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" We're a nation of immigrants - there's no question about that. But we're also a nation of laws. I think we have to honor both of those. "

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" Let's take up the most important issues first. Let's take up the reauthorizations first; let's take up the appropriations bill first, not wait until four days beforehand - no one has mentioned anything, and, all of a sudden, somebody looks at their watch and says, 'Hey, in four days, the government is going to run out of money.' "

" The key is - I'll say the key - number one, I pray every day. "

" I'm a homing pigeon. When I'm in Tallahassee, I give everything I have to being, hopefully, the best legislator I can be. When I'm home, I'm home. I try to not do legislative stuff. That brings a balance to life. "

" My expectations are not in any future event. I would rather just be prepared for whatever might take place. "

" Nothing happens in any legislative body that's not purposeful. "

" I changed that system in Florida when I was the Speaker of the House - I was the Minority Leader; I saw for 16 years the way a power system works. "

" Power focuses on self-preservation; principle focuses on making ideas successful. "

" I'm the only person that has ever run a principle-based legislative body. "

" You lay out a plan and - say a three-year plan or a two-year plan - and say, 'This is what we can do. We can do the transportation packages, like the highway bill and the water bill, and we can do some of these other areas - a farm bill - whatever it is, we lay out a schedule, and we put that committee to work to do that.' "

" The process for producing public policy in Congress is flawed. The process itself kills policy ideas through the bypassing of the rules and procedural decisions that limit discussion. "

" I was Speaker of the House in Florida, first Republican speaker in 120 years. And I totally dismantled the way this House worked and turned it around to what I believe is right. "

" We have a lot of talented people in this Congress, and we can avoid a lot of unintended consequences if we just included them. "

" My job was to get a fair and open hearing to all ideas. "

" The only way to improve the GOP brand and make good public policy is to fix the process. This requires transforming the way Congress does business. "

" If you push down that pyramid of power and spread out the base, every member gets a chance to file their bill and have it heard and file their amendment and have it heard, as opposed to the system that we have now, which closes out, closes down bills, limits debate, and so forth. "

" Principle says it's not who put forth an idea. It's not the position of the person who put forth an idea; it's not the longevity of the person or the party of the person. That's not what it is at all. In a power system, that's the way it works. But in a principle system, it's what it says. "

" When you wait to the last minute, you rush to get things done, and the closer you get to the deadline, the less options you have. "

" I have one desire: That is to have a principle-based, member-driven Congress. Period. That's what I want. "

" You have got to clean your own house first before you tell other people that they aren't doing it right. "

" My whole deal is I want to have a principle-based, member-driven caucus. "

" Power tends to protect itself merely to maintain its own status and control. Principle gives up power for the sake of creating the best public policy. "

" We're not even supposed to have a break in August if we have not passed the appropriations bills. It's in the House rules. "

" If we do our job right, then we have everything to stand on. If we don't do our job, we have everything to lose on. "

" I will say this: I've had more pro-life bills, I believe, I ruled unconstitutional - but I tried - than the entire total membership of Congress together. "