Rubio Quotes & Sayings

A lot of factors go into choosing a vice-presidential nominee. — Marco Rubio

You cannot do anything without God. It's a profound and elemental truth. Not, you cannot do most things without God. You will not be able to do anything that you want, truly, in fulfillment, without God. — Marco Rubio

Even if we didn't have a single person in the USA in violation of immigration laws, we'd still have to do immigration reform, because our legal immigration system is broken. It's not good for anybody. — Marco Rubio

I would just say it's not good for the country to have 11 million people here who we don't know who they are, where they're living. They're not paying taxes, but they're showing up in emergency rooms. They're driving up the cost of auto insurance 'cause they don't have driver's licenses and are getting into accidents. They're having children, which are US citizens. So, I mean, it's an issue that needs to be dealt with. — Marco Rubio

I think strong rhetoric and strong action are two separate things. Anyone can use tough words. Anyone can go over the top and say things that sound strong. But sounding strong is not enough. You have to know exactly how you're going to do it. And if you look at some of the policies he's talked about, they would not make America stronger. — Marco Rubio

I think there are some in the Democratic Party - not all - but I think there are some people in the Democratic Party that think that the immigration issue is more valuable to them unsolved. That it gives them something to talk about, that they can go back to Hispanic communities and make unrealistic promises every two years and win votes. — Marco Rubio

Donald Trump is never going to be the nominee. So, I'm not worried about a hypothetical that's never going to happen. — Marco Rubio

In 1980, I watched my first Republican convention with my grandfather. — Marco Rubio

In Cuba, His Holiness [Pope Francis] won't find a government that protects its people and their God-given rights. Instead, he will find a regime that oppresses people and hinders progress, both socially and politically. — Marco Rubio

We have to show what life is really like in ISIS territory, and we have to show them why ISIS is not invincible, by going out and conducting these attacks and publicizing them to those who they recruit. — Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio has got the number one worst attendance record, and they want him to be president, right? — Donald Trump

Regulation is necessary to protect our natural environment, keep our food and medicine safe, and ensure fair competition and fair treatment of our workers. — Marco Rubio

You're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty. — Marco Rubio

Today you have millions of Americans that feel left out and out of place in their own country, struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, called bigots because they hold on to traditional values. — Marco Rubio

The breakdown of the American family's having a disastrous impact on our economy. — Marco Rubio

I'm really focused on, is making sure that, for the broadest number of Americans possible, limited government and free enterprise, the principles that have truly helped build our country into an exceptional one, is one that is being sold to and appeals to the broadest number of Americans. — Marco Rubio

My mother was one of seven girls whose parents went to bed hungry so their children wouldn't. My father lost his mother when he was nine. He left school and went to work for the next 70 years. They emigrated to America with little more than the hope of a better life. — Marco Rubio

People are taking a closer look at Donald Trump. I think the best look they got was at the last debate. I think Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio prosecuted their case effectively. Donald doesn't have some great answers. When they talk, for instance, about immigration and releasing those tapes from The New York Times, we began talking about flexibility and immigration. — Mitt Romney

We have a lot of thoughtful people in the U.S. Senate. — Marco Rubio

One of the most troubling aspects of the Rubio-Schumer Gang of Eight Bill was that it gave President [Barack] Obama blanket authority to admit refugees, including Syrian refugees without mandating any background checks whatsoever. Now we've seen what happened in San Bernardino. When you are letting people in, when the FBI can't vet them, it puts American citizens at risk. — Ted Cruz

If we want to save our country, we must all realize that the breakdown of our culture is trapping millions of people in a cycle of poverty and dependence, and together, we have to do something about it. — Marco Rubio

He [Rubio] is so knowledgeable about this issue ... I'm glad to see somebody with his background step forward and say it's important and we need to look at it. — Saxby Chambliss

The people in Florida think that Marco Rubio's literally defrauded them because you look at what he does. He never goes and votes. He's never over there. — Donald Trump

As Pope Francis visits the United States for the very first time, it is our privilege as Catholics and Americans to welcome His Holiness to our country. Here, he will find people who are uniquely free. — Marco Rubio

There's never been a nation like the United States, ever. It begins with the principles of our founding documents, principles that recognize that our rights come from God, not from our government. — Marco Rubio

There are kind of four people up at the top, [Donald] Trump,[Marco] Rubio,[Ted] Cruz,[Ben] Carson, and then there's me and about three governors. I'm perfectly happy with that position right now, honestly, because when I started this race, I was 17 out of 16. The pollsters didn't even ask my name, because so few people knew me. — Carly Fiorina

I think immigration system that we have is terrible for the United States of America. We have a legal immigration system that does not work. It does not reflect the economic needs of this country in the 21st century. It needs to be modernized. — Marco Rubio

Government doesn't have to be the enemy, but too much government has produced a new kind of inequality in America: opportunity inequality. — Marco Rubio

What happens across the planet can have a greater impact on your family than what happens down the street. — Marco Rubio

Here we will solve with laws and dollars, problems that too many people around the world still must solve with violence and civil war. — Marco Rubio

More government isn't going to help you get ahead. It's going to hold you back. More government isn't going to create more opportunities. It's going to limit them. — Marco Rubio

I don't buy into the dystopian scenarios of self-aware robots enslaving mankind, but you don't have to be a sci-fi conspiracy theorist to acknowledge that plenty of good, well-paying jobs are being taken over by machines. — Marco Rubio

ISIS have to be defeated. They have to be defeated militarily. How are we going to do that if we continue to weaken our military? — Marco Rubio

The most important institution in society is the family. If the family breaks down, society breaks down. — Marco Rubio

On his [Marco Rubio] Gang of Eight bill, he would have liberalized immigration, but he did not - and he steadfastly opposed any new border security requirements for refugees or students. — Ted Cruz

Donald Trump has the benefit of the fact that he's dominated media coverage, I mean, literally dominated media coverage because of the outrageous things he says and so forth.That's going to end here. There's going to be real fight now for the heart and soul of the Republican Party and the conservative movement. And it is not - I will do whatever it takes to prevent it from being taken over by a con artist. — Marco Rubio

We need to put people on the bench that understand the Constitution is not a living and breathing document. It is to be interpreted as originally meant. — Marco Rubio

Religious freedom is often referred to as America's first freedom. Our country was founded by religious exiles and built on the belief that God has given all people certain inalienable rights. Government's role in society is to protect these rights and ensure that we are safe from religious persecution and discrimination. — Marco Rubio

A big part of the Republican 2016 race is now basically a bunch of establishment Republicans going after each other. Jeb Bush going after Marco Rubio, and the governors, Chris Christie going after Marco Rubio. Rubio firing back, John Kasich going after Jeb Bush. — Melissa Harris-Perry

As I've learned in my time in the state legislature, important legislation is always a work in progress. — Marco Rubio

Ghetto Fiction with a twist take a peak it's the shit. Not for the timid or the meek don't be scared take a peek... — Cynthia Rubio

I want immigration reform to pass, I want people to be able to come out of the shadows. — Marco Rubio

We understand that ISIS is a group that's growing in its governance of territory. It's not just Iraq and Syria. They are now a predominant group in Libya. They are beginning to pop up in Afghanistan. They are increasingly involved now in attacks in Yemen. They have Jordan in their sights.This group needs to be confronted with serious proposals. — Marco Rubio

I'll support Donald [Trump] if he's the Republican nominee. — Marco Rubio

The erosion of equal opportunity is among the greatest threats to our exceptionalism as a nation. But it also provides us with an exciting and historic opportunity: to help more people than ever achieve the American Dream. — Marco Rubio

We don't need new taxes. We need new taxpayers, people that are gainfully employed, making money and paying into the tax system. And then we need a government that has the discipline to take that additional revenue and use it to pay down the debt and never grow it again. — Marco Rubio

No matter where you're born in life or what the circumstances are when you're born, like your parents being poor or not connected to power, you have a chance in this country to go as far as your talent and your work will take you. — Marco Rubio

The world is a better place when America is willing to lead. — Marco Rubio

The No. 1 issue in the Hispanic American community is 'How do I leave my children better off than myself? — Marco Rubio

From tea parties to the election in Massachusetts, we are witnessing the single greatest political pushback in American history. — Marco Rubio

Well, the most important thing a president will be is commander-in-chief. And that requires having an understanding of the complex issues on foreign policy. Foreign policy presents us often with hard choices, not black or white choices. — Marco Rubio

Climate is always evolving, and natural disaster have always existed. — Marco Rubio

The media coverage for Donald Trump has been almost cheerleading. I'm convinced it's because many in the press want him to be the nominee. — Marco Rubio

We focus so much on how immigrants can change America that we forget that America has always changed immigrants even more. — Marco Rubio

I support people making more than $9. I want people to make as much as they can. — Marco Rubio

My parents were workers. — Marco Rubio

I know in the past Republicans have agreed to minimum-wage increases that there's built-in protections for small and midsize businesses. — Marco Rubio

Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not going to allow a con artist to take over the party of [Abraham] Lincoln and [Ronald] Reagan. — Marco Rubio

We will either bring on another American century, or we are doomed to witness America's decline. — Marco Rubio

There's no doubt that when the Republican Party took over in 1994, the 'Contract with America' was an opportunity to implement some things - like welfare reform and some of the other initiatives. Then, it kind of lost its steam. — Marco Rubio

I feel bad for the kids that are in school right now and the young people all across America who don't realize that the grownups who are supposed to be running this country are the verge of leaving them as the first generation of Americans worse off than the generation before. — Marco Rubio

I do not believe that we have to destroy our economy in order to protect our environment. And especially what these programs are asking us to pass that will do nothing to help the environment, but will be devastating for our economy. — Marco Rubio

Everyone has a Latino inside them. — Paulina Rubio

I'm not new to the political process; I was making a contribution as the speaker of the third largest and most diverse state in the country well before I even got into the Senate. — Marco Rubio

I am the son and grandson of immigrants. And I know that securing our borders is not anti-immigrant and we will do it. — Marco Rubio

Presidents don't have the benefit of hindsight. You have to make difficult decisions based on the information that's before you at that moment. — Marco Rubio

Anger alone is not going to be enough. You deserve a nominee who tells you exactly, "Here's what we're going to do," and outlines that. So you know what you're getting. So there's some level of accountability here. So my campaign is about this. We are very realistic about our challenges right now in this country. — Marco Rubio

Our brave men and women have made many sacrifices in just wars to defeat the forces of evil. We have exported our greatest values: freedom and opportunity, which have lifted millions out of poverty. At home, these values allow Americans to use their God-given potential and make their dreams reality. — Marco Rubio

You know who a complicated tax code kills? The guy or gal trying to start a business out of the spare bedroom of their home. So we've got to simplify our tax code. — Marco Rubio

You know, now that I come to think of it, the blizzard may be the best thing to happen to the American economy in 12 months. — Marco Rubio

If Senator Rubio were doing his job and in Congress more, he might know that the program [phone records of a potential terrorist cause] continues. It's been ongoing for the last six months. So the Paris tragedy, this tragedy happened while we were still doing bulk collection, all bulk collection. Also in France, they have a program a thousand-fold more invasive, collecting all of the data of all of the French. — Rand Paul

Anyone who doesn't agree with the Left's approach to immigration oftentimes gets stigmatized as anti-immigrant or anti-Hispanic. — Marco Rubio

No community values entrepreneurship and small business more than the Hispanic community. — Marco Rubio

Moammar Gadhafi and the revolt against Gadhafi was not started by the United States. It was started by the Libyan people. And the reason why I argued we needed to get involved is because he was going to go one way or the other. And my argument then was proven true, and that is, the longer that civil war took, the more militias would be formed and the more unstable the country would be after the fact. — Marco Rubio

Supporting the definition of marriage as one man and one woman is not anti-gay: it is pro-traditional marriage. And if support for traditional marriage is bigotry, then Barack Obama was a bigot until just before the 2012 election. — Marco Rubio

I am prepared to discuss the things that I believe we need to do not just to raise the debt limit. Raising the debt limit is the easiest thing. That's one vote away. The hard thing is to show the world we are serious about putting our spending in order so we can show people we'll able to pay our bills down the road. — Marco Rubio

I was born in Mexico, I am from Mexico City. — Paulina Rubio

He has attempted to muddy the waters, but I think anyone that watched the battle that we had - you know, there was a time for choosing, as [Ronald] Reagan put it, where there was a battle over amnesty. And some chose, like Sen.[Marco] Rubio, to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a massive amnesty plan. — Ted Cruz

People end up fleeing countries who adopt economic policies based on these flawed principles. And more often than not, they come here. — Marco Rubio

The most important thing of all is my parents were able to leave all four of their children better off than themselves. That story has a name, it's called the American dream. — Marco Rubio

We do need curriculum reform. And it should happen at the state and local level. That is where educational policy belongs, because if a parent is unhappy with what their child is being taught in school, they can go to that local school board or their state legislature, or their governor and get it changed. — Marco Rubio

Another Clinton presidency would be a death blow to the American Dream. — Marco Rubio

If you're running to be president of the United States, you can't just tell people you're going to make America great again. I think you need to begin to explain exactly how you're going to do it policy-wise. We're not going to win a general election with a candidate that refuses to detail policy. — Marco Rubio

We Americans are as great as we have ever been. But our government is broken. — Marco Rubio

Just because you have opposition doesn't make you a great leader. — Marco Rubio

Foreign aid is important. If it's done right, it spreads America's influence around the world in a positive way. — Marco Rubio

Exile is not a time frame. Exile is an experience. It's a sentiment. — Marco Rubio

Because if you look at the debates now, and I have answered it except for 90 seconds by and large it's been viewed as every debate I have had I have been among the best people. And in some cases people argue the best person in those debates. I have been asked questions you never could have anticipated. — Marco Rubio

Many people say Nicki Minaj is a rapper, but she's also a singer. — Marco Rubio

God has a funny way of reminding us we're human. [About his impromptu water break during his delivery of the GOP rebuttal to President Barack Obama's State of the Union on February 12, 2013] — Marco Rubio

The only guy that speaks at any sort of depth is, in my mind, Eminem. He's a guy that does music that talks about the struggles of addiction and before that violence, with growing up in a broken family, not being a good enough father. So, you know that's what I enjoy about it. It's harder to listen to than ever before because I have a bunch of kids and you just can't put it on. — Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio, as an example, he's got no money, zero.I think that's fine, that's OK, maybe it's good politically to say you owe money because you overborrowed on your credit cards. He's got nothing. I mean, he's got nothing. — Donald Trump

I'm interested in - in that his power, if that is the word, is such that he has actually been able to be in a way a one-man wrecking crew in the area of deportment and how one proceeds politically on the stump. Marco Rubio is - is attempting, as you know, to a - to give [Donald] Trump a fight in Trump's own style. I'm not sure how that works, but - but certainly the indices are good. — Bernie Sanders

Thousands of years of human history have shown that the ideal setting for children to grow up is with a mother and a father committed to one another, living together, and sharing the responsibility of raising their children. — Marco Rubio

Senator Marco 'amnesty' Rubio, who has worst voting record in Senate, just hit me on national security - but I said don't go into Iraq. — Donald Trump

Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz opened up a new line of attack on Donald Trump, targeting his involvement in Trump University, a for-profit, non-licensed now defunct institution which triggered lawsuits from individuals who claimed they were defrauded by him, as well as a suit alleging fraud from New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman. — Chris Hayes

I think we need to simplify our tax code, but not as a way of generating revenue, as a way of making our tax code more growth- friendly. — Marco Rubio

We have a violence problem in America. And no one is having a debate about the violence problem. And I think this is a missed opportunity to have an honest and open conversation in this country about why these horrifying things are happening, not simply what they're using to carry this out, but why are people doing this to begin with? — Marco Rubio

There has never been a moment when faith hasn't been an important part of my life. There have been moments when I've been more alive in my faith than others. There have been times when I've been more involved in my faith, dedicating more to it, and giving it more importance. — Marco Rubio

His [Donald trump] views on Vladimir Putin, I think, are troubling. And I don't think he fundamentally understands exactly who Vladimir Putin is or exactly what he's trying to do. So, these are the kinds of things that I think in detail you need to begin to understand. — Marco Rubio