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| {{For|the boxer|Marco Antonio Rubio}} | |||
| {{pp-pc1}} | |||
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| {{Infobox officeholder | |||
| |name = Marco Rubio | |||
| |image = MarcoRubioColorEnhanced112thCongress.jpg | |||
| |jr/sr = United States Senator | |||
| |state = ] | |||
| |alongside = ] | |||
| |term_start = January 3, 2011 | |||
| |term_end = | |||
| |predecessor = ] | |||
| |successor = | |||
| |office1 = ] | |||
| |term_start1 = November 21, 2006 | |||
| |term_end1 = November 18, 2008 | |||
| |predecessor1 = ] | |||
| |successor1 = ] | |||
| |state_house3 = Florida | |||
| |district3 = 111th | |||
| |term_start3 = January 25, 2000 | |||
| |term_end3 = November 18, 2008 | |||
| |predecessor3 = Carlos Valdes | |||
| |successor3 = ] | |||
| |birth_name = Marco Antonio Rubio | |||
| |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|5|28}} | |||
| |birth_place = ], Florida, United States | |||
| |spouse = {{marriage|]|1998}} | |||
| |children = 4 | |||
| |party = ] | |||
| |education = {{ubl|]|]|] <small>(])</small>|] <small>(])</small>}} | |||
| |website = <br> | |||
| |religion = ] | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Marco Antonio Rubio''' (born May 28, 1971) is the ] ] from the state of ], serving since January 2011, and is a candidate for ] in the ]. He previously served as ]. | |||
| Rubio is a ] from ]. He is a graduate of the ] and the ]. In the late 1990s, he served as a ] for ] and was elected to the ] in 2000, representing the 111th House district. | |||
| Later in 2000, Rubio was promoted to be one of two majority ], and in 2002 was appointed ] by Speaker ]. He was elected ] of the Florida House in September 2005, and served as Speaker for two years. Upon leaving the Florida legislature in 2008, Rubio started a new ], and also began teaching at ], where he continues as an ]. | |||
| Rubio ] in 2010, and won that election. In the U.S. Senate, he chairs the ], as well as the ]. He is one of three ]. On April 13, 2015, Rubio announced that he would forgo seeking reelection to the Senate to ], and he is currently seeking the ]. | |||
| ==Early life, education, and entry into politics== | |||
| Rubio was born in Miami, Florida,<ref>{{cite news |last=Linkins |first=Jason |date=October 20, 2011 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/marco-rubio-bobby-jindal-birthers_n_1022742.html |title=Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal Become Focus Of Bipartisan Birthers |work=]}}</ref> the second son and third child of Mario Rubio Reina<ref name=riseofMR>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PG9Q5LAei_sC&pg=PA26|title=The Rise of Marco Rubio|author= Manuel Roig-Franzia|page=26|isbn=978-1451675450|publisher=Simon & Schuster}}</ref> and Oriales (] Garcia) Rubio. His parents were Cubans who immigrated to the United States in 1956, prior to the ] in January 1959.<ref name="WaPo Exile" /> His mother made at least four trips back after Castro’s victory, including for a month in 1961.<ref name="WaPo Exile" /> Neither of his parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of Rubio’s birth,<ref>{{cite web|title=Marco Rubio Once Benefitted From Birthright Citizenship, Now He’s Open to Restricting It|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/twentysixteen/2015/08/18/marco-rubio-once-benefitted-from-birthright-citizenship-now-hes-open-restricting|work=National Journal|accessdate=November 2, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011162523/http://www.nationaljournal.com/twentysixteen/2015/08/18/marco-rubio-once-benefitted-from-birthright-citizenship-now-hes-open-restricting|archivedate=October 11, 2015|date=August 18, 2015}}</ref> but ultimately his parents applied for U.S. citizenship and were ] in 1975.<ref name="WaPo Exile">{{cite news |last=Roig-Franzia |first=Manuel |title=Marco Rubio's compelling family story embellishes facts, documents show |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/marco-rubios-compelling-family-story-embellishes-facts-documents-show/2011/10/20/gIQAaVHD1L_story.html |accessdate=October 21, 2011 |newspaper=] |date=October 21, 2011}} ''See also'' , '']'' (October 24, 2011).</ref> | |||
| Marco has three siblings: older brother Mario, older sister Barbara (married to ]), and younger sister Veronica (formerly married to ]).<ref>O'keefe, Ed. , ] (April 13, 2015).</ref> Growing up, his family was ], though from age 8 to age 11 he and his family attended ] while living in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite web |first=Thomas |last=Burr |url=http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54325018-78/rubio-church-family-faith.html.csp |title=Marco Rubio's book explains why he left Mormonism |work=] |date=June 18, 2012}}</ref> During those years in Nevada, his father worked as a bartender at Sam's Town Hotel and his mother a housekeeper at the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Marco Rubio About|url=http://www.rubio.senate.gov/about.cfm|website=Marco Rubio Senator|accessdate=November 19, 2014}}</ref> He received his ] as a Catholic in 1984, before moving back to Miami with his family a year later. He was confirmed and married in the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/23/sen-marco-rubios-religious-journey-catholic-to-mormon-to-catholic-to-baptist-and-catholic/?hpt=hp_t3 |title=Sen. Marco Rubio's religious journey: Catholic to Mormon to Catholic to Baptist and Catholic |last=Marrapodi |first=Erin |date=February 23, 2012 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=February 24, 2012}}</ref><ref name=myflorida/> | |||
