© 2024 Iowa Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Clinton Opposes Keystone Pipeline

Clay Masters/IPR
Hillary Clinton campaigned at Moulton Elementary School in Des Moines.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she opposes the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. During a campaign stop in Des Moines, the former Secretary of State had not taken a position until now because she thought the issue would be resolved.

Clinton says she did not want to interfere with the President’s ongoing decision-making regarding the controversial extension of the Canadian crude oil pipeline. But during the campaign stop at Moulton Elementary School, a college student asked where she stood on its construction.

“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of what we need to do to climate change, I will be rolling out in a few days my plan for a North American approach to fighting climate change and clean energy,” she said.

Clinton says the country needs to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. She says by the end of her second term as president she wants enough clean power to run all American households.

Also today, Clinton also says she wants to reform the way drug companies do business. As president, Clinton says she would stop drug companies from spending government grant money on advertising and implement a plan to protect consumers and encourage innovation.

“Under my plan we will instead use that taxpayer money to fund innovation, I’d rather see more treatment, more cures and way fewer ads and I think a lot of us consumers feel the same way,” she said.

Most of the questions Clinton took from the audience covered education. Clinton says she supports President Obama’s plan to offer free community college and says students should be able to re-finance student debt.

Clay Masters is the senior politics reporter for MPR News.