Presidency of Hillary Clinton (The More Things Changed)

The presidency of Hillary Clinton began at noon EST on January 20, 2017, the day that Hillary Clinton became the 45th President of the United States, succeeding Barack Obama. Clinton was a former Secretary of State, Senator from Virginia, and First Lady at the time of her victory in the 2016 presidential election over Republican Donald Trump. Her running mate, Representative Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois, took office as the 48th Vice President of the United States on the same day. Clinton is the first woman and the first former First Lady to serve as President. Clinton's term in office is set to end on January 20, 2021, and she is eligible to be elected to a second term.



During her time in office, she has signed several consequential executive orders and bills, including the Effective Capital Investment Act, the Offshore Finances Repatriation and Reinvestment Act, and the Healthcare Modernization Act of 2017. She has also sought to re-negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership and has appointed task forces to address raising the minimum wage and combating the opioid epidemic.

2016 Elections
Main Article: United States Presidential Election, 2016 (The More Things Changed)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, running on the Democratic ticket, defeated the Republican Party's nominees of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor Mike Pence and the Libertarian Party's nominees of former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld.

2018 Midterm Elections
Midterm elections will be held on November 6, 2018. All 435 House seats and one third of the Senate (Class I) will be up for election.

Transition Period and Inauguration


On August 16, 2016 Clinton named Ken Salazar, former Secretary of the Interior and former Senator from Colorado, to lead her White House transition team.

On November 9th, following her election, Clinton's transition team launched the website StrongerTogether.gov.

At 69 years and 20 days old, Clinton became the second-oldest person to assume the office of the Presidency, surpassed only by Ronald Reagan (aged 69 years, 345 days). She is the first woman and the first former First Lady to become President.

During her inauguration, writer and poet Joyce Carol Oates gave a rendition of her new poem Above the Clouds for the occasion.

Cabinet
Main Article: Cabinet of Hillary Clinton (The More Things Changed)

Child Care
As First Lady of Arkansas, Clinton helped start Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families; child care has since been a top issue for Clinton.

President Clinton has championed legislation to guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to care for a new child or a seriously ill family member, and up to 12 weeks of medical leave to recover from a serious illness or injury of their own.

Judicial Appointments
On November 12th, 2016, President-elect Clinton reiterated her intent to nominate Merrick Garland for the vacancy in the United States Supreme Court. Garland, Chief United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, had previously been nominated for the vacancy by President Barack Obama.

Garland was approved by the Senate before Clinton took office, on December 12th, 2016, by a 60-39 vote.

Since her inauguration, Clinton has nominated several appointees to the federal court system.

Drug Policy
See Also: White House Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic (The More Things Changed)

On January 20th, the day of her inauguration, President Clinton nominated Linda Rosenberg as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position which was elevated to Cabinet-rank. Rosenberg previously served as President and CEO of National Council for Behavioral Health; she was confirmed by a 91-9 vote in the Senate.



In February, Secretary of Homeland Security Martin O'Malley formed the National Dashboard on Overdose to coordinate the nationwide response to the crisis, targeting resources to in-need communities, and collecting and sharing the data with law enforcement, first responders, and physicians. It is overseen by Sherri A. Berger, who previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the CDC.

On March 15th, Clinton established the White House Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic, to research and recommend policy solutions to the opioid crisis and prevent opioid-related deaths. The Task Force is chaired by Kate Walsh of Boston Medical Center, former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, and Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor of Ohio.

The choice of Lt. Governor Taylor drew criticism from David Pepper, Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, as Taylor announced her candidacy for the 2018 gubernatorial election shortly after the task force was created. Pepper stated: "Taylor is the wrong choice for this effort. She is complicit in cutting funding to local governments to deal with the opioid epidemic."

Secretary of Transportation Michael Huerta has directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to institute greater training standards regarding opioid use - including the use of naloxone (commonly known under the brand name Narcan) to reverse opioid overdoses - into the National Standard Curriculum for EMT training. The President's budget for the fiscal year 2018 provides for federal funding to equip EMTs with naloxone.

The administration has also allowed states that have enacted marijuana laws to be free from federal prosecution, and has rescheduled marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule II substance.

