Amy Klobuchar on Welfare & Poverty DFL Sr Senator (MN); Democratic presidential contender

One size doesn't fit all, for rural poverty

KLOBUCHAR: People aren't always aware about how much poverty there is, particularly child poverty in rural areas. So the answer is one size doesn't fit all. And one of the ways you do this, right now we have something called critical access hospitals so they're designated for rural areas. And actually, I am the lead Democrat on a bill to extend that, to have other types of hospitals, like emergency rooms in rural areas be covered.

Eradicate child poverty in a generation

Then she pivoted to an anecdote about President Franklin Roosevelt and a man who sobbed when the dead president's funeral train passed by. The man was asked if he knew the Roosevelt, Klobuchar said. "The guy says: 'No, I didn't know the president, but he knew me. He knew me,' " Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar, who referenced her humble roots several times during the debate, said that she too would govern in a way that the poor will feel known.

"If you have trouble, stretching your paycheck to pay for that rent, I know you and I will fight for you," Klobuchar said. "If you have trouble deciding if you're going to pay for your childcare, or your long-term care, I know you and I will fight for you."

Economic opportunity must be for everyone

A: Economic opportunity means economic opportunity for everyone in this country. That means we put out better childcare and better education, and we pay teachers more, and we make sure there's a decent retirement system in place, yes, we help the African-American community and we must, because they have been the ones that have been most hurt by what we've seen in the last decades, but we help everyone.

Expand the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit)

FOUR CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; John Delaney; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper.

Harris is calling for a massive expansion of the EITC, including nearly doubling the income cutoff for eligibility. Hickenlooper and Delaney want to double the EITC. Delaney also wants to make it available to people without children. Booker would increase EITC income eligibility level from $54k to $90k, boost the credit for childless workers.