WHAT THEY DO.
MICHIGANDERS ARE NO DIFFERENT
FROM AMERICANS EVERYWHERE.
WE LOVE OUR FAMILIES AND WANT A
GOOD LIFE TODAY AND A BETTER
LIFE TOMORROW FOR OUR KIDS.
WE WORK HARD AND WE EXPECT OUR
GOVERNMENT TO WORK HARD FOR US
AS WELL.
AS WELL. WE HAVE GRIT AND VALUE LOYALTY,
AND WE STILL ROOT FOR THE
DETROIT LIONS.
DETROIT LIONS. WE AND ALL AMERICANS MIGHT BE
WEARY OF TODAY’S POLITICS, BUT
WE MUST STAY ENGAGED.
OUR COUNTRY, OUR DEMOCRACY, OUR
FUTURE DEMAND IT.
WE’RE CAPABLE OF GREAT THINGS
WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.
WE CANNOT FORGET THAT DESPITE
THE DISHONESTY AND DIVISION OF
THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THAT WE
HEARD TONIGHT FROM THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, TOGETHER
WE HAVE BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL.
AND YOUNG AMERICANS ARE PROVING
THAT EVERY DAY BY TAKING ACTION.
THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. MONTY SCOTT IS 13 YEARS OLD AND
LIVES IN MUSKEGON HEIGHTS,
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. MONTY’S STREET WAS COVERED IN
POTHOLES.
POTHOLES. THEY WERE ANKLE DEEP.
AND HE GOT TIRED OF WAITING FOR
THEM TO GET FIXED.
SO HE GRABBED A SHOVEL AND A
BUCKET OF DIRT AND FILLED THEM
IN HIMSELF.
IN HIMSELF. DURING MY CAMPAIGN, PEOPLE TOLD
ME TO FIX THE DAMN ROADS,
BECAUSE BLOWN TIRES AND BROKEN
WINDSHIELDS ARE DOWNRIGHT
DANGEROUS, AND CAR REPAIRS TAKE
MONEY FROM RENT, CHILD CARE OR
GROCERIES.
GROCERIES. AND WE, THE DEMOCRATS, ARE DOING
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
IN ILLINOIS, GOVERNOR J.B.
PRITZKER PASSED A MULTIBILLION
DOLLAR PLAN TO REBUILD THE ROADS
AND BRIDGES.
AND BRIDGES. GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY IS
REPLACING LEAD PIPES IN NEW
JERSEY.
JERSEY. ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS ARE
REBUILDING BRIDGES, FIXING
ROADS, EXPANDING BROADBAND, AND
CLEANING UP DRINKING WATER.
EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY
BENEFITS WHEN WE INVEST IN
INFRASTRUCTURE.
INFRASTRUCTURE. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS HAVE
PRESENTED PROPOSALS TO KEEP US
MOVING FORWARD, BUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICANS IN THE
SENATE ARE BLOCKING THE PATH.
WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE,
MONTY HAS TRIED TO DO MORE WITH
A SHOVEL AND A PILE OF DIRT THAN
THE REPUBLICANS IN D.C. HAVE
WITH THE OVAL OFFICE AND THE
U.S. SENATE.
U.S. SENATE. BULLYING PEOPLE ON TWITTER
DOESN’T FIX BRIDGES.
IT BURNS THEM.
OUR ENERGY SHOULD BE USED TO
SOLVE PROBLEMS.
SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND IT’S TRUE FOR HEALTH CARE,
TOO.
TOO. FOR ME, FOR SO MANY AMERICANS,
HEALTH CARE IS PERSONAL, NOT
POLITICAL.
POLITICAL. WHEN I WAS 30, I BECAME A MEMBER
OF THE SANDWICH GENERATION.
THAT MEANS I WAS SANDWICHED
BETWEEN TWO GENERATIONS OF MY
OWN FAMILY FOR WHOM I WAS THE
PRIMARY CAREGIVER.
PRIMARY CAREGIVER. I WAS HOLDING DOWN A NEW JOB,
CARING FOR MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER
AS WELL AS MY MOM AT THE END OF
HER BRAIN CANCER BATTLE.
I WAS UP ALL NIGHT WITH A BABY,
AND DURING THE DAY I HAD TO
FIGHT MY MOM’S INSURANCE COMPANY
WHEN THEY WRONGLY DENIED HER
COVERAGE FOR CHEMOTHERAPY.
IT WAS HARD.
IT EXPOSED THE HARSH REALITIES
OF OUR WORKPLACES, OUR HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM AND OUR CHILD CARE
SYSTEM, AND IT CHANGED ME.
I LOST PATIENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE JUST TALK AND NO ACTION.
