Hillary Clinton seeks to stem Bernie Sanders surge with economy speech

Increasing the wages of working-class Americans has emerged as the “defining economic challenge of our time”, a Clinton aide said, according to the New York Times. Clinton’s campaign says in a preview on Saturday that the speech will emphasize the need for the real incomes of everyday Americans to rise steadily along with corporate profits and executive compensation.

After months of running on broad themes backed by little in the way of actual policy proposals, aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton say that on Monday, she will announce a far-reaching plan to restructure the economy that would disrupt how Wall Street does business. The campaign said the Democratic front-runner will point to economic progress during her husband’s two terms in the 1990s and more recently under President Barack Obama. This delay may add to complaints, especially from her party’s progressive wing, that her platform remains too vague to appraise.

In framing an economic vision, Clinton will attempt to meet the demands of liberals within her own party who are wary of her willingness to regulate Wall Street while inspiring confidence among a larger electorate who will judge her policies if she wins the Democratic nomination. The risky trading operations of some big banks has been blamed for helping to trigger the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Policies to be outlined in the future aimed at addressing that will include changes in tax policy and new rules regarding shareholder activism that seek to counter the impact of short-term thinking, the campaign said. She also will propose ways to make it easier for women to succeed in the workplace, including support for child care and paid leave.

For example, the United States is one of only three countries, along with Oman and Papua New Guinea, that does not guarantee paid maternity leave, according to the worldwide Labour Organization. Clinton plans to make boosting middle class incomes and wages the focus of her presidential campaign’s economic agenda.

Clinton will again say the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour should be raised, although the size of the increase she has in mind remains unclear.

A campaign official said she will call out Republicans for promising a new era of economic growth-Jeb Bush has declared a 4 percent annual target-while making familiar promises that high-end tax cuts will trickle down to ordinary families.

She will support collective bargaining, which would mark a clear contrast with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, one of her strongest Republican rivals who came to national prominence with his efforts to weaken unions representing government workers.

“Hillary Clinton may not get the republican vote, but she could get the democratic vote at the convention and that could be important”, said Corroon. At a recent fundraiser June 6, ex- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a low-key stop at a gathering of high-profile Indians.

The speech is created to build the framework for policies she will detail more fully in a series of announcements over the summer.