House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, offered remarks as the House convened Tuesday on the first day of the 2026 legislative session. Here are his remarks, as prepared for delivery.
Members, it is good to see all of you again. When we gathered in this chamber in November 2024 to begin this journey, we did so believing that our service here could matter and that we could be stronger together than apart.
In the weeks and months that followed, our story took several surprising twists and turns. We found the voice of this House, and we used it with resounding clarity. We rode the high of exhilarating victories and faced bitter disappointments. Our sprint became a marathon. We listened and we adapted. We stood firm on our principles and we insisted on our independence.
We learned lessons along the way. We learned that words without truth have no meaning. We learned that actions without humility lack consequence. We learned that government is not shaped by mysterious outside forces, but by the passions, egos, heroism and grace of the men and women who sit in our chairs and who walk these halls.
We learned that issues we tackle are not easily reduceable to a slogan or an idea. We live in an incredible state, but that doesn't mean we don't face challenges. Our problems are not simple ones, and they can't be waived away with a magic wand. But difficult doesn't mean impossible and hard isn't an excuse for cowardice.
We have been summoned here to the Capitol by the Constitution of the state of Florida. We have been called to spend the next nine weeks conducting the business of the people. And that is what we will do — with all the energy, determination and creativity we can muster. We will approach this task with an open hand, an open mind, and an open heart. The Florida House stands ready to work with anyone who is willing to put the needs of our state first.
Affordability and insurance. Taxes and the economy. Prescription drug prices and the rising cost of public benefits. We must ensure Florida stays at the center of our planet's race for the stars, and that our infrastructure keeps pace with our growth. Every child in Florida, from the unborn to our college graduates, deserves a fair shot at finding their own American Dream.
That is the work we have before us. That is the promise we made to the people of Florida.
We stand here today ready to write together the second half of our story. And I can't tell you how many reporters and lobbyists and others in the process have asked me, "What is going to happen this session?" It's like they want me to give away the ending.
Honestly, I don't know what is going to happen. That's OK because the journey is the best part. I would not have traded any of the moments we have shared together — the friendships and the fights, the laughter and the tears — I would not have traded this experience just for a little more peace or a little more quiet.
I don't know how our story will end. But what I do know is what we believed back in November 2024 is true: our service here matters, and we will always be stronger together.
Others in this process spend a lot of time thinking about and talking about their titles, but in this chamber we really don't dwell on the word "Representative." We don't talk in "I's" and "me's" and "my's". In the House, it's always "we." In crisis, we lean upon each other. In triumph, we celebrate together. In the face of adversity, we work together and we find our way through.
We are the Florida House of Representatives, and when we set our mind to it, there is absolutely nothing we can't do.
God bless you all.
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