| ] | |||
| Rubio attended ], graduating in 1989. He then attended ] in Missouri for one year on a ] ] from 1989 to 1990, before enrolling at ] (now ]) in ]. He earned his ] degree in ] from the ] in 1993, and his ] degree '']'' from the ] in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bennett|first=George|title=Republican candidate Marco Rubio casts U.S. Senate race as battle for America|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional/republican-candidate-marco-rubio-casts-us-senate-r/nMBRR/|work=The Palm Beach Post|accessdate=February 19, 2014|date=October 2, 2010}}</ref><ref name=bio10>{{cite web |title=Marco Rubio – Biography |url=http://www.republicanbusinesscouncil.com/bios/rubio_bio.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324040831/http://www.republicanbusinesscouncil.com/bios/rubio_bio.pdf |archivedate=March 24, 2012 |publisher=Republican Business Council |year=2010 |accessdate=May 24, 2012}}</ref> Rubio has said that his education resulted in $100,000 of student loans, which he paid off in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-marco-rubios-state-union-response/story?id=18484413 |title=Transcript: Marco Rubio's State of the Union Response|publisher=ABC News |date=February 13, 2013 |accessdate=February 20, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| While studying law, Rubio interned for U.S. Representative ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Clark |first=Lesley |title=Miami's Marco Rubio becomes new Florida senator |work=] |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/05/2001675/miamis-marco-rubio-becomes-new.html |accessdate=August 24, 2011 |date=January 5, 2011}}http://wayback.archive.org/web/20151119231310/http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/05/2001675/miamis-marco-rubio-becomes-new.html</ref> He also worked on ] Senator ]'s 1996 presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite web |last=O'Keefe |first=Ed |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-south-florida-jeb-bush-and-marco-rubio-are-forcing-locals-to-pick-sides/2015/04/09/331951a6-d3e3-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html |title=In South Florida, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are forcing locals to pick sides |work=] |date=April 10, 2014|accessdate=April 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Leary |first=Alex |url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/marco-rubios-meteoric-rise-in-florida-politics/1127114 |title=Marco Rubio's meteoric rise in Florida politics |work=] |date=October 9, 2010|accessdate=April 12, 2014}}</ref> In April 1998, two years out of law school and 26 years old, Rubio was elected to a seat as City Commissioner for ] before moving on to the Florida House of Representatives in early 2000.<ref>Samuels, Robert. , '']'' (July 30, 2015).</ref><ref name=Mishak>Mishak, Michael. , '']'' (November 5, 2015).</ref> | |||
| In October 2011, newspapers reported that Rubio's previous statements that his parents were forced to leave Cuba in 1959, after Fidel Castro came to power, were incorrect. His parents left Cuba in 1956, during the dictatorship of ]. According to ''The Washington Post'', Rubio's "embellishments" resonated with many voters in Florida, and the newspaper claimed they would be less impressed by his family being economic migrants instead of ] from a communist regime.<ref name="WaPo Exile"/> Rubio responded, saying: "The real essence of my family's story is not about the date my parents first entered the United States. Or whether they traveled back and forth between the two nations. Or even the date they left Fidel Castro's Cuba forever and permanently settled here. The essence of my family story is why they came to America in the first place, and why they had to stay."<ref>{{cite web |first=Marco |last=Rubio |title=My family's flight from Castro |work=Politico |date=October 21, 2011 |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66567.html |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| ==Florida House of Representatives== | |||
| ===Elections and concurrent employment=== | |||
