“Instead, like other Americans, you see grandstanding, you hear threats to default on our nation’s debt or shut down our government,” Clinton said in her address to the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Instead of solving problems, Washington is too often making them worse.”
In contrast, Clinton said mayors “show up” and work on the front lines in improving their communities. She pledged if elected to give mayors flexibility to use federal funds in ways that respond to their priorities, including in areas of infrastructure, housing and re-entry programs for offenders.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” Clinton said. “We need to listen and respect one another. That’s why I will never plan for you. I hope we will plan with you.”
Clinton focused much of her 30-minute speech on ending the gridlock in Washington and repeating her calls for Congress to strengthen the nation’s gun laws. She also waded into international politics, making her first public comments on the United Kingdom’s historic decision to leave the European Union.
Clinton said the referendum is a “reminder that what happens around the world has consequences that can hit home quickly,” noting Americans lost $100 billion from their retirement plans as markets plunged in the aftermath of the so-called "Brexit." She then took a swing at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, saying “steady, experienced leadership” and not “bombastic comments” are important in handling difficult situations.
“No person should be gunned down while learning, teaching, praying or dancing,” Clinton said in remarks that followed Orlando, Fla., Mayor Buddy Dyer's detailed account of how he responded to this month’s shooting at a nightclub that left 49 victims dead.
On the local level, Clinton told the mayors people they serve are more than just their voters — they're their neighbors. They see them in supermarkets, where they worship and at their kids' athletic games. They hear about their constituents’ problems and their ideas.
