BOEHNER:

House Republicans are committed to fixing their broken immigration system. We're working on a common sense, step by step approach, to ensure that the American people have confidence that we're addressing these issues openly and honestly. Our focus is on getting the policy right, so we fix our immigration system once and for all, and help our economy grow.

I want to be clear. There's no place in this debate for hateful or ignorant comments from elected officials. Earlier this week, Representative Steve King made comments that were, I think, deeply offensive and wrong. What he said does not reflect the values of the American people, or the Republican party, and we all need to do our work in a constructive, open and respectful way. As I've said many times, we can disagree, but without being disagreeable.

Senate Democrats finally joined Republicans in passing the permanent market-based solutions on student loans. Now this bipartisan victory is a victory for students and for our economy. And it passed entirely consistent with the House Republican bill that passed in May. So I want to thank Chairman Kline, especially Representative Virginia Fox, for their work on this issue, and the bipartisan group of senators who our members worked with to come to this agreement.

As for the Democrat leaders in the Senate, all I can say is what took you so long? You know, the president -- president pivoted (ph) this week to jobs, as he has been known to do on occasion. And under the president's leadership, our country has fallen into the new normal of slow growth, high unemployment, and stagnant wages. And I think it's unacceptable.

But (inaudible) turned out to be all sizzle and no fake (ph), that's assuming that there is any sizzle left after you've reheated this thing so many times. I hope that going forward, he's going to learn from his experience on student loans and other issues, where he would focus more on those issues where we can't find common ground.

As you know, House Republicans have been focused on economic growth and jobs since day one. Now the president says he wants our ideas, well here they are. The card's right here, and we've been at it since day one, we welcome any opportunity to work with the president on enacting things that actually will get our economy moving again.

We want to expand American energy, simplify our tax code, reduce harmful regulations, and fix a broken government. Now the president wants a better bargain, I think it's a pretty good place to start. Now these are all common sense ideas, where there is consensus. As the president works with us to find common ground, like he did on student loans, we can make real progress. So I hope he'll reach out and continue to work with us.

QUESTION:

Mr. Speaker, yesterday (inaudible). What do you think of the criticism that after that incident, this complex, this stimulus, this room here got built in large part because of that incident, that there's no urgency among lawmakers to do anything on gun violence, because basically now you guys work in probably the safest office building in the country?

BOEHNER:

Well obviously the issue of gun violence has been one that's difficult to deal with. If you look at all the major incidents where you've had this type of gun violence, you'll find the perpetrator had a history of mental illness. And the question is how do we keep the guns out of hands -- out of the hands of those who should not have them. And I think our committees have done a number of hearings, we're going to continue to work on this, because it really is the link. How do we do this? As we do these background checks.

QUESTION:

(Inaudible) but isn't that sort of language, and those sort of sentiments among certain members of Congress, and other people who support your party, isn't that indicative of the challenge of trying to pass this -- any sort of immigration reform bill, because there are those sentiments out there, we have to figure out a way to get past that somehow?

BOEHNER:

So our committees are doing their work. We're going to go through this in a common sense, step by step way. We don't need to make this job more difficult. We've got a broken system, a broken legal immigration system, the problem of those who are here undocumented that ought to be dealt with as well.

And it does make it more difficult, but I'm going to continue to work with members who want to get to a solution, as opposed to those who want to do nothing.

QUESTION:

(Inaudible).

BOEHNER:

Of course.

QUESTION:

Does doing something (inaudible) broken immigration system?

BOEHNER:

There are a number of things that need to be fixed with our broken immigration system. Forty percent of those who are here without documents came here legally. And so how do we -- how do we fix the legal immigration system, one so that it's more fair, and secondly, one that we can enforce? Senator (inaudible) shaved, and you have a tie on, you actually have socks on.

(UNKNOWN)

(Inaudible) getting there.

BOEHNER:

That would be a bit of an overstatement.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION:

There seems to be (inaudible) possibly the grand bargain on deficit reduction (inaudible) talking about specifically about how they quote unquote conducted meetings with President Obama. Would you open yourself up to one-on-one meetings with President Obama again, regarding the deficit (ph)?

BOEHNER:

I've made it pretty clear that I think it's time for Congress to do its work. I'd be happy to work with the president, or anybody else who's interested in fixing a spending problem that's grown entirely out of control, nearly $17 trillion worth of debt, another $7-800 billion worth of debt this year, we've spent more than we've brought in for the last 60 years, I hope somebody's wiling to actually talk about it. But I think -- I think moving this to regular order is the right way to do it.

QUESTION:

But no one-on-one?

BOEHNER:

I think I've made that pretty clear.

QUESTION:

Since you do not have to, and don't usually vote, why did you feel the need to vote on the NSA amendment (inaudible)?

BOEHNER:

Because I was opposed to it.

QUESTION:

And why -- and why so opposed -- why so opposed though if you felt you wanted to go on the record (inaudible), and what -- do you think that any change would be appropriate when (inaudible) is reauthorized?

BOEHNER:

I voted last night, because these NSA programs have helped keep Americans safe. They are, in my view, ample safeguards to protect the American people, and I know how these programs have worked, I know how they've worked to help protect the American people, and I felt very strongly about it.

I also felt very strongly that the Congress couldn't just avoid the debate. Members wanted to have this debate. I believe, you all know, I believe in a more open process, and I wanted the House to have this debate. We did, the amendment was defeated. I'm proud of my colleagues who stood up for what I think they believe was a program that really is working to help protect the American people.

QUESTION:

Do you feel that Mr. Cain's comments are so offensive that it (inaudible) removed from the judiciary committee, or any other steps to ...

BOEHNER:

I think I've made myself very clear when it comes to Mr. King.

QUESTION:

Do you think it would be productive in (inaudible) negotiations over continued resolution (inaudible)?

BOEHNER:

Obamacare, in my view, it's -- it's driving up the cost of health insurance, it's denying people access to quality care, and it's killing jobs in America. That's why we voted some 39, 40 times, to defund or repeal Obamacare. And I would remind you that the president has signed seven changes to Obamacare in the law, that would never have happened, had it not been for our continued efforts to defund this, and to repeal it.

As we get into the fall, we're going to continue to point out what I think are big flaws in the system. How can you provide subsidies through these health exchanges, without verifying people's income? I mean our job is to protect the American people, is to spend their taxpayer money wisely. I think it's wide open for abuse.

Just one of a number of issues that I expect we'll continue to work on, as we do everything we can to make sure this doesn't -- doesn't really go into effect.

QUESTION:

(Inaudible)?

BOEHNER:

We will continue to do everything we can to defund it, to repeal it, and to make sure that the American people aren't put through this horrific experience.

QUESTION:

On that -- on that topic, Senator Mike Lee (inaudible) mandate in Obamacare (inaudible) by the president. Do you agree at all with Senator Lee's remarks, that funding for the individual mandate should be halted (inaudible).

BOEHNER:

No decision has been made about how we're going to deal with the CR next month, or September. Yes ma'am?

QUESTION:

Just on that note also, about ruling out the CR, Senator Lee and others in the House are saying it's now or never to block funding for Obamacare ...

BOEHNER:

We have not made any decisions about how we're going to deal with the CR. Thank you all.

CQ Transcriptions, July 25, 2013List of Speakers

REP. JOHN A. BOEHNER, R-OHIO, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE