Thousands are gathered Friday for the second day of the Conservative Political Action Conference to plot the way forward for the Republican Party.

Former presidential contender Mitt Romney is scheduled to speak before the CPAC crowd.

On Thursday, they heard from potential 2016 candidates, like Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

In his speech, Rubio talked about the need to work together with people you disagree with.

"In order to work together with people you disagree with, there has to be mutual respect," he said. "That means I respect people that disagree with me on certain things. But they have to respect me, too."

"Just because I believe that states have the right to defend marriage in a traditional way does not make me a bigot," he continued. "Just because we believe life is worthy of protection at all stages of development doesn't make you a chauvinist."

"In fact, the people who are actually close minded in American politics are the people that love to preach about the certainty of science when it comes to our climate, but ignore the absolute fact that science has proven that life begins at conception," he said.

Sen. Paul came with a message for President Barack Obama regarding the administration's drone program.

"The message to the president is that no one person gets to decide the law," the Kentucky lawmaker said. "No one person gets to decide your guilt or innocence."

"My question to the president was about more than just killing Americans on America soil," he continued. "My question was about whether presidential power has limits."

Notably excluded from the list of CPAC speakers are New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.