Tonight is about grit, and my story, like so many of yours, is one of resilience, i announced my candidacy in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard. And there were a lot of people that predicted I wouldn't even get through that speech, but not the people of my state, and not the people of New Hampshire. Except, then they predicted that we wouldn't make it through the summer. We did. Then they predicted we wouldn't make it to the debates and Man, were we at the debate in New Hampshire.

Amy Klobuchar

When it's for the good of your state, you put partisan differences aside.

Amy Klobuchar

partisans differences states

I believe we can incentivize more affordable health care in general by better regulating insurance and creating meaningful competition for health care services.

Amy Klobuchar

creating meaningful believe

My husband is the first man to consistently be involved in the Senate Spouses group.

Amy Klobuchar

groups husband men

There is a difference between being bold and being rash.

Amy Klobuchar

differences

I think this is an exciting time where we can actually get a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, and we have to for this country. Now, I think we need not only to balance the budget in the future but we also need balance in the budget.

Amy Klobuchar

balance country thinking

Women tend to be problem solvers. We work together.

Amy Klobuchar

funny-inspirational working-together problem

Well, I think the way to go is civil unions. But I do think when you talk about the Republican Party and the debates that are going on within the Republican Party on a number of issues, what I'm hoping is that they will get to a point where they will work with us on moving forward with this economy.

Amy Klobuchar

party moving thinking

As the ranking member of the Rules Committee, I'm particularly concerned about ensuring our elections are safe from foreign interference.

Amy Klobuchar

interference concerned election

Who would know but ten years ago that kids would be texting each other all the time, that that would be one of their main forms of communication.

Amy Klobuchar

communication kids years

My dad was a sports writer when I was younger and then he became just a general columnist. But I grew up with him literally getting into brawls with football coaches.

Amy Klobuchar

dad football sports

I remember when I was prosecutor we had truancy and curfew issues and we made a refrigerator magnet, and that was hot with parents. They loved putting it up on the wall and saying, you know, if you don't follow these rules, you could get prosecuted.

Amy Klobuchar

issues wall parent

Anything and everything is possible.

Amy Klobuchar

anything-and-everything

I don't think it should be a surprise when we're talking about energy and trying to have more home-grown energy, be less reliant on foreign oil when you look at our health care that we're trying to get more affordable health care, that these are going to create major debates in this country and be somewhat polarizing.

Amy Klobuchar

home country thinking

Finally, a good prosecutor knows that her job is to enforce the law without fear or favor. Likewise, a Supreme Court Justice must interpret the laws without fear or favor.

Amy Klobuchar

law justice jobs

Before we even consider expanding Medicare, or another program based on its rates, we must reform our Medicare payment system so that it rewards value, not volume, and doesn't disadvantage states like Minnesota that provide high-quality care in an efficient way.

Amy Klobuchar

reform quality way

If Hillary Clinton can be president, then one girl can be mayor. And someone else can be a police chief, and someone else can be a U.S. senator.

Amy Klobuchar

police girl president

We're actually making stuff in America now. We're exporting stuff. We're inventing things.

Amy Klobuchar

exporting stuff america

We have to do a better job of putting some rules on the insurance companies.

Amy Klobuchar

insurance-companies company jobs

In my job you can't just put your head in the sand and throw partisan bombshells. You have to get results.

Amy Klobuchar

sand bombshells jobs

The death of Fidel Castro, of course, is not as significant when you first look at it, because Raul Castro, his brother, has been in power for years. But, in fact, he's been a looming figure even during his illness that I think has made a difference in holding us back in trying to open up more negotiations and move ahead with opening up relations between America and Cuba.

Amy Klobuchar

brother moving thinking