Every time I meet somebody who's been affected by something I worked on, I feel like, yes, that's what I want to do, whether the Children's Health Insurance Program or making drugs safer for kids or helping more kids get a doctor, whatever it might be.

'Smart power' is the use of American power in ways that would help prevent and resolve conflict - not just send our military in.

We have to do more about addiction, not only drugs, but also alcohol.

[Donald Trump] suggestions that the United States should leave the Pacific and let Japan, South Korea, or whoever else wants to develop nuclear weapons. These are incredibly dangerous ideas that need to be confronted.

I don't think we need to have an either/or debate about the use of military force - I think you can be both tough and smart.

People just want to see something happen that is positive for them in their lives. If you're struggling to pay your student-loan debts, or if you've got a kid trying to go to college and don't think you're going to be able to afford it, it really matters whether you get help or not. If you don't have health care or you have insurance but the insurance company won't pay for what your doctor says you need, then what's the point of people arguing in Washington? Why don't you give me some help to fix this problem? I will work with anybody if I think we can actually produce results for people.

I can't stand whining. I can't stand the kind of paralysis that some people fall into because they're not happy with the choices they've made. You live in a time when there are endless choices ... Money certainly helps, and having that kind of financial privilege goes a long way, but you don't even have to have money for it. But you have to work on yourself ... Do something!