Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by The Honorable Charles E. Schumer

PHILADELPHIA, July 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- There is a statue in the harbor of the city I represent, "a mighty woman with a torch." To me, that torch represents the American Dream. And, if you ask the average American what that means, they'd say, "It means no matter who you are, or where you come from, if I work hard I will do better 10 years from now than today, and my kids will be doing still better than me."

Each generation must keep that torch burning brightly; it's the source of our optimism. President Obama did. He's fought every day to defend that fundamental, American hope.

But we have more work to do. Middle-class incomes have not grown enough; too many families struggle to make ends meet. If that continues, the torch will flicker. Its power to inspire hope will dim.

Some are using this unease to pit Americans against each other.  Not us. We Democrats fight for an America that works for everyone, that's focused on leveling the playing field for all of us.

And when Hillary Clinton wins the White House and Democrats win back the Senate majority, that's what we'll do.

My friends, Hillary understands what middle-class families need better than anyone. I know because I know Hillary. I worked by her side for 8 years as Senators representing the great state of New York.

Now, I'm from Brooklyn. It's in our blood to sniff out empty bravado. There's a lot of that in politics, but there's not an ounce of it in Hillary Clinton. When she tells you something, take it to the bank.

I saw it: her remarkable ability to listen, internalize the concerns and fears, hopes and dreams of everyday Americans, and then get things done for them.

She listened to the worker at the Bechtel plant in Schenectady, worried sick that his company was leaving town. Hillary got tough and read the corporate honchos the riot act until they agreed to keep their plant open, saving his job and many others. She listened to the first responders and union workers who rushed to the Pile after 9/11, searching for signs of life in the smoldering rubble, breathing in toxic fumes with every breath. She championed their cause and fought to get them the health care they deserved. That's the kind of leadership this country needs, and the stakes could not be higher.

Most elections are about two different visions for America. This election is about two different visions of America. Donald Trump can only see an angry America, fearful and small, closed to the world and suspicious of our friends and neighbors.

Hillary Clinton sees a different America. An America that strives to live up to that promise written here in Philadelphia that every man and woman has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  An America where we don't build walls, we break down barriers and shatter ceilings. An America that's stronger because of our differences. Stronger Together.

Hillary Clinton has the right vision of and for America, but she cannot do it alone. She's going to need a majority in the United States Senate.  A Senate majority that puts a new Supreme Court justice on the bench who will protect women's rights, voting rights, and finally undo Citizens United. A Senate majority that will raise the minimum wage and ensure equal pay for women.

That will pass comprehensive immigration reform, make substantial investments in infrastructure, and give every student a shot at affording a college education. And that will say to Americans, not "You're fired," instead, "You're hired."

With Hillary Clinton as President and a strong Senate majority by her side, we'll keep the American Dream alive for a new generation.

And that torch in the harbor of the city in which I live: it won't flicker, it won't fade, it will burn brightly in the heart of every American.

Media contact:
[email protected]  
Phone: 215-398-5252

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO

SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee

Related Links

http://www.demconvention.com