SO, AS A STATE SENATOR, I WORKED
WITH A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND
LEGISLATURE TO EXPAND HEALTH
CARE COVERAGE TO MORE THAN
680,000 MICHIGANDERS UNDER THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
TODAY, DEMOCRATS FROM MAINE TO
MONTANA ARE EXPANDING COVERAGE
AND LOWERING COSTS.
IN KANSAS, GOVERNOR LAURA
KELLY’S WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE
TO BRING MEDICAID COVERAGE TO
TENS OF THOUSANDS.
IN NEW MEXICO, GOVERNOR MICHELLE
LIEU HANN GRISHAM ENSHRINED ACA
PROTECTIONS INTO LAW.
EVERY DEMOCRAT RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT HAS A PLAN TO EXPAND
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS.
EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS SUPPORTED
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WITH
COVERAGE FOR PEOPLE WITH
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT PLANS,
BUT THE GOAL IS THE SAME.
PRESIDENT TRUMP, SADLY, HAS A
DIFFERENT PLAN.
DIFFERENT PLAN. HE’S ASKING THE COURTS TO RIP
THOSE LIFE-SAVING PROTECTIONS
AWAY.
AWAY. IT’S PRETTY SIMPLE -- DEMOCRATS
ARE TRYING TO MAKE YOUR HEALTH
CARE BETTER, REPUBLICANS IN
WASHINGTON ARE TRYING TO TAKE IT
AWAY.
AWAY. THINK ABOUT KIDS LIKE
17-YEAR-OLD BLAKE CARROLL FROM
IDAHO, WHO ORGANIZED A
FUND-RAISER TO PAY FOR HIS MOM’S
COLON CANCER TREATMENT, OR
19-YEAR-OLD EBONI MYERS FROM
UTAH, WHO SELLS ART TO HELP PAY
FOR HER RARE GENETIC DISORDER
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO
CROWDSOURCE THEIR HEALTH CARE,
NOT IN AMERICA.
BUT THE REALITY IS, NOT EVERYONE
IN AMERICA HAS A JOB WITH HEALTH
CARE AND BENEFITS.
IN FACT, MANY HAVE JOBS THAT
DON’T EVEN PAY ENOUGH TO COVER
THEIR MONTHLY EXPENSES.
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAYS ABOUT THE STOCK
MARKET.
MARKET. WHAT MATTERS IS THAT MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO GET BY OR
DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY AT THE
END OF THE MONTH AFTER PAYING
FOR TRANSPORTATION, STUDENTS
LOANS, OR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
AMERICAN WORKERS ARE HURTING, IN
MY OWN STATE, OUR NEIGHBORS IN
WISCONSIN AND OHIO,
PENNSYLVANIA, AND ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. WAGES HAVE STAGNATED WHILE CEO
PAY HAS SKYROCKETED.
SO, WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAYS THE
ECONOMY IS STRONG, MY QUESTION
IS, STRONG FOR WHOM?
STRONG FOR THE WEALTHY WHO ARE
REAPING REWARDS FROM TAX CUTS
THEY DON’T NEED?
THE AMERICAN ECONOMY NEEDS TO BE
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STRONG,
STRONG FOR THE SCIENCE TEACHER
SPENDING HER OWN MONEY TO BUY
SUPPLIES FOR HER CLASSROOM,
STRONG FOR THE SINGLE MOM
PICKING UP EXTRA HOURS SO SHE
CAN AFFORD HER DAUGHTER’S SOCCER
CLEATS, STRONG FOR THE SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER WHO HAS TO MAKE
PAYROLL AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
MICHIGAN INVENTED THE MIDDLE
CLASS, SO WE KNOW, IF THE
ECONOMY DOESN’T WORK FOR WORKING
PEOPLE, IT JUST DOESN’T WORK.
WHO FIGHTS FOR WORKING,
HARD-WORKING AMERICANS?
HARD-WORKING AMERICANS? DEMOCRATS DO.
DEMOCRATS DO. IN THE U.S. HOUSE, SPEAKER NANCY
PELOSI AND DEMOCRATS PASSED A
LANDMARK BILL ON EQUAL PAY,
ANOTHER BILL TO GIVE 30 MILLION
AMERICANS A RAISE BY INCREASING
THE MINIMUM WAGE AND
GROUNDBREAKING LEGISLATION TO
FINALLY GIVE MEDICARE THE POWER
TO NEGOTIATE LOWER DRUG PRICES
FOR AMERICA’S SENIORS AND
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. THOSE THREE BILLS AND MORE THAN
275 OTHER BIPARTISAN BILLS ARE
JUST GATHERING DUST ON SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL’S DESK.
McCONNELL’S DESK. SENATOR McCONNELL, AMERICA NEEDS
YOU TO MOVE THOSE BILLS.
MEANWHILE, DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE GETTING THINGS DONE.
PENNSYLVANIA’S GOVERNOR, TOM
WOLF, IS EXPANDING THE RIGHT TO
OVER
OVER OVERTIME PAY.
OVERTIME PAY. MICHIGAN IS, TOO.
BECAUSE IF YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK,
YOU DESERVE TO GET PAID.
NEBRASKA GOVERNOR SISOLAK AND
NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR ROY
COOPER ARE WORKING TO GIVE
HARD-WORKING TEACHERS A RAISE.
AND SPEAKING OF THE CLASSROOM,
WISCONSIN GOVERNOR TONY
EASTBOUNDERS UNILATERALLY
EASTBOUNDERS UNILATERALLY INCREASED SCHOOL FUNDING BY $65
MILLION LAST YEAR.
IN COLORADO, GOVERNOR JARED
POLIS HAS ENACTED FREE, ALL-DAY
KINDERGARTEN.
KINDERGARTEN. AND IN 29 STATES, WE’VE HELPED
PASS MINIMUM WAGE HIKES INTO
LAW, WHICH WILL LIFT PEOPLE OUT
OF POVERTY AND IMPROVE LIVES FOR
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. THAT’S STRENGTH.
THAT’S STRENGTH. THAT’S ACTION.
THAT’S ACTION. DEMOCRACY TAKES ACTION, AND
THAT’S WHY I’M SO INSPIRED BY
YOUNG PEOPLE.
YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY RESPOND TO MASS SHOOTINGS,
DEMANDING POLICIES THAT MAKE
SCHOOLS SAFER.
SCHOOLS SAFER. THEY REACT TO A WORLD THAT’S
LITERALLY ON FIRE WITH FIRE IN
THEIR BELLIES, TO PUSH LEADERS
TO FINALLY TAKE ACTION ON
CLIMATE CHANGE.
CLIMATE CHANGE. THEY TAKE ON A ROAD FILLED WITH
POTHOLES WITH A SHOVEL AND SOME
DIRT.
DIRT. IT’S WHAT GIVES ME GREAT
CONFIDENCE IN OUR FUTURE, AND
IT’S WHY SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE
THEY’RE THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM,
BUT IT SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BE THAT
WAY.
WAY. IT’S NOT THEIR MESS TO CLEAN UP.
IT’S OURS.
IT’S OURS. THE CHOICES WE MAKE TODAY CREATE
THEIR REALITY TOMORROW.
YOUNG PEOPLE, I’M TALKING TO
YOU, AND YOUR PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS.
GRANDPARENTS. DEMOCRATS WANT SAFE SCHOOLS.
WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE A PATH
TO A GOOD LIFE, WHETHER IT’S
THROUGH A UNION APPRENTICESHIP,
A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, A FOUR-YEAR
UNIVERSITY, WITHOUT DROWNING IN
DEBT.
DEBT. WE WANT YOUR WATER TO BE CLEAN.
WE WANT YOU TO LOVE WHO YOU LOVE
AND TO LIVE AUTHENTICALLY AS
YOUR TRUE SELF, AND WE WANT
WOMEN TO HAVE AUTONOMY OVER OUR
BODIES.
BODIES. WE WANT OUR COUNTRY WELCOMING
AND EVERYONE’S VOTE COUNTED.
2020 IS A BIG YEAR.
IT’S THE YEAR MY DAUGHTER,
SHERRI, WILL GRADUATE FROM HIGH
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. IT’S ALSO THE YEAR SHE’LL CAST
HER FIRST BALLOT ALONG WITH
MILLIONS OF YOUNG AMERICANS.
THE TWO THINGS ARE CONNECTED,
BECAUSE WALKING ACROSS A
GRADUATION STAGE IS AS IMPORTANT
AS WALKING INTO THE VOTING BOOTH
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
HER FUTURE, ALL OUR KIDS’
FUTURES, WILL BE DETERMINED NOT
JUST BY THEIR DREAMS, BUT BY OUR
ACTIONS.
ACTIONS. AS WE WITNESS THE IMPEACHMENT
PROCESS IN WASHINGTON, THERE ARE
SOME THINGS EACH OF US, NO
MATTER OUR PARTY, SHOULD DEMAND.
THE TRUTH MATTERS.
FACTS MATTER.
FACTS MATTER. AND NO ONE SHOULD BE ABOVE THE
LAW.
LAW. IT’S NOT WHAT THOSE SENATORS SAY
TOMORROW, IT’S ABOUT WHAT THEY
DO THAT MATTERS.
REMEMBER, LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE
SAY, BUT WATCH WHAT THEY DO.
IT’S TIME FOR ACTION.
GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS ARE
COUNTING ON US.