| In late 1999, a ] was called to fill the seat for the 111th House District in the ], representing Miami. The seat had been held by Representative Carlos Valdes, who had run for and won an open ] seat.<ref>{{cite news | first=David | last=CM-Azares | title=Diaz De La Portilla Wins State Senate Seat | url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1999-12-15/news/9912150159_1_senate-post-state-senate-seat-miami-dade | newspaper=Sun Sentinel | date=December 15, 1999 | accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> It was considered a safe Republican seat, so Rubio's main challenge was to win the GOP nomination. He campaigned as a moderate, advocating tax cuts and ].<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| Rubio placed second in the Republican primary on December 14, 1999,<ref>{{cite web | title=December 14, 1999 Special Primary Senate 34 and House 111 & 115 | url=http://election.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/SummaryRpt.asp?ElectionDate=12/14/1999&Race=STR&Party=REP&DATAMODE= | publisher=Florida Department of State Division of Elections | accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> but won the run-off election for the Republican nomination, defeating Angel Zayon (a television and radio reporter who was popular with Cuban exiles) by just 64 votes.<ref name=Mishak /><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-07-22/news/marco-rubio-tea-party-pretty-boy/full/ | title=Marco Rubio, Tea Party pretty boy | first=Tim | last=Elfrink | date=July 22, 2010 | accessdate=February 14, 2013 | work=Miami New Times}}</ref> He then defeated Democrat Anastasia Garcia with 72% of the vote in a January 25, 2000 special election.<ref>{{cite news | title=Legislator says he got calls demanding he end sit-in Series: AROUND THE STATE: | date=January 26, 2000 | accessdate=February 14, 2013 | work=St. Petersburg Times | url=http://0-search.proquest.com.alpha.stpaul.lib.mn.us/docview/263423613}}</ref> | |||
| In November 2000, Rubio won re-election unopposed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=33133 |title=FL State House 111 Race – Nov 07, 2000 |publisher=Our Campaigns |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> In 2002, he won re-election to a second full term unopposed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=5594 |title=FL State House 111 Race – Nov 05, 2002 |publisher=Our Campaigns |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> In 2004, he won re-election to a third full term with 66% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=68885 |title=FL State House 111 Race – Nov 02, 2004 |publisher=Our Campaigns |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> In 2006, he won re-election to a fourth full term unopposed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=297425 |title=FL State House 111 Race – Nov 07, 2006 |publisher=Our Campaigns |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Rubio served almost nine years in the Florida House of Representatives. Since the Florida legislative session officially lasted only 60 days, he was able to spend about half of each year in Miami, where he worked first at a law firm that specialized in land use and zoning, and later starting in 2004, took a position with ], a Miami law and lobbying firm, though state law precluded him from engaging in lobbying or introducing legislation on behalf of the firm's clients.<ref name=Mishak /><ref>{{cite web|author1=Hamburger, Tom|author2=Sullivan, Sean|date=June 29, 2015|title=How Marco Rubio turned political star power into a soaring personal income|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-marco-rubio-turned-political-star-power-into-a-soaring-personal-income/2015/06/29/8cdae1aa-13a8-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=November 7, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| ===Tenure in legislature=== | |||
| At the time Rubio took his seat in the legislature in ] in January 2000, voters in Florida had recently approved a constitutional amendment on ]. This created openings for new legislative leaders due to many senior incumbents having to retire. According to an article in '']'', Rubio also gained an extra advantage in that regard, because he was sworn in early due to the special election, and he would take advantage of these opportunities to join the GOP leadership.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| ====Majority whip and majority leader==== | |||
| Later in 2000, the ] of the House, ], promoted Rubio to be one of two majority ].<ref name=Mishak /> ''National Journal'' described that position as typically requiring a lot of arm-twisting, but said Rubio took a different approach that relied more on persuading legislators and less on coercing them.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| Fasano resigned in September 2001 as majority leader of the House due to disagreements with the House speaker, and the speaker passed over Rubio to appoint a more experienced replacement for Fasano. Rubio volunteered to work on ], which he accomplished by dividing the state into five regions, then working individually with the lawmakers involved, and this work helped to cement his relationships with GOP leaders.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| In December 2002, Rubio was appointed House Majority Leader by Speaker ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F7DC37DA1706DF7&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Dade Hispanics Set to Get Top Posts in House|publisher=Nl.newsbank.com|accessdate=September 9, 2012|date=December 10, 2002}} | |||
