From 1965 to 1967, my dad, Jack Gilligan, served in Congress and helped pass landmark laws like the Voting Rights Act.

A healthy state encourages many voices - and lots of listening.

The essence of good government is trust.

If your voices are not heard, you can be sure that many others will be - in particular those who are paid to present a point of view, and often do it most effectively.

Although black and white Americans live, work, and learn together now, there is still injustice in America.

Being a mother is no longer a liability, and being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition!

Being a mother is no longer a liability, and being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition! That's what change looks like.

But for us Democrats, Obamacare is a badge of honor. Because no matter who you are, what stage of life you're in, this law is a good thing.

General Motors spends more on health care than steel.

I believe we all agree that, for the health of Kansas, nothing is more important than education.

I know how tough it is to stand up to powerful forces that prey on consumers.

I was governor of Kansas when Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts.

I've spent my career fighting the worst practices of insurance companies.

Insurance companies can no longer refuse to cover Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Insurance companies can no longer refuse to cover Americans with pre-existing conditions. That's what change looks like.

And under Obamacare, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against women. Before, some wouldn't cover women's most basic needs, like contraception and maternity care, but would still charge us up to 50 percent more than men - for a worse plan.

But the dollars spent on economic incentives and new investment strategies are wasted unless we seriously address the two most important economic issues in Kansas: education and health care.

But wishing our Kansas soldiers 'God speed' is not enough. We need to comfort, care for, and protect their families. And we should ease the financial burdens that these families often face.

If you're self-employed, between jobs, or can't get insurance through work, you'll have access to affordable health insurance as good as Congressman Paul Ryan's.

If you're under 26, you can stay on your parents' plan. You can go back to school or get extra training without fear of a health catastrophe bankrupting your family. Over three million previously uninsured young adults are now on their parents' plans.