I will never be able to create a budget from scratch with the amount of time that I have, but my instructions remain the same: Give me a budget that has no new revenue.

Vernon Reis opened the world to me through books. He taught me that while I was physically firmly planted in blue-collar Auburn, Washington in the 50s and early 60s, intellectually I could go anywhere, explore anything, and sample exciting new ideas simply by opening a book.

Education exposes young people to a broader world, a world full of opportunity and hope.

There is just no reason why the richest nation in the world can't provide health care to all its people.

Truly, the challenges we face are not Democratic challenges or Republican challenges. In fact, they are not political challenges at all; they are fiscal challenges, and educational challenges, and the challenges of figuring out how to take care of each other...

One of the most powerful tools for empowering individuals and communities is making certain that any individual who wants to receive a quality education can do so.

Education can lift individuals out of poverty and into rewarding careers.