Playing nice isn't really something that's in my vocabulary. I just do what I think is right.
— Katie Hill
A lot of people told me I should be quiet about being bisexual and not say anything, but for me this is a part of my identity.
I've been so impressed with the kinds of thoughtful questions that I've gotten from young people, from Girl Scouts, from teenagers.
When I was a kid, both my mom and my dad worked night shifts, so we would spend a lot of time at my grandfather's house. He taught at UCLA and was just really into history. Before bed, when other kids heard fairy tales, he would tell us about the American founding fathers and the beginning of democracy.
I know what it's like to be faced with student loans, to have rent so high you don't know if you're ever going to be able to save up and buy a home. The issues the people of my generation are going through are natural for me because I've lived them, my friends are living them.
I wasn't planning on becoming a politician. I was incredibly fulfilled in my role at PATH.
Asylum under the traditional definition doesn't necessarily include people coming here for economic reasons, but I think one of the biggest things we need to do is expand legal immigration so people can do that legally.
I'm about real representation in government.
I'm here to serve the entire community. It doesn't matter if you voted for me or not.
I grew up riding horses and one of the most important things I learned was that when you fall off, you have to get right back up in the saddle.
The reality is that government is a participative process.
I think there are phrases that are exciting to a certain group within the Democratic Party but scare the crap out of other people.
I think divorce doesn't necessarily bring out the best in people.
It's very easy to vilify someone when they're objectified. The right wing did it to Nancy Pelosi for years and years and years.
If I screw up then everyone's paying attention and I'll hear about it.
Immigration customs enforcement is a role that makes sense. We have to have something that is doing that.
On the campaign trail, having to explain what bisexuality is to people was pretty unbelievable. People were like, 'But you're married to a man.'
We need to look through the lens of disparities whether it's with health or housing or other issues for the LGBTQ community. It's beyond just marriage, right? We need to get into that mindset in terms of where are these disparities and how do we address them.
I think the truth is most people don't want to hear about policy. They want to hear, 'I understand what you're going through, and you can trust me to fight for you and what you care about.' But we can do both - fight for policy and resonate with people at the same time.
I think a lot of politicians want to focus on the things that make them qualified for the job; the truth is no one's ready for the job of member of Congress until you're there.
If you're trying to appeal to my generation you've got to be honest.
The federal government has no business in restricting basic human rights based on sexual orientation, and I am ready to protect equality at every turn in Congress.
The perspective of people who truly believe that abortion is wrong. I understand that, I'm empathetic to that, I get it. But the place where I think we need to come to some kind of an understanding is that... you have your ability to have your own beliefs but the government doesn't play a role in that.
We are a big-tent party, but we have to come together as a caucus and say 'These are the things we can agree on' and push forward.
I don't need polling to tell me what are the issues that matter to people.
I am going to continue to fight for our democracy, for representation, for justice and equality and making the world a better place.
If you want something to actually happen, just voting isn't enough.
My district has a large number of Independents, if you say anything about a 70 percent tax rate, you lose people right away.
There's nothing that can put more strain on a relationship than running for office.
I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment.
I will not allow my experience to scare off other young women or girls from running for office. For the sake of all of us we cannot let that happen.
One of the things we need to do is address mental health care as an integral part of primary care. People often aren't able to navigate a separate system, so you see successful models where a primary care physician is able to identify, diagnose, and concurrently help people get mental health treatment who have mental health issues.
There is no comparison to me and Nancy Pelosi. On most of the issues I'm going to be more progressive, but I'm going to look at it from the lens of what is best for my community.
Anyone who knows anything about coming out knows that this is something you would never do for the support and a small check from a random organization.
On both sides of my family, my grandparents grew up in total poverty and came to California during the Great Depression. The only way they were able to work their way out of that was by joining the military, which is how they both went on to be able to go to college.
I'm someone who believes that all political campaigns need to be grassroots-driven. Commercials can only get you so far. Mail can only get you far. You need to have people on the ground talking about you and why they care.
It's one thing to answer to constituents. It's another thing to have professional disruptors show up at an event with the intent to derail so that you can't connect with your constituents.
I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more voices from the LGBTQ community in Congress.
There is a narrative of 'Washington fighting' because it's interesting and it's drama.
We need to really be careful to not just be responsive to whatever happens with Trump, but to be proactive on things people elected us to do.
I am thankful that members of advisory councils will serve as 'boots on the ground' to provide valuable feedback and recommendations directly from the community regarding policies, programs and resources that enhance and support our district.
I am proud to stand with working families and honored to have AFGE's support.
The public is going to be looking for examples of immaturity or inexperience or whatever it might be, but I think that's where we have to prove what we're capable of doing from a policy standpoint and from a leadership standpoint.
I never thought my imperfections would be weaponized and used to try to destroy me and the community that I have loved.
Maybe you're not going to be able to pass sweeping health care reform in your first year in Congress. But you can help someone with a social security settlement that's going to change their life... That's pretty cool.
You don't wait for somebody to give you something. Then it's not going to happen.
What is important to me is that I'm not accountable to and not controlled by party leadership. At the end of the day, I'm able to make my own decisions according to what's best for the community and the constituents I represent. It doesn't depend on what the partisanship is to the right or to the left.