| </ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F832B87CC108EB4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Two S. Florida Democrats To Lead Senate Committees|publisher=Nl.newsbank.com|accessdate=September 9, 2012|date=December 18, 2002}}</ref> He persuaded Speaker Byrd to restructure the job of Majority Leader, so that legislative wrangling would be left to the whip’s office, and Rubio would become the main spokesperson for the House GOP.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| According to ''National Journal'', during this period Rubio did not entirely adhere to doctrinaire conservative principles, and some colleagues described him as a ] "who sought out Democrats and groups that don’t typically align with the GOP".<ref name=Mishak /> He co-sponsored legislation that would have let farm workers sue growers in state court if they were shortchanged on pay, and co-sponsored a bill for giving in-state tuition rates to the children of ].<ref name=Mishak /> In the wake of the ], he voiced suspicion about expanding police detention powers, and helped defeat a GOP bill that would have required colleges to increase reporting to the state about foreign students.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| As a state representative, Rubio requested legislative ]s (called "Community Budget Issue Requests" in Florida), totaling about $145 million for 2001 and 2002, but none thereafter.<ref>Sharockman, Aaron. , '']'' (November 16, 2010).</ref><ref name=Roig>Roig-Franzia, Manuel. ''The Rise of Marco Rubio'', (Simon & Schuster 2012).</ref> Additionally, an office in the executive branch compiled a longer list of spending requests by legislators, including Rubio,<ref name=Caputo>Caputo, Marc. , '']'' (March 9, 2010).</ref> as did the non-profit group Florida TaxWatch.<ref name=JK>Kennedy, John. , '']'' (May 23, 2007).</ref> Many of those listed items were for health and social programs that Rubio has described as "the kind of thing that legislators would get attacked on if we didn't fund them."<ref name=JK /> A 2010 report by the '']'' and '']'' said that some of Rubio’s spending requests dovetailed with his personal interests.<ref name=Caputo /> For example, Rubio requested a $20 million appropriation for ] to subsidize care for the poor and uninsured,<ref name=JK /> and Rubio later did work for that hospital as a consultant.<ref name=Caputo /> A spokesman for Rubio has said that the items in question helped the whole county, that Rubio did not lobby to get them approved, that the hospital money was necessary and non-controversial, and that Rubio is "a limited-government conservative ... not a no-government conservative".<ref name=Caputo /> | |||
| ====House speaker==== | |||
| On September 13, 2005, at the age of 34,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-speaker-20150710|title=The Speaker|work=National Journal|accessdate=July 23, 2015|date=July 11, 2015}}</ref> Rubio clinched the speakership after State Representatives ], ], and ] dropped out. He was actually sworn in over a year later, in November 2006. He became the first ] to be ], and would remain speaker until November 2008.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fineout |first=Gary |url=http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031115/NEWS/211150381/1047 |title=Baxley backs off House leader bid |publisher=Ocala.com |date=November 15, 2003 |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ] colleagues to help write "100 Innovative Ideas For Florida's Future", September 2005]] | |||
| When he was chosen as future speaker in 2005, Rubio delivered a speech to the House in which he asked members to look in their desks, where they each found a hardcover book titled ''100 Innovative Ideas For Florida’s Future''; but the book was intentionally blank, because it had not yet been written, and Rubio told his colleagues that they would fill in the pages together with the help of ordinary Floridians.<ref name=Mishak /> In 2006, after traveling around the state and talking with citizens, and compiling their ideas, Rubio published the book.<ref>Rubio, Marco. '''' (Regnery 2006).</ref><ref name="100IdeasPolitifact">{{cite web |title=Rubio claims 57 of his 100 ideas were made law by the Florida Legislature |url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/feb/26/marco-rubio/rubio-claims-57-his-100-ideas-were-made-law-florid/ |publisher=Politifact |accessdate=May 24, 2012}}</ref> The ''National Journal'' called this book "the centerpiece of Rubio’s early speakership".<ref name=Mishak /> About 24 of the "ideas" became law, while another 10 were partially enacted.<ref name="100IdeasPolitifact"/> Among the items from his 2006 book that became law were multiple-year car registrations, a requirement that high schools provide more vocational courses, and an expanded voucher-like school-choice program. Rubio's defenders, and even some critics, point out that ] overlapped with much of Rubio's speakership, and so funding new legislative proposals became difficult.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| At the time Rubio took office as speaker, ] was completing his term as governor, and Bush left office in January 2007. Rubio hired 18 Bush aides, leading capitol insiders to say the speaker's suite was "the governor’s office in exile." An article in ''National Journal'' described Rubio's style as being very different from Bush's; where Bush