The light bulb going off in my head was a fear that in this pivotal moment in history, when America faces so many serious problems, when the middle class and working class of this country are being decimated, that there were not voices out there representing the tens of millions of people who needed a voice. And the idea of going through a campaign where there is not a serious discussion about the most important issues facing America, where there are not voices out there representing people who are hurting - that seemed to me unacceptable.

We need to demilitarize local police departments so that they do not look like occupying armies. We want police departments that look like the communities they are serving.

I have spent the better part of my adult life standing up and fighting for working families.

I think what the American people are saying is enough is enough. This country, this great country, belongs to all of us. It cannot continue to be controlled by a handful of billionaires who apparently want it all.

We need to recognize the incredible challenges that so many parents face, especially working moms. We need to join the rest of the advanced world.

I have been in the Democratic Caucus in the Senate for over 24 years.

People who know the economy is rigged in favor of big money, people who know that our middle class continues to decline and we have to go outside of establishment politics and economics, people who know that we need to reform a broken criminal justice system and we need comprehensive immigration reform.