Legal Challenges
Sheriff Richard Butler, of Jones County, Ohio, has been an opponent of having his deputies administer Narcan since he was first elected in 2004. In April 2017, Butler sued the Department of Homeland Security, refusing to share data about opioids in his county on the grounds that doing so would only promote the use of naloxone, and, by extension, the use of opioids.

The case Jones County Sheriff's Office v. Department of Homeland Security was currently being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio; Chief Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. ruled in favor of the Department. Butler has appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Justice Department
President Clinton and Attorney General Granholm have doubled funding for the Department of Justice's “Collaborative Reform” program.

Quarterly Capitalism
Main Article: Effective Capital Investment Act (The More Things Changed)

In a July 2015 speech at the New York University Stern School of Business, Clinton condemned what she called "short-termism" and "quarterly capitalism" With the aim of cutting back on the risks of quarterly capitalism, Clinton has championed the Effective Capital Investment Act, which was signed into law on February 13th, 2017.

Minimum Wage
See Also: White House Task Force on the Minimum Wage (The More Things Changed)

With Executive Order 13769, signed on January 27th, 2017, Clinton established the White House Task Force on the Minimum Wage and appointed three co-chairs: activist David Rolf, economist Katharine Abraham, and former Senator Rick Santorum.

When the Effective Capital Investment Act (ECIA) was signed into law on February 13th, 2017, it affirmed the task force's authority to propose "guidelines for states and municipalities seeking to raise their minimum wages."

The six-month report was released on July 27th, 2017, and detailed a plan that called for raising the federal minimum wage to $9, and the implementation of a "sliding scale" of wages, based on the cost of living in each county. The plan also calls for expanding tax credits, such as the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Clinton has also expressed her support for the Original Living Wage Act of 2017, introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Al Green (D-TX-9), as well as the Sustainable Wage Act.

OFRRA
Main Article: Offshore Finances Repatriation and Reinvestment Act (The More Things Changed)

The Offshore Finances Repatriation and Reinvestment Act was first introduced in the Senate on March 27th, 2017, by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rob Portman (R-OH) with the twin aims of raising revenue for infrastructure investment while repatriating revenue held by United States companies in offshore accounts. The bill was signed into law by President Clinton on May 24th the same year.

In its original form, the bill has drawn criticism from members on each side of the aisle. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) repeated her claim that it was a "giant wet kiss for the tax dodgers" while Representative Joe Barton (R-TX) called it a "betrayal of the American taxpayer." Representative Justin Amash (L-MI) referred to the bill as "fiscally irresponsible and fundamentally opposed to free-market principles."

Education
President Clinton has championed the COLLEGE Act, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by her daughter, Arkansas Representative Chelsea Clinton. The stated goal of the legislation is to provide every student with "the option to graduate from a public college or university in their state without taking on any student debt."

On May 26th, 2017, Clinton gave the commencement speech at her alma mater, Wellesley College, where she had given a commencement speech as a student in 1969. In her address, she stated:



"'Our country, like this college, was founded on the principles of the Enlightenment—in particular, the belief that people, you and I, possess the capacity for reason and critical thinking, and that free and open debate is the lifeblood of a democracy. Not only Wellesley, but the entire American university system—the envy of the world—was founded on those fundamental ideals. We should not abandon them; we should revere them. We should aspire to them every single day, in everything we do.'"

Early in her tenure, Education Secretary Randi Weingarten launched the Reclaim Our Schools initiative, with the aim of promoting "Sustainable Community Schools", slowing the expansion of for-profit charter schools, and reducing the relative emphasis placed ion standardized testing.

As part of the Offshore Finances Repatriation and Reinvestment Act, $20 billion has been allocated to public schools, given to each district on a per-capita basis. The Education Department has released a set of guidelines for how the funds should be spent.

Former President and First Gentleman Bill Clinton has launched the "Every School a Village" initiative, "a national campaign to elevate and modernize the teaching profession, by preparing, and supporting, teachers."

Clinton has also supported the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act - while being sponsored by Republican Glenn Thomson, of Pennsylvania, the bill was opposed by other Republican members of Congress following the leak of emails by and related to Secretary Weingarten.

Environment and Energy
As President, Clinton launched the Clean Energy Challenge - an initiative to promote a federal partnership with states, cities, and rural communities on clean energy. As part of this initiative, Clinton has placed particular emphasis on reducing energy waste in buildings, tasking the EPA, HUD, and DOT to reduce energy waste under their areas of purview.



