Do not ever say to anybody it's time for us to have a woman in the leadership, because that's the least important selling point.

Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or, eh, a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance, or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risk but not be job-locked because a child has asthma or someone in the family is bipolar. You name it. Any condition is job-blocking.

Students will want to address the issues that they have a passion for, but I think that the challenge to this generation is the challenge of the climate crisis. Young people bring more enthusiasm, knowledge and sense of urgency on that issue. This is as planet they will inherit, they have a responsibility for it as well, and part of that responsibility is to urge people in power to make the right decisions about how we go forward.

I didn't know you were Catholic.

Republicans support opening the floodgates to special interest money and suppressing the right to vote. It's just plain wrong.

I think many times young women do not give sufficient weight to the unique contribution that they can bring to any discussion or any cause. And they have within them something very special, and they should count all of their experiences as a plus.

I was raised in an Italian catholic family in Baltimore, Maryland. Our faith is very important to us, our patriotism, love of faith, love of family, love of country. I took pride in our Italian American heritage and to be the first woman speaker of the House and the first Italian American speaker of the House, it's quite thrilling for me.