I'm still basically an idealist, which translates into getting real things done to make people's lives better.

Do not let arguments of expediency persuade you. That is the slow road to oblivion. That is the tortured path to undoing step by step, bit by bit, as the river creates a canyon, the way of life that we love.

The greatest problem America faces is the decline of middle class incomes.

What we are going to do as Democrats is put together a really strong platform that focuses on jobs and economic issues.

Substantively Democrats are much closer to where the American people are than Republicans are.

The only way we're gonna work with Donald Trump is if he moves completely in our direction and abandons his Republican colleagues.

The thing I'd want people to say about me is that, in some way, I helped bring the Senate and the Congress back to what it used to be, the people's branch of government, doing things that made a difference in people's lives. I have devoted my life to government.