Clinton has also pushed for an amendment to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, first enacted in 1967, to have the FTC and FDA institute standards for "Buy Clean" labeling. The amendment passed in March of 2017, and both agencies released their designs in July that same year.

In April 2017, Paul Hawken, Director of the Office of Research and Development at the Environmental Protection Agency, released a list of 100 solutions to combating energy waste and climate change - solutions described as: "actions that make sense to take regardless of their climate impact since they have intrinsic benefits to communities and economies."

Energy Secretary Adam Kinzinger, in his first address to the Department's staff, said "Energy security and diversity is an important aspect of the country's future." As head of the DoE, Kinzinger and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) have targeted refrigeration and cooling management systems, potentially responsible for over 90 gigatons worth of emissions over the next three decades.

Healthcare
The Clinton White House and Health and Human Services Secretary Neera Tanden have been involved in crafting and hosting discussions with experts and congressional leaders, such as Senator Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Senator Patty Murray of Washington, in the creation of the Healthcare Modernization Act of 2017.

President Clinton signed the HMA into law on October 9th, 2017.

Syria
Since becoming President, Clinton has intensified the current air campaign against ISIL's strongholds in Iraq and Syria. She has also stepped up American commitment to fighting Bashar al-Assad, including an aerial campaign against Syrian airfields.

On March 30th, Secretary of State Gary Locke and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu issued a joint statement, supporting a no-fly zone in Northern Syria, a key foreign policy issue of her campaign.

On April 4th, a chemical gas attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed at least 74 people and injured more than 557. On April 6th, President Clinton announced joint air strikes on many of Assad's air fields with Turkish and Qatari forces; following the strike a letter to Speaker of the House Charlie Dent, and Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy, notifying them.

In phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Secretary Locke assured his counterpart that the Syrian governorates of Latakia, Tartus, and Damascus would not be targeted by the coalition airstrikes.

Turkey
Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Turkish-American relations have suffered - a pattern that continues in the Clinton administration. During the Turkish Civil War, President Erdoğan of Turkey accused the head of United States Central Command, General Joseph Votel, of "siding with coup plotters", after Votel accused the Turkish government of arresting the Pentagon's contacts in Turkey.



During a state visit on May 17, 2017, to Washington, DC, bodyguards of Erdoğan clashed violently with protesters; nine people were hospitalized. The Turkish Ambassador to the United States, Serdar Kılıç, was summoned to the State Department, and two days later, Kılıç was relocated back to Turkey. The American ambassador, John Bass, was recalled back to Washington.

Despite the recent tensions, on March 30, 2017, a breakthrough agreement was reached between Secretary of State Gary Locke and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who issued a joint statement, supporting a no-fly zone in Northern Syria.

On May 31, 2017, Clinton announced her selection of Ellen Tauscher - a former United States Representative and former Under Secretary of State - to serve as the next United States Ambassador to Turkey.

On July 11th, Wikileaks published several hundred documents taken from The New York Times, some of which implicated Secretary of Education Randi Weingarten of targeting charter schools run by the Gülen movement while collaborating with the Turkish government.

Qatar
On June 5, led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, several countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar. Clinton has offered the services of the United States in bringing an end to the impasse.

In July 2017, the Washington Post reported that several incriminating documents that had sparked the diplomatic crisis, allegedly written by the Qatari government, had been fabricated by the United Arab Emirates.

ISIL/ISIS
As President, Clinton has intensified the coalition air campaign against ISIL fighters, leaders, and infrastructure.

On July 9th, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul and announced the victory over ISIL in the city, which had been the largest city occupied by the terrorist group. An official declaration of victory was proclaimed the following day, July 10th. President Clinton called al-Abadi to personally congratulate him.

Kurdistan and the Assyrian National Homeland


Throughout her campaign, Clinton supported arming the Kurds more aggressively than the Obama administration was willing to do. On February 16th, 2017, the Clinton administration sold approximately $68 million worth of arms to the Kurdish government of President Masoud Barzani.

