(WSVN) - Hillary Clinton’s foray into the political arena started decades ago.
“What I’ve tried to do in this campaign is what I’ve tried to do my entire life in public service: Figuring out how we can help each other,” Clinton said.
Clinton served as First Lady of Arkansas from 1979-1981 and again from 1983-1992, but she didn’t enter the national spotlight until Bill Clinton was elected President in 1992.
She played a key role in her husband’s successful presidential campaign. She acted as his chief advisor, gave many speeches and greeted voters.
Then, as First Lady, she set up her own office in the West Wing and appointed her own staff — something that had never been done before.
She has pushed for the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, and now wants to take that further.
As president she plans to guarantee 12 weeks paid family or medical leave to care for a new baby or sick family member. She also wants to double the child tax credit for middle class families from $1,000 to $2,000.
Furthermore, as she explained, “I want to finaly guarantee equal pay for women’s work.”
Former President Bill Clinton placed her at the helm of one of his largest legislative tasks during his tenure, making her the head of the task force on national health care.
Congressional committees ultimately rejected their recommendations, but her work then has helped shape her policies today.
“Join me and the president in working for fundamental change in America’s healthcare system,” she said. “You want to make sure we have quality affordable healthcare.”
Clinton said she will expand the Affordable Care Act, lower co-pays and deductibles and reduce the cost of prescription drugs.
In 1999, Clinton launched her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat of New York.
To qualify, she moved to the state, and, after a fierce campaign, became the first First Lady to win elected office.
Clinton served on several Senatorial committees during her term, including the Committee for Armed Services.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Clinton supported the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan but became outspoken against the war in Iraq.
And when it comes to fighting ISIS, she has proposed a three-pronged approach:
- “Smashing its stronghold, hitting its fighters, leaders and infastructure from the air and intensifying support for local forces who can pursue them on the ground.”
- “Dismantling the global network of terror that supplies radical jihadists with money, arms, propoganda and fighters.”
- “Foiling plots, disrupting radicalization and hardening our defenses.”
Clinton easily won re-election in 2006 before announcing her campaign for the democratic presidential nomination in 2008.
After falling to President Barack Obama, she was appointed Secretary of State.
She resigned in 2013.
Now, she’s hoping her economic plan will pave her way to the White House.
“In addition to creating jobs, I want to raise the national minimum wage so that if you work full time you’re not in poverty.”
“If companies try to ship jobs overseas, we’re going to make them pay back every penny in any tax benefit they ever got.”
So who will foot the bill?
“I’ve been very clear about how we’re going to pay for what I want to do. It is going to be going after the wealthy, closing the loopholes in corporations. I can pledge to you I will never raise middle class federal taxes. It is not right.”
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