A bright future for the nation depends on the health and prosperity of rural America.
— Kirsten Gillibrand
I'll always stand up for America's seniors so they can age with dignity.
LGBTQ Americans deserve a president who will always stand with them and protect their civil rights - without hesitation.
As president, I won't just continue to defend women's civil rights from political attacks - I'll make guaranteeing those rights a priority.
Throughout my career I've fought for the rights of women as full and equal members of society.
I believe that reproductive rights are human rights, and they are nonnegotiable.
Show me a supposedly 'unfixable' problem in Washington, and I'll show you the political corruption standing in the way.
We deserve a president who inspires us to stand for something greater than ourselves.
Our Declaration of Independence was the start of a conversation about how to achieve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for every citizen. Our Constitution was always intended to grow and adapt as we formed a more perfect union, established justice, and ensured peace, security, and the blessings of liberty.
I really love my job, and I feel like I can make a huge difference for New Yorkers, fighting for them.
A lot of members of Congress are isolated. They tend to be affluent. They tend to have a lot of people doing things for them. So sometimes they don't understand what their constituents are feeling.
I think the wall is stupid; it's a waste of the taxpayer's money. We need the money for job growth, infrastructure, 100 other things... it sends a bad message.
When we do our legislation, we're not trying to figure out, 'How can I use this to run against you?' We say, 'How can we pass this bill to help both of our constituents?'
Put a lawn sign on your lawn; go door to door for your candidate. Register people to vote. There's so much we can do through our voices and time. That's what flips elections.
Sometimes you're going to run because you want to elevate an issue. Sometimes you're going to run because you want to do public service, and it's a way to not only tell the community what you care about what you want to achieve, but you're making a commitment.
I was a tennis player in high school and college.
I've never lived through a moment in history where people are using their voices and becoming strong advocates for what they believe in.
Doing right by our seniors isn't just about making the right decisions today - it's about ensuring that every generation of Americans can have a strong and secure future.
In America, we make a promise to seniors: After a lifetime of working and contributing to this country, you'll earn the benefit of a secure retirement, good health care, and peace of mind in your later years. To me, that's a commitment we have to keep.
I was one of the first senators to support marriage equality, and led the effort to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Americans are guaranteed the constitutional right to legal abortion in Roe v. Wade, and it's past time for Republicans to stop using the issue as a political football. In fact, it's past time for Republican politicians to stop interfering in women's personal lives, period.
I have always stood up to protect women's access to safe and legal abortion, birth control and health care at Planned Parenthood.
As a candidate, Donald Trump said he would punish women for accessing abortion, and as president, he's made good on that promise by stacking the Supreme Court with anti-choice extremists Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
My agenda for national public service would provide a pathway to the middle class for all Americans and would ensure that those who dedicate themselves to their communities are rewarded for their efforts.
President Trump is tearing apart the moral fabric of this country.
I was new at my job, and I needed to address my inexperience and weaknesses head-on.
The silver lining of the Trump presidency is it is an era of activism, and one where women really want to be heard.
The attack on the transgender troops - disgusting, disgraceful, outrageous. It's just endless. And then you try to do your day job of finding good bipartisan work across the aisle... You're doing both all the time. I guess I would describe it as intense. Everything is very intense.
We'd certainly have paid leave already by now, we'd have equal pay, we'd have a living minimum wage - a lot of things would change having that diversity of opinion in Washington. We certainly wouldn't be debating whether women should have access to birth control.
I can't tell you how many 30-year-old dudes believe they should be senator or president. Women, we're like, 'Well, maybe after ten years of working...' No. Just run for the office you want to run for and run on the issue you want to fix.
To change Washington, you need to change the women's player list.
I went to the Women's Campaign School at Yale; I went to Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Training, women's campaign fund training. I got to know the district really well by talking to the county chair, getting to know politics, working on some local races.
The press pool was taking bets on how many months I would last. There was nobody in the state who thought I had any shot at being a good senator.
I look at each nominee. If they suck, I vote against them. If they're worthy, I vote for them.
As a member of the Senate Aging Committee, I've gone to bat for seniors by cracking down on senior fraud, combating price gouging by pharmaceutical companies, and pushing for wealthy individuals to contribute their fair share to Social Security.
LGBTQ people deserve to live, work, raise families, and succeed just like anyone else - and LGBTQ kids deserve to grow up in a country that supports and encourages them.
I'm proud to have stood with the LGBTQ community my entire career.
As president, I will only nominate judges - including Supreme Court justices - who will commit to upholding Roe v. Wade as settled law and protect women's reproductive rights.
Women in America must be trusted to make their own medical decisions and have access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion.
When the NRA wants to prevent gun reform, they funnel money into the campaigns of candidates nationwide to make sure they don't vote for common sense gun reform. Insurance companies do the same to block Medicare for All and prevent us from guaranteeing health care as a right, not a privilege.
For too many, the shot for a brighter future is simply out of reach.
Brave doesn't spread hate or bully the vulnerable. Brave doesn't put greed and self-interest over millions of lives. Brave doesn't cower behind lies and walls. Brave doesn't pit people against one another. That's what fear does.
Health care should be a right; it should never be a privilege. We should have Medicare for all in this country.
I didn't know how to pass a major piece of legislation; I didn't know how to get colleagues to support my views. It took a lot of asking for advice and learning. One of the lessons is that you have to be able to tell people why you care, and you're only going to be able to do that if you talk to someone whom an issue is affecting.
It's a heavy feeling being in Washington. There are so many important issues at risk. You're in a fighting stance every day.
I'm grateful that President Trump is willing to talk about paid leave, but his policy, unfortunately, is woefully inadequate.
Just telling women: If you don't speak up, things aren't gonna change. If you don't become an advocate, it's not gonna change. If you don't vote, it's not gonna change. If you don't run, it's not gonna change.
Sexism is alive and well in politics, as it is in all industries.
By running, you're making that commitment that says, 'I'm dedicating myself to public service.' Win or lose, you're making that statement, and you actually are taking a step in that direction.
We can work with anybody. I mean, we passed the 9/11 health bill with Tom Cotton. Most people would assume I wouldn't be able to work with Tom Cotton and Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.