Clinton has expressed personal support for the Kurdish independence referendum, scheduled to be held on September 25th, 2017 - three years after the originally scheduled date - though she cautioned against the timing of the referendum. Following the results of the referendum, Secretary Locke stated that while the administration recognizes the vote itself as free and fair, "the United States does not recognize and independent Kurdistan at this time, but will strive for solution through peaceful diplomacy."

On July 12th, 2017, the Assyrian Democratic Movement proclaimed the "Assyrian National Homeland," and elected Yonadam Kanna as President. Kanna has stated his intention to vote in the Kurdish independence referendum; the ANH is working with the Barzani administration to schedule a second referendum, to give Assyrians the chance to vote for autonomous status within an independent Kurdistan, or full independence.

Cuba
The Clinton administration has largely continued the policies of the Obama administration towards Cuba, promoting further tourism and business ties between the two countries.

Secretary of State Gary Locke has expressed that it is the administration's hope that Cuba "rejoins the Organization of American States and continues reaching out to its neighbors in the Americas."

Although the Clinton administration supports terminating the embargo on Cuba as key to strengthening ties between the two countries, as well as vital to the island nation's economic liberalization, the proposal has stalled in Congress.

Venezuela
Main Article: 2017 Venezuelan Crises (The More Things Changed)

The Clinton administration has expressed its desire to see "free and fair elections in Venezuela."

Along with Cuba, the administration is pushing for Venezuela to rejoin the Organization of American States. The diplomatic effort is being spearheaded by: Mari Aponte, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Craig Cohen, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs; and Lincoln Chafee, U.S. Ambassador to the OAS. In this initiative, the United States has initiated talks with the ALBA allies of the Maduro government - such as Ecuador and Cuba - as well as American allies such as Canada, Mexico, and France. The talks have informally been called the "Continuar Caucus."



On October 30th, 2017, multilateral talks in Ottawa resulted in the first agreement towards a resolution of the Venezuelan crises - the Parameters for a Plan for Lasting Peace in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Clinton has stated her "support and optimism" for the agreement.

As part of the Ottawa agreement, the Clinton administration has agreed to withhold funding the National Endowment for Democracy for all activities related to Venezuela. Carl Gershman, founder and President of NED since 1984, has stated: "The Maduro regime cannot reform, and cannot be modernized." He has additionally stated that NED was seeking "all available legal recourse" to secure the necessary funding.

Russia
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton attempted to "reset" the relationship between Russia and the United States. As President, she currently leads the most tense relations between the two countries since the Cold War, largely stemming from supporting opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and a vitriolic, antagonistic personal relationship between Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the assassination of Vladamir Putin, both President Hillary Clinton and former President and First Gentleman Bill Clinton attended the funeral at Kazan Cathedral, in Saint Petersburg.

Belarus
See Also: War in Belarus (The More Things Changed)

Since February 2017, Belarus has been the site of intensifying protests against the government of Alexander Lukashenko - who has sometimes been called "Europe's last dictator." Lukashenko has held power since 1994.

In her trip abroad to Hamburg for the G-20 Summit, Clinton directly addressed the protests in Belarus, and stated "the Belorussian people have a right to speak, and the right to have their leaders listen."

As of December 22nd, 2017, the State Department has declared the Belorussian Democratic Assembly the "legitimate authority" of the Belorussian people.

North Korea


On March 15, Secretary of State Gary Locke began his first trip abroad - to east Asia - beginning with a visit to Beijing. While in Beijing, on the subject of North Korea, Locke stated the administration's position as:

"'Ultimately, I think a diplomatic solution will include a level of U.S. troops in South Korea and protection of North Korea by China. North Korea is going to want some assurances of its safety and of its viability from invasion or overthrow by the United States and South Korea. The future bodes well for a stronger U.S.-China relationship. The administration endeavors to put aside those issues that separate us.'"

By July 4th, 2017, North Korea had tested a total of 11 missiles.

Career diplomat Christopher Hill has been appointed Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks, and is the chief contact person for relations between the United States and North Korea. In this capacity, he works with representatives of other regional powers to find a diplomatic solution to the volatile situation. He has advocated for a "freeze for freeze" approach.

China
Clinton has stated that she views China as the key partner in reining in North Korea, a sentiment shared by Secretary of State Gary Locke.

However, the administration has directly challenged China - Clinton opposes China’s efforts to be recognized as a market economy, which she says would would weaken the effects of United States anti-dumping laws, and Secretary Locke has taken an agressive charge in preventing further Chinese incursions into the South China Sea.

Zimbabwe
See Also: Zimbabwean Political Crises, 2008-Present (The More Things Changed)

While Secretary of State, Clinton pushed for a plan to transition Zimbabwe from the 30-year rule of Robert Mugabe to a successor, which she championed as "the best way forward" for the country. With the rewrite of the Zimbabwean Constitution, Mugabe accepted the offer and the transition to his successor - Joice Mujuru - began.

However, by 2013, Mujuru had become an outcast in the ruling ZANU-PF party, and was replaced as party leader by former First Lady Grace Mugabe. Since then, the political, economic, and social upheaval in Zimbabwe has escalated.

On November 6th, 2017, President Mugabe dismissed First Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa from both his post in the administration and in the ZANU-PF on accusations that he was plotting to topple the President from power. She also purged Constantino Chiwenga, head of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF), and other members of her government deemed insufficiently loyal. Since then, widespread protests and violence have rocked the country, leading to over 100 deaths by late December.



Eric M. Bost, the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and Chairman of Our Opportunity - a conservative-leaning think-tank - has emerged as a leading critic of the administration's foreign policy in Africa. In a press release, Bost stated:

"'Harare is the flashpoint for the region. Our national security interests in the African continent require decisive and thoughtful action in Zimbabwe; the current administration is failing to act in an appropriate manner to contain and manage the humanitarian crisis.'"

Secretary Locke has recognized the Zimbabwean Revolutionary Liberation Council of Emmerson Mnangagwa as a "partner in dialogue" in regards to the current conflict in Zimbabwe.

Trans-Pacific Partnership
During her campaign, Clinton opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, despite referring to it as setting the "gold standard" in trade agreements. However, during the first Democratic primary debate in October 2015, Clinton said:

"'I did say, when I was Secretary of State, three years ago, that I hoped it would be the gold standard. It was just finally negotiated last week, and in looking at it, it didn’t meet my standards.'"

On February 21th, 2017 President Clinton appointed Esther Brimmer, former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, as Deputy Trade Representative for Review and Renegotiation. In this capacity, Brimmer will seek to review and amend the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. In conjunction with Tom Perez, Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, the goal of renegotiation is to improve the standard of living for workers within the agreement, with an emphasis on amending Chapter 19 - Labour.

Office of the Trade Prosecutor
On February 8th, 2017, President Clinton announced the creation of the Office of the Trade Prosecutor, to report directly to the President with the directive to triple the number of trade enforcement officers in the United States.

The current Trade Prosecutor is Jeffrey D. Kovar, who previously served as the Assistant Legal Adviser for International Claims and Investment Disputes at the State Department.

The New York Times Document Leaks
Main Article: The New York Times Document Leaks (The More Things Changed)



On July 10th, The New York Times reported that several hundred documents had been stolen from its servers. The following day, the documents were published by Wikileaks.

Education Department and Turkish Links
Among the documents leaked were communications between Gene Bruskin, Senior Advisor to the Education Secretary, and Serdar Kılıç, Turkish Ambassador to the United States. Further emails showed that Secretary of Education Randi Weingarten had sought contacts with the Turkish government and hid them from the public.

Press Secretary Brian Fallon has characterized the attack as "an assault on the free press - the cornerstone of democracy and civil liberty in the United States." On the connection between Weingarten and the Turkish government, Fallon stated "This administration is taking the allegations very seriously. We will comment further when we can properly asses the situation."

President Clinton has since stated that she still has confidence in Weingarten's ability to due her job at the Education Department, but called on her to "be open with other cabinet departments, particularly the State Department. We want to be as transparent as humanly possible."



RNC Chairwoman Carly Fiorina has said:

"'How can we trust President Clinton? We now know that her Education Secretary was conducting foreign policy. The administration attacked our schools and students on behalf of a dictator.'"

She further called for investigations into the matter, a sentiment later repeated by Speaker of the House Charlie Dent and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Congressional Investigations
As of September 29th, 2017, there are two ongoing Congressional investigations into the matter; one by the Senate Intelligence Committee, as well as the House Intelligence Committee.