While expanding market access for American industry, financial markets and farmers is critical, I believe it needs to be done responsibly, accounting for the treatment and protection of workers and the environment.

Stem cells have the potential to be used to treat and better understand some of the world's most deadly and disabling diseases.

There is no getting around it; Congress is failing the American people.

I support allowing gay couples to marry because of - not in spite of - my values. And many of those values are the same ones deeply held by those who do not believe in gay marriage.

I haven't inherited the earth from my parents, I am borrowing it from my children.

I've come to the conclusion that military style weapons really don't have any place in our society. We ought to reinstate the assault weapons ban that served us well for 10 years from 1994 to 2004.

In a country as large and diverse as America, compromise is how we get things done. It isn't always pretty, but we have to find solutions to our problems that, at the end of the day, most people can live with.