GLAMOUR: What advice would you give to women who, in moments like that, tend to want to retreat?

NP: Know your power. I say this all over the country because I want many young women to think about running for public office. Once you put yourself in the arena, you become a target. This is not for the faint of heart. So know your power. There is nobody who can make your contribution. Whatever it is that has made you who you are—your upbringing, your education, your work experience, your decisions about family—has informed you with judgment that is irreplaceable. You are unique. And that is the authenticity that our system needs. And know your purpose. Nobody can know about all subjects, but know your subject. Know your stuff. So that people respect your judgment. Tell your story. And don’t let anybody demystify who you are. What, you don’t wear a suit and tie, so you must not know how things work? The bozo with a suit and tie didn’t even know the rules of the House. [Laughs.]

GLAMOUR: Let's go back for a second: We're here celebrating the commissioning of the USS Gabrielle Giffords. What message does her name on that ship send to the men and women who are working on it, as well to men and women around the nation?

NP: It’s very hard to put into intellectual words the emotional response we all have to her name being on this battleship. She’s a fighter. She has courage. She has strength. And that is what the Navy is about. She has hope and she’s always ready. And that is what the Navy is all about. So to see her name there just brings tears to your eyes of joy and of the poignancy of it all. It couldn’t be a better match than Gabby’s name and this ship.

GLAMOUR: I want to talk about health care next, because that’s an issue that’s so deeply important to readers. There are 13 male senators in the working group that is writing this new health care bill behind closed doors. Why do you think they didn't include any women?

NP: Because the men are oblivious. It’s up to the women Republican senators to say to their leadership: "Trust us. Respect us. We know something." The issue has always been about respect—respect for a woman's right to determine the size and timing of a family, respect for a woman’s right to help write the laws that will affect her reproductive health and health in general for families. To subtract women from the equation is not only to subtract 50 percent of our country, but to subtract the overwhelming number of caregivers in our country. So it’s a mistake. Not just politically, and not just by the optics of it, but in terms of the product that they could produce.... And you know what? Clueless is a good name for all of them! Clueless are the people who want to cut women off when they’re speaking. Clueless are those men who are going into the room to decide about health care in our country.

GLAMOUR: [Many of] our readers were concerned about the health care bill passed by the House and sent to the Senate. We don’t yet know the details of the Senate's version of the bill. What can readers who are feeling uncertain about this bill do right now?

NP: One of the reasons we were able to defeat the [House] Republican health care bill the first time out was because of the activism. Our inside maneuvering was important, but it would not have achieved the goal without the outside mobilization. You saw the Women's March: It was about climate, juvenile justice, immigration—many things—but a large part of it was about protecting our health care and a woman’s right to choose. And those women, and those people supporting women, showed up at town meetings and made calls. They can keep making the difference if they tell their senators what they support. Know your power. Make your voice heard. You will make the difference.