Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Sept. 10 as part of her Women for Hillary grassroots organizing campaign.
Around 500 people attended to hear Clinton speak about issues at the forefront of the 2016 presidential election, including the rising student loan debt, wage inequality and income inequality.
“I always admired the people of this state,” Clinton said. “I admired their can-do spirit, their progressive spirit, their pioneering spirit.”
Clinton focused heavily on income inequality and raising the minimum wage, as well as affordable childcare.
“The real disgrace is this thing called the tipped minimum wage,” Clinton said about jobs that pay their employees $2.31 an hour because they receive tips. “There’s too much wage theft. There are so many abuses of overtime.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was one of several speakers who introduced Clinton. He endorsed her as a candidate and a women’s rights activist, mentioning his wife and three daughters.
“I’m looking for a president for this country who cares about women,” Barrett said.
Clinton has been an advocate of women’s rights during her campaign and throughout her political career.
“I have been a lifelong fighter for women’s issues,” she said.
In addition, Clinton discussed Planned Parenthood and her desire to keep the organization federally funded.
Hannah Lipski, a 17-year-old high school senior and event attendee, shares Clinton’s views on women’s reproductive rights.
“I think it’s kind of insane that our government doesn’t have more women in it,” Lipski said. “That’s the biggest thing the U.S. probably needs right now is more women representation and sexualities too.”
Event attendee Gabe Serafini echoed Clinton’s emphasis on women’s issues.
“I think sometimes (gender and sexuality issues) get drowned out when it comes to more serious issues like health care,” Serafini said.
Clinton also voiced her opinion on the Republican presidential candidates.
“They seem to be oblivious about how their ideas may actually hurt people,” she said.
Some of the event attendees are in the process of deciding whether they will vote for Clinton in the upcoming elections.
“From this speech I will gain interest in her,” said UWM student Banna Negasra. “I’m just now trying to figure out where I stand and what I believe in.”
Clinton is the highest polling Democratic candidate, followed closely by Bernie Sanders. A Sept. 10 poll by CNN has Clinton matching Republican candidate Donald Trump at 48%.
As her campaign continues, Clinton plans to focus on big-picture issues in addition to ones that directly affect the American people.
“I want to be the president who takes on all the big problems you see on your screens,” Clinton said. “We have to work on climate change. We have to deal with the threat of terrorism from ISIS and these other networks. We have to deal with a huge refugee crisis. We have a lot of work to do in the world.”
Sophia Boyd contributed to this article.
