I'm uncomfortable with men making decisions that affect women's health.
— Valerie Jarrett
What are we going to do to make sure people get the skills they need if they are incarcerated so that when they are released to hit the ground running? And what are we all going to do to give people who've earned a second chance, a second chance?
To know the first lady is to love Michelle.
The American people want change. They don't want the same old health care system that's not affordable, that doesn't offer coverage to everybody, that keeps escalating in cost. And what we've seen from the Republicans is, really, a desire to have the status quo.
When you are in local government, you are on the ground, and you are looking into the eyes and hearts of the people you are there to serve. It teaches you to listen; it teaches you to be expansive in the people with whom you talk to, and I think that that engagement gives you political judgment.
What keeps me up at night is worrying about the moms who depend on ACA for all of the preventive care and not to mention prenatal care, the wellness visits, and the cost of delivery.
I wouldn't trade the best days of my life in the private sector for the worst days of my life in the public sector.
I'm kind of old to change. But if somebody were to come to me and say, 'You know what, Valerie? I think if you were to do this it would be more helpful,' of course I would listen to that.
I had my daughter when I was pretty young, 28, and I had to sacrifice not going out with my friends, and I had to figure out how to juggle both raising her and also a very demanding job.
I wasn't burdened by a personal history of prejudice. It's part of why I thought Barack could win.
Equal pay, paid leave, paid sick days, workplace flexibility, and affordable childcare - everywhere I go around the United States, as I talk to working families, these are the issues they raise... We have over 43 million Americans who don't have a single day of sick leave, but everybody gets sick. Everybody's children get sick.
The United States is a great, great country, but it's not the only country, and we can learn a great deal beyond our own shores.
I was very heartened by Rupert Murdoch's passionate interest in immigration reform. He is an immigrant himself. He understands from a business perspective how important immigration reform would be to our economy.
I want everyone to feel empowered. Everyone can do something.
Just because somebody says no doesn't mean that you have to listen. You can do what you think is right.
When I finished law school, I had a 10-year plan. My plan was to go to a law firm, fall madly in love, have a baby by the time I was 30, make partner, and live happily ever after.
Some people might have different ideas about what progress looks like, and some are cynical and place their short-term political interests ahead of what is good for our country. But many of them aren't cynical and try hard to do their best.
Our democracy... is only as good as the American people demand it should be.
I still vividly remember the moment I let go of an embrace with my daughter on her college campus - that, in her opinion, probably lasted far too long. I left the most precious thing in my life in the care of an institution, and that's a very hard thing to do.
We don't want to get distracted by looking back; we need to move forward.
We wouldn't take a gun away from a law-abiding citizen. We wouldn't take a gun away from anyone.
With a rich history, a world-class interdisciplinary program, and a vibrant student experience, I can't think of a better location to continue my own lifelong learning than the University of Chicago.
When you're a member of a team, when I was member of a team, whether I ultimately agreed or disagreed, once a president makes a decision, everybody, in my opinion, has to go with that decision, or you shouldn't be a member of the team. Your reputation rises and falls with the person who's the leader of the team.
Each generation has an obligation to pick up the baton. We want young people to feel a sense of responsibility to take that baton and run with it.
I'm always trying to improve. I think I take criticism constructively.
By 30, I was separated from my husband, and I clearly remember sitting in my lovely office with a magnificent view, staring at a very lucrative pay stub, and bursting into tears because I was just miserable. So I had to make a decision: Keep following my plan, or be honest with myself and search for my true passion.
Life is full of trade-offs. At different phrases in your life, you're able to do certain things that you can't do at other phases. And you make choices.
We have to tell the stories of the everyday Americans who are adversely impacted by these policies. That's how we were able to keep the Affordable Care Act from being repealed. People told their stories; people showed up at Town Hall.
I'm a beneficiary of an extraordinary education, and I believe that no matter where you live, the access to education is key to social mobility.
For me, the passions and issues I care so much about are ones that lend themselves to work whether you're in government or outside of government.
Encouraging the next generation is really where my heart is.
One miscalculation I made is I did not fully appreciate that the Republicans in Congress were going to just say no to everything. Even when there are ideas that have traditionally been bipartisan.
I had a very good friend who was two years older than I was, and she was in law school, and she said, 'It's a great thing to do when you have no idea what you want to do.' And she was right. I learned a lot, I practiced law for 10 years. I've never looked back once I stopped practicing law, but it was a really good experience.
I know it may be hard to imagine given how broken and gridlocked our politics truly are, but from the White House to, yes, Congress, the government is filled with hard-working, idealistic public servants working incredibly hard on tough issues, trying to make people's lives better and move the country, and our world, forward.
Every president learns in the course of your time in office, but the American people have the right to expect that you walk in the door prepared for the job.
Every woman needs to know when she's being discriminated against and what the reasons are why she isn't getting equal pay so we can close that pay gap.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are not a choice, and anyone who knows me and my work over the years knows that I am a firm believer and supporter in the rights of LGBT Americans.
I've had people say to me, 'Well, I enjoy going to the firing range and using the assault weapons.' But the pleasure derived from that compared to the horrendous damage that it can do, we believe that the damage warrants banning assault weapons.
I am both delighted and honored to return to the University of Chicago as a Distinguished Senior Fellow and embark on this new journey with the students, faculty, and wider Chicago community.
I don't want to just tell my story - I want to share the experiences, life lessons, and values that have shaped who I am and my ideas for the future.
A big part of our agenda is to position the United States for long-term sustainable growth and health, and those jobs come from the private sector.
Own your choices. Don't feel ashamed about what you're doing, trust yourself that you're a good parent, don't let anybody else shame you, and, certainly, don't shame yourself.
You can have it all, but not all at once.
I realize that I was being the kind of parent that I thought my daughter needed. I was a good role model for her on what a working mom can do.
The biggest strength we have as Democrats is encouraging people to speak up about what is in their best interest.
What we wouldn't want to see is just a piece of legislation on border security and high tech immigration without focusing on the path to citizenship for the 11 million people who are here, and other provisions.
I certainly hope that we can all continue to be forces for good after leaving the White House.
My theory is this: Rather than having commentaries from the cheap seats, get involved and see what you can do. What can you do around your own community, within your own family, to try to improve race relations in our country? I think this is a responsibility that we all have as citizens.
I finally said, 'I don't care if you're the first person in your family to be a lawyer.' Everybody thought what I was doing was really exciting, but it was not moving me one bit. And that's when I decided to join city government in Chicago, and that changed my life.
I am hopeful about our future and sure that, despite our challenges, engaging our government remains essential in the journey toward perfecting our union.
