Patricia Ireland Quotes

I don't know of a Democrat - whether they're a conservative, a centrist or a liberal Democrat - that doesn't think that it's important to have quality jobs that pay decent wages so that families can support themselves, so that they can have the dignity of being able to afford health care, put money aside for pension, buy a home.

Girls are the future mothers of our society, and it is important that we focus on their well-being.

Women, goals, empowerment, well-being, and women's health has always been important to me.

Whether it's making sure that a person has access to a doctor when they need one, investing in excellent first class educations for our children or making sure that working people are able to provide for their families and put food on the table when they put in an honest day's work, I will continue to put people and families first.

All my politics and campaigning has been around issues that affect women: violence against women, welfare cuts to women.

Our health underpins our happiness and is a foundation of economic advancement.

The first priority of any serious program against poverty is to strengthen the male role in poor families.

When a woman earns a dollar, the payback is higher. She'll invest in her children, in their education, health care, and basic needs. The impact of a woman's role in the economy benefits society at large.

Women have to be very vigilant, and demand the very best in public schools, health care and pay, those things that men and women of this state value are at risk.

When women earn more, families are stronger, and children have better access to quality health care and education.

You know, there are people making a lot of money in this country who can actually afford their own health care. We are in a situation where we got a safety net in place in this country for people who frankly don't need one. We got to focus on making sure we got a safety net for those who actually need it.

Equal pay isn't just a women's issue; when women get equal pay, their family incomes rise and the whole family benefits.

I am anxious to fix welfare. There has to be more training and child care.

Whether it's making sure that families have access to quality health care and child care, or making sure that our children receive the best educational opportunities we can give them, we must remain committed to these needs because our children are our future.

Simply expanding Medicaid does not improve health care outcomes. In Louisiana, instead we're helping people getting better paying jobs so they can provide for their own health care.

And whether it is equal pay, health care, Social Security, or family leave, this Congress has refused to address issues critical to hard-working American women.

Hillary Clinton has a strong and powerful voice regarding ending violence against women and girls.

I am able to talk about my life in a way that helps other women - and men, but mostly women - understand their own life. I feel real proud of that. And then the fact that my children are okay. You know, you're only as happy as your least happy child. So if your kids aren't okay, you're not good.

Being a new mother was a joyful and sometimes overwhelming experience - and as the first Missouri female state legislator to have a baby while in office, having heath care for myself and my son gave me some needed peace of mind.

In addition to being an economic security issue, the failure to pay women a salary that's equal to men for equal work is also a women's health issue. The fact is that the salary women are paid directly impacts the type of health care services they are able to access for both themselves and their families.

It is important for women to have a choice, to have an opportunity to plan their families, because if they don't, the Republicans have said this is an ownership society. You are on your own, and they're going to begrudge that child everything, from WIC to a Pell Grant to health insurance.

There is a self interest in voting for a society where there is health care for all, where there's a mental health service for all, where there is education service for all.

The issues that matter to me are the social safety nets for people, health care, middle-class concerns. We need to take care of the middle class and the poor in our country.

There is no doubt that a woman's economic empowerment is very much interconnected to her health and the well being of her children.

It's one thing to work women into your talking points. It's another to tell them how you are going to educate their kids, how you are going to ensure they get health care, how we are going to rebuild infrastructure, how they are going to get equal pay.