Boehner Quotes & Sayings

Our economy continues to struggle with slow economic growth, high unemployment and stagnant wages. "Obama care's" raising costs. That's making it harder for small businesses to hire. In short, it's a train wreck. — John Boehner

But, you know, I'm presiding over an institution that was designed not to work. — John Boehner

Speaker Boehner needs to understand the urgency for reform. Until the House passes a bill that includes a pathway to citizenship, we will continue to be in the streets, at town hall meetings and on the phones, demanding justice for the 11 million aspiring Americans in our country. — Eliseo Medina

John Boehner was and is an unprincipled ward-heeler who simply couldn't weather the transition of the Republican Party from a corporatist party with a sizable conservative base to a purely conservative party. — Alex Pareene

Spending time with America's soldiers is always inspiring. — John Boehner

You know who Boehner is, right? He's that orange looking guy. See, for Republicans that counts as diversity. — Jay Leno

The world is starving for American leadership. But America has an anti-war president, — John Boehner

And we can celebrate when we have a government that has earned back the trust of the people it serves ... when we have a government that honors our Constitution and stands up for the values that have made America, America: economic freedom, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. — John Boehner

I always believe when your political opponents are committing suicide, there's no reason to murder them. — John Boehner

In this time of challenge, I am asking the prime minister to address Congress on the grave threats radical Islam and Iran pose to our security and way of life. — John Boehner

It's time for me to give out an award to newly elected Majority Leader John Boehner. Mr. Boehner was elected just a few days ago to reform House Republicans, who are feeling the heat from lobbyist scandals. Well, CNN found out that he rents his two-bedroom apartment from a lobbyist who had clients who had interests in legislation that Boehner sponsored. And for that, Mr. Boehner, you've just won a pair of Stephen Colbert's big brass balls. — Stephen Colbert

Gingrich was a far more volatile and aggressive individual than Boehner, but the institutional norms of self-restraint, and perhaps even self-interest, have broken down under the pressure of an increasingly abnormal Republican Party. — George Packer

I'm what you'd call a regular guy with a big job. — John Boehner

I think the real, fundamental problem that the Republicans have is, 'How do we get meaner, how do we get nastier with immigrants, so that we can take a smaller group,' now apparently led by Senator Cruz - I mean, maybe he's gonna be the next Speaker of the House. Because it's quite clear that Mr. Boehner has no control over this conference. — Luis Gutierrez

We can continue to make significant strides in the scientific community by exploring new stem cell research methods that do not include destroying human embryos. — John Boehner

If the clicker became useless in grown men's hands, no games to watch, no highlights shown, ESPN left with only test patterns and re-runs of Rudy, wouldn't the indignation level be a whole lot higher? If sports, all sports, all levels, were shut down, wouldn't the big clock be ticking a lot louder? Wouldn't John Boehner be calling the President and vice versa? Wouldn't Ted Cruz have to shut up in a hurry? — Leigh Montville

John Boehner - doesn't he look like every guy you've ever seen at a hotel bar? He looks like the kind of guy who licks his thumb when he counts his money. — David Letterman

John Boehner is a friend. — Dan Webster

John Boehner is a member of a country club in Ohio. It turns out that the bartender was plotting to poison Boehner. Now wait a minute. Isn't that the movie with Seth Rogen and James Franco? — David Letterman

Mr. President, the buzz saw that your healthcare bill ran into wasn't lobbyists and special interests it was tens of millions of American's who were saying, 'Stop!' — John Boehner

In his first speech as Speaker, Boehner thanked his loved ones - tobacco lobbyists, the oil companies, the CEOs. — Jay Leno

Our challenge, our opportunity is to pass common-sense solutions ... that repeal ObamaCare and replace it with patient-centered reforms that will help our constituents have better access to high-quality health care in America. — John Boehner

Our manifesto, whatever it will be called, will come from the people who are really in charge of this country, and that's the American people. — John Boehner

Mitt Romney comes from a family of builders. — John Boehner

Jeb Bush is my friend. I think he'd make a great president. I've nudged him for some time. — John Boehner

Make no mistake, a 'yes' vote on the Democrats' health care bill is a vote for taxpayer-funded abortions. — John Boehner

House Speaker John Boehner said the Republican Party will no longer stand in the way of gay marriage. Then Boehner said, 'Now can I go to Elton John's Oscar party?' — Conan O'Brien

Why don't we stop the stimulus spending? There's still about $400 billion or $500 billion of the stimulus plan that has not been spent. Why don't we stop it? It's not working. — John Boehner

The United States and Israel have a unique relationship based on our mutual commitment to democracy, freedom, and peace. Therefore, just as our commitment to these principles must be steadfast, so must our support for Israel. — John Boehner

Remember when Ronald Reagan was president? We had Bob Hope. We had Johnny Cash. Think about where we are today. We have got President Obama. But we have no hope and we have no cash. — John Boehner

How can we tax people for not buying a product from a website that doesn't work? — John Boehner

Listen, you only tease the ones you love. — John Boehner

The House barely passed the inelegantly named "cromnibus" appropriations bill after President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) were forced into an unlikely alliance against rebellions from both parties, primarily led by the "Elizabeth Warren wing" and House Democrats. The bill, which passed — Anonymous

We spend more money on antacids than we do on politics. — John Boehner

There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their Speaker, John Boehner. — Chris Christie

I started out mopping floors, waiting tables, and tending bar at my dad's tavern. I put myself through school working odd jobs and night shifts. I poured my heart and soul into a small business. And when I saw how out-of-touch Washington had become with the core values of this great nation, I put my name forward and ran for office. — John Boehner

It's easy to kick somebody when they're down. George W. Bush has dealt with more difficult issues than any president since Franklin Roosevelt. And I've told my colleagues it's time that we go stand up for the president. — John Boehner

But make no mistake, the President will find in our new majority the voice of the American people as they've expressed it tonight: standing on principle, checking Washington's power and leading the drive for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government. — John Boehner

Let me just say that while I personally am very fond of John Boehner, his record of predicting what would happen if certain policies, economic policies were instituted is abysmal, okay? — Jay Carney

I'll commit suicide before I vote on a clean minimum-wage bill, — John Boehner

Just because you have a right to do something in America does not mean it is the right thing to do. — John Boehner

They have called Operation Iraqi Freedom a war of choice that isn't part of the real war on terror. Someone should tell that to al Qaeda. — John Boehner

The value of the majority lies not in the opportunity to wield great power, but in the chance to use power to do great things. — John Boehner

I admire John Boehner greatly. He's a great public servant. I think people are going to miss him in the long run because he's a person that is focused on solving problems. — Jeb Bush

When you raise the price of employment, guess what happens? You get less of it. Why do we want to make it harder for small employers to hire people? — John Boehner

Well, as a former small businessperson - I understand what's going on, I think in the business community. And businesspeople around the country are looking at all the spending and all the debt. They're looking at all the policies coming out of this Congress and this administration the last two years, and they - it's created all this uncertainty. — John Boehner

These days, the House Republicans actually give John Boehner a harder time than they give me. Which means orange really is the new black. — Barack Obama

Speaker John Boehner complained that Barack Obama ordered the U.S. military into combat in Libya without clearly defining the mission to the American people and Congress. See, apparently, you're only allowed to do that when invading Iraq. — Jay Leno

This resolution simply says Israel has the right to defend itself. This includes conducting operations both inside its borders and in the territory of nations that threaten it, which is in accordance with international law. — John Boehner

After invoking the language and symbols of religion to bypass reason and convince the country to go to war, Bush found it increasingly necessary to disdain and dispute inconvenient facts that began to surface in public discussions. He sometimes seemed to wage war against reason itself in his effort to deny obvious truths that were totally inconsistent with the false impressions the nation had been given prior to making the decision to invade. He and his team seemed to approach every question of fact as a partisan fight to the finish. Those who questioned the faulty assumptions on which the war was based were attacked as unpatriotic. Those who pointed to the forged evidence and glaring inconsistencies were accused of supporting terrorism. One of Bush's congressional allies, John Boehner, then House majority leader, said, If you want to let the terrorists win in Iraq, just vote for the Democrats. — Al Gore

The job of training an Iraqi police force is one of the most important tasks being undertaken in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is also one of the most difficult. — John Boehner

One more time? We've done this. We've done this at least four times where there's a new government program to help homeowners who have trouble with their mortgages. None of these programs have worked. I don't know why anyone would think that this next idea is going to work. All it does is delay the clearing of the market. As soon as the market clears and we understand where the prices really are - [that] will be the most important thing we can do in order to improve home values around the country. — John Boehner

It is cold down in Washington, D.C. They had to use an ice scraper on John Boehner's face to get the tears off, it was so cold. — David Letterman

It's pretty clear that over the last three months the economy has paused. And it's also pretty clear the American people are still demanding and asking the question, 'Where are the jobs?' And the reason we don't have new jobs is because of the job-killing agenda pursued by President Obama and his allies in the Congress. — John Boehner

During the 1990s, world leaders looked at the mounting threat of terrorism, looked up, looked away, and hoped the problem would go away. — John Boehner

Netanyahu is partnering up with Boehner to kick Obama in the teeth and sabotage one of the president's top diplomatic priorities. He is essentially telling American Jews to get lost: 'I have no regard for the president you support and no regard for your own political needs and desires.' — David Corn

We ought to be judged on how many laws we repeal. — John Boehner

We believe the super stock option will become a reality before the end of 2000, ... It's a good idea whose time has come. — John Boehner

John Boehner will be the new speaker unless, out of habit, he blocks his own confirmation. — Stephen Colbert

I talked to a lot of employers who just are, are fearful of what's coming next out of Washington. It's all the spending, it's all the debt. It's their national energy tax, they want to call it cap and trade - more mandates, higher costs, more taxes. Their healthcare bill - more mandates, higher costs, higher taxes. — John Boehner

Each and every day, Israel's very existence is at stake. — John Boehner

Will we fight or will we retreat? That is the question that is posed to us. Some of my friends on the other side of the aisle often refer to Iraq as a distraction. — John Boehner

We all must be mindful that the United States has diplomatic, civilian, and military personnel deployed in other countries with both challenging security environments and active terrorist networks interested in targeting not just our facilities but our people. One of their greatest protections - knowing that the United States does not negotiate with terrorists - has been compromised. — John Boehner

Well, any good comeback needs some true believers. — John Boehner

Trust me. I'm going to make sure this healthcare bill is never, ever, ever implemented. — John Boehner

No, let's make sure that people understand that this is a very important war that is helping to protect us here at home. And that we have no choice but to win it. As difficult as it is. — John Boehner

The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in the debt limit. — John Boehner

House Republicans want to pass a strong border security, illegal immigration bill. We want a bill. There is no ifs, ands or buts about it. — John Boehner

It's hard running for office when people can't say your name. — John Boehner

Studies show that children best flourish when one mom and one dad are there to raise them. — John Boehner

And that is why marriage and family law has emphasized the importance of marriage as the foundation of family, addressing the needs of children in the most positive way. — John Boehner

The aggressive, unprovoked acts of violence against Israel by Hezbollah and Hamas are revealing. It is clear they don't want peace, but rather seek the ultimate destruction of Israel. — John Boehner

I still believe the momentum is there to accomplish comprehensive immigration reform, and I think there is a bipartisan coalition that would pass right now, a pathway to citizenship if Speaker Boehner lets it come to the floor. — Joaquin Castro

Clearly while the president is overseas, he's at a conference and while the president is overseas I think it's appropriate that people not be critical of him or our country. — John Boehner

Our freedoms were born in the ideals of the Enlightenment and the musket fires of an historic revolution. — John Boehner

Every family in America knows they have to do a budget. Every small business in America knows they have to do a budget. Every local government, every state, knows they have to do a budget. — John Boehner

House and Senate Republicans are now united in adopting earmark bans. We hope President Obama will follow through on his support for an earmark ban by pressing Democratic leaders to join House and Senate Republicans in taking this critical step to restore public trust. — John Boehner

Since its first day as a nation, Israel has lived under a cloud of aggression from militant extremists and hostile neighboring governments. — John Boehner

I didn't need to be speaker because I needed a fancy title or a big office. I wanted to be speaker so I could lead an effort to deal with the serious issues that are facing our country. — John Boehner

The American people have issues. They've got concerns. We need solutions, solutions to the issues that the American people care about that are built on our principles. — John Boehner

Listen, I think what's best for the economy and to create jobs is to extend all of the current tax rates - for all Americans. It - it begins to reduce the uncertainty. And for small businesspeople, they can look up and begin to plan. — John Boehner

I like to play golf. I like to cut my own grass. — John Boehner

When you see John Boehner crying, believe you me, it's because he cannot control, uh, that wild contingency called the Tea Party. — Gwen Moore

Most recently, Speaker of the House John Boehner (who has said he would commit suicide before voting to increase the minimum wage unless said increase were tied to massive tax cuts for the wealthy and their corporations)53 suggested that what's been holding back job creation in America is not the lack of employment openings but "this idea that has been born . . . that you know, I really don't have to work . . . I think I'd rather just sit around."54 According to conservative leaders, many Americans actually enjoy long-term unemployment. — Tim Wise

To be honest, I haven't seen much serious budget planning since the Republicans took control of the House after the 2010 elections and grabbed onto the Senate filibuster. It's not the White House's fault that John Boehner couldn't deliver on a bigger deal. — Gail Collins

The American people are screaming at the top of their lungs to Washington, 'Stop! Stop the spending, stop the job-killing policies.' And yet, Democrats in Washington refuse to listen to the American people. — John Boehner

John Boehner chose a huge gavel. I think somebody's compensating for his small government. — Stephen Colbert

You can't be somebody that you're not, because all of you shows up. — John Boehner

An Affront to the Rule of Law and to the Constitution Itself — John Boehner

The president has outlined a new strategy for success in Iraq, but in order for this effort to be successful the Iraqi government must be held accountable ... If we fail in Iraq, or withdraw our troops prematurely, the terrorists will follow us home. Success is our only option. — John Boehner

And the fact is - is if you lower - if you lower taxes, you don't have to wait for the money to get to the states, the money to get out in contracts. You send a signal immediately, and so businesses start making decisions. — John Boehner

The bill that was about jobs, jobs, jobs has turned into a bill that's about spending, spending, spending. — John Boehner

Stem cell research must be carried out in an ethical manner in a way that respects the sanctity of human life. — John Boehner

House Speaker John Boehner says President Obama should have clearly outlined his exact plans before bombing Libya. Apparently it's only Iraq where you don't have to do that. — Jay Leno

Most recently, terrorist forces have captured Israeli soldiers and fired rockets into Israeli cities - both unprovoked. These acts of aggression deserve the rapid and decisive response they received. — John Boehner

The United States did not choose to fight Islamic extremists. These terrorists chose to fight our way of life. They chose to challenge our existence. — John Boehner

We have to deal with two issues. Spending and taxes. — John Boehner

The American people think the government in Washington is too big. That it spends too much. And - and that it's totally out of control. They want something done about it. — John Boehner

Before the trip began we mapped out three primary goals: 1) to see and meet with our American troops, and thank them for their bravery and sacrifice; 2) to assess the security situation in Iraq; and 3) to give our support to Iraq's national unity government. — John Boehner

With all of the talk about polling and demographics, I think too many people have lost touch with the human and moral crisis of deportations. Every day, roughly 1,000 people are deported because the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives is denying the majority of the US Congress a chance to vote on citizenship. I will be arrested today because the labor movement stands with the families tragically ripped apart by John Boehner and the House Republicans' embrace of a broken immigration system. — Arlene Holt Baker