Introducing the first woman nominated for President: Hillary Clinton

Today in Washington, D.C., the country’s Democratic nominee for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, addressed more than 1,200 members of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

This is a historic moment: never before has this country selected such a qualified, accomplished individual as a major party nominee — and never before has a major party nominee been a woman. Today’s address was one of Secretary Clinton’s first speeches since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund is proud to endorse her race to the White House.

Below are my remarks introducing Hillary Clinton on Friday, June 10, 2016:

Welcome to this historic convening of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund!

How in the world did we plan for all of us to be together the week the first woman in history secured her party’s nomination for president of the United States!

This has been a week of celebration 100 years in the making AS Planned Parenthood launches a second century.

The fight for the right of women to control their reproductive destiny and the courageous fight for the right to vote have shaped the opportunities for millions of women and families –

And we recognize the struggles of all those who came before us to make this day possible.

When my great grandmother was a girl, women could not vote under Texas law. And yet two generations later, her granddaughter Ann Richards was elected governor of the state.

And like so many of you, I wish my mom were alive today for this incredible moment in history! For 100 years — Planned Parenthood has worked to allow all people to live out their dreams –

And largely because women now can access birth control and legal abortion –

We are half of all college students — half of law and medical students –

There are three women on the Supreme Court — hurrah!

20 WOMEN in the U.S. Senate

And when the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and all of us do our work right over the next five months, we will proudly be part of electing the first woman President of the United States!

We didn’t all start out supporting the same candidate.

And I have to thank Senator Sanders for bringing issues and activists into this election!

But in the end, we’re all fighting for the same thing.

Which brings me to why THIS ELECTION matters.

This isn’t about electing any woman to the White House — it’s about electing this woman –

AS President Barack Obama so eloquently stated yesterday, there’s never been anyone as qualified to hold this office. A lot’s been said in this election about trust — and Planned Parenthood knows something about trust.

Every single years, millions of patients trust Planned Parenthood with their health care and their future.

A mother in Houston, Texas who has found a lump in her breast and trusts us to get her the care she needs. A transgender teen in Asheville, North Carolina who trusts us to provide non-judgmental high quality health care. Or a young woman far away from home who trusts Planned Parenthood to get her on the very best birth control, no shame, no stigma.

Trust is earned. It is earned by actions, not by words.

And that is the trust Planned Parenthood Action Fund has in Hillary Clinton.

Our trust in Hillary has been built over a lifetime.

When millions of children in America were going without health care, who did the nation trust to help establish the Children’s Health Insurance Progam, now providing coverage for 8 million children?

Hillary.

In Bejing, who did we trust to declare to the world that women’s rights are human rights — and human rights are women’s rights, once and for all?

Hillary.

When the FDA refused to put emergency contraception over the counter and we needed a champion in the US Senate to get it done, who did we trust?

Hillary.

And in the White House — who do we trust to lead the charge to repeal the Hyde Amendment

To fix the Helms amendment

To defend THE RIGHT of all people to reproductive health care, including at Planned Parenthood?

Hillary.

Honestly — who do we trust to simply trust women?

Hillary!

We are enormously honored that Hillary is with us today since this is her very first speech since clinching the nomination

We need a president who will not only fight for reproductive rights — for immigration rights — for civil rights and voting rights — to keep communities safe from gun violence and toxic water

We need a president who has fought for women and families every single day –

And will take that fight for all of us to the White House

You know who she is.

A friend — a fighter — a leader — and the next president of the United States.

Hillary Clinton!