WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that voters need to turn pay inequity and women’s economic security into a political movement in the November elections and beyond, pointing to an issue that could animate a future presidential campaign.
Clinton, the Democratic former senator and first lady who is considering another presidential bid, said policy issues like raising the minimum wage, equal pay for women and providing families with access to quality, affordable child care need to be prominent in the upcoming elections.
“When we can turn an issue into a political movement that demands people be responsive during the election season, it carries over,” Clinton said. “These issues have to be in the life blood of this election and in any election.”
Clinton spoke at a forum sponsored by the Center for American Progress, which was formed more than a decade ago by veterans of her husband’s administration, where she was joined by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Patty Murray of Washington and others. The panel was moderated by Neera Tanden, the center’s president and Clinton’s former policy adviser.