Hillary Clinton's 8-Point Plan To Help The Middle Class

(This photo Of Hillary Clinton is by Amanda Robinson at hillaryclinton.com.)

Thanks to the Republican "trickle-down" policy and austerity they have imposed, the middle class in the United States is shrinking -- and as a percentage of workers, grows smaller with each passing year. It is obvious to anyone that cares about people that something must be done.

Hillary Clinton has a plan to help the middle class. It's not a pie-in-the-sky dream, but a real plan that would help American workers and stop middle class shrinkage. Here is what she proposes to do:

1. Cut middle-class taxes.

Hillary is proposing middle-class tax breaks to help families cope with the rising cost of everyday expenses, like child care and education- and she’s announced new tax credits to help families caring for an ill or aging family member. She’ll pay for them by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans and closing loopholes in our tax code.

2. Make college affordable.

We can lift American incomes by making quality education attainable for everyone. Under Hillary’s college plan, students won’t have to take out loans for tuition or books at in-state public colleges and universities, and Americans with student loan debt will be able to refinance their loans at a lower rate.

3. Raise the minimum wage.

At $7.25 per hour, the federal minimum wage isn’t nearly enough to make ends meet. Americans who work 40 hours per week at the minimum wage earn just $15,080 a year—below the poverty threshold for a family of two or more. That’s why Hillary wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour—and why she supports city and state efforts to raise their own minimum wage even higher.

4. Support unions.

Hillary believes unions are critical to a strong economy—and key to a strong middle class. That’s why she is fighting to protect collective bargaining rights and strengthen America’s labor movement.

5. Rebuild our infrastructure.

Hillary’s $275 billion plan will not only repair America’s roads and bridges, build world-class airports, and expand internet access—it will also create good-paying, middle-class jobs in the construction, building, and transportation industries.

6. Boost manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturing is a vital source of good-paying jobs in our economy. Hillary’s plan will spur reinvestment in communities that have lost manufacturing jobs and give more support to small manufacturers and start-ups.

7. Invest in clean energy.

Renewable energy one of America’s fastest growing industries. Hillary launched two bold national goals to make the United States the world’s clean energy superpower and create new jobs in areas like wind and solar.

8. Lower child care costs.

In many states, child care is more expensive than college tuition, putting families in an impossible position. Along with guaranteeing paid family leave, Hillary wants to make it so that no family has to spend more than 10 percent of its income on child care.