CBS "Face the Nation" interviews during 2018: on Families & Children

Kirsten Gillibrand: Women run for office because Trump demeans & devalues women

GILLIBRAND: Absolutely.

Q: Based on not demographic shifts, but just pure protest?

GILLIBRAND: Protest, anger, frustration, and determination to protect their families. Donald Trump has been accused by more than a dozen women of sexual assault and sexual harassment alone has infuriated women enough to do something, taking the risk to actually run for office.

Q: But all those things came to light when he was running as candidate. He was elected regardless.

GILLIBRAND: Fair enough. But, the response to him being elected, is this overwhelming desire of women to be heard, to be counted and to fight back against what he stands for. He demeans women. He devalues women. He's constantly trying to harm our families and our communities. And so women, when they know their family is being harmed, they will run through fire. They will do whatever it takes to protect their family.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: More women in Congress means more focus on family leave

OCASIO-CORTEZ: The factors that created our win was the fact that we had bold commitments & I campaigned on hard commitments of Medicare for all, tuition-free public college, ensuring a green new deal for our future. And championing those issues were the reasons that we won. We won across demographics.

Q: So you reject the idea that your gender was a factor here?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: You There is a confluence of factors that makes this moment inspiring. Right now, more women than ever are running for office. And I do think that women want representation in Congress, absolutely. Congress right now is 80% male, and that creates blind spots in our legislation. It means we don't have family leave, we don't have paid maternal and parental leave. It means that we don't get the equal pay that we want. So I think those issues certainly were important.