John Boehner 8TH DISCTRICT OF OHIO

During a Today Show interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) discussed the need to address our debt crisis that is threatening the future of our kids and grandkids, the mandate from the American people to find common ground, the ongoing bipartisan conversations on immigration reform, and the culture of violence in our society:

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ON THE PRESIDENT’S REFUSAL TO TAKE ON HIS OWN PARTY TO CUT SPENDING:

“What I suggested was during the debt talks, the president didn't have the courage take on the members of his own party.  The president knows that we’ve got a serious spending problem and we’ve got a debt problem, a structural debt problem that needs to be resolved.  But there were issues that we had agreed upon in the summer of 2011 that once we got through December of 2012, weren't even on the table anymore.”

ON THE MANDATE FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FIND COMMON GROUND:

“The president and I get along fine.  We have a very good relationship.  We come from very different worlds.  He has a liberal ideology, I come from a more conservative side.  But having said that, the American people on election day gave us a mandate, a Republican congress and a Democrat president.  And the mandate was to find a way to work together, find common ground.”

ON THE PROSPECTS FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM:

“That’s why I’ve had-- four or five Republican members sitting with four or five Democrat members now for four years, working through a lot of issues on immigration.  And I think what I’ve been trying to do is to foster this bipartisan conversation on immigration reform, both legal and illegal immigration.  And I would hope that the Senate players could continue to work in a bipartisan fashion.  That's the only way we’re gonna be able to address the big issues that face our country.”

ON THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE IN OUR SOCIETY:

“All of our hearts go out to the victims of these tragedies around our country.  I would hope that we would take a broader look at this.  The violence in our society, where does it come from?  If you look at each of these mass shootings -- each of the shooters -- all had mental health issues.  how can we do a better job there of controlling their access to weapons?  What do we do about school safety?  There are a lot of things that we ought to look at.  Listen, there are a lot of ideas that are out there.  And the question is, what will truly help bring down the violence in our society?”

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Today, Speaker Boehner delivered a brief video message to participants in the 40th annual March for Life, which is taking place on the National Mall.

Boehner, who last year became the first Speaker to address the March, talked about how defending life is a generational commitment that we should encourage young people to join: 

“Defending life, of course, is about much more than voting the right way or saying the right things.  It’s about promoting a culture of life.  It’s about understanding that abortion is a defining human rights issue of our time.  Because human life is not an economic or political commodity, and no government on Earth has the right to treat it as such. 

“With all that’s at stake, it is becoming more and more important for us to share this truth with our young people, to encourage them to lock arms, speak out for life, and help make abortion a relic of the past.  Let that be one of our most fundamental goals this year.”

Speaker Boehner also paid tribute to Nellie Gray, the March’s founder, who passed away last summer.  “Now it’s up to us to be her voice,” Speaker Boehner said, “to commit ourselves to doing everything we can to protect the sanctity of life.”

Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today marked the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and looked ahead to the annual March for Life, which will take place on Friday:

“The first of our God-given rights is life, and no court, no matter how activist, can discourage us from proclaiming and defending that truth.  Consider how this has become a day when Americans gather in prayer and fellowship, not recrimination, for the culture of life and the protection of the unborn.  We will see this devotion and goodwill on display in our capital city on Friday with the March for Life.  It will give us all a chance to recommit ourselves to the work of those who never wavered, from Nellie Gray to Henry Hyde, who said we must, through word and deed, ‘make it clear once again there is justice for all, even for the tiniest, most defenseless in this, our land.’”

Last year, Boehner had the privilege of becoming the first Speaker in history to address the March for Life.  He talked about how the cause of life and the cause of freedom are inextricably linked and paid tribute to Nellie Gray, the March’s founder, who died last summer:

“These two founding principles, life and liberty, are intertwined.  Together, they form the core of our national character.  They comprise the standard by which the world looks to us.  When we affirm the dignity of life, we affirm our commitment to freedom.  When we don’t affirm life … when life is cheapened or weakened, here or abroad, freedom itself is diminished.  Here on this Mall, many solemn vows have been made in the long fight for freedom.  America is an idea, and our duty is to preserve its blessings, the first and dearest of which is life.

“That is why Nellie Gray marches on.  Let us rise to Nellie’s example and raise our voices together in defense of life.  Let us pray that more of our countrymen, whether you belong to one party or no party, will join this noble cause.”

Here’s the full video of Speaker Boehner’s remarks from last year:

In 2012, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) continued to focus on building a stronger economy and brighter future for our kids and grandkids.  In between floor debates and press conferences were small moments shared with colleagues, staff, and visitors from around the world.  This set of photos, including several newly released images, takes you behind the scenes with Speaker Boehner, a self-described “regular guy with a big job”:

Today, Congressman Boehner posted the following message thanking the people of Clark County for the opportunity to serve as their representative in the House and welcomed them to the Eighth District community.

In the message, Boehner encouraged constituents to be a part of the legislative process by writing, calling, attending Open Door sessions, and reaching out through social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.  He remarked, “We will not always agree on the issues but I can assure you of this: I will always listen to your concerns and your ideas.”

If you didn’t catch Congressman Boehner’s remarks at today’s Opening Session, please take a minute to read here.

“To the newest constituents of the Eighth District of Ohio, the people of Clark County, please let me welcome you and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your representative in the House of Representatives. 

“The people of the Eighth District have always been opinionated, well-educated on the issues, and active in the process.  And having gotten to know many of you in the past year, I can say with confidence: you’ll fit right in. 

“As your Congressman, I encourage you to be a part of the legislative process by writing in, calling, and sharing your opinions on our website, facebook page, or twitter feed.  We will not always agree on the issues but I can assure you of this: I’ll always listen to your concerns and your ideas.

“In addition to writing into our office or giving us a call, my office hosts weekly ‘Open Door’ sessions where you can meet face-to-face with one of my staff who can help you with constituent services and pass along your opinions to me in Washington.

“Learn more about how you can regularly be involved and informed on the legislation and activity in the House by visiting JohnBoehner.House.Gov.

“I hope that we’ll hear from you soon and thanks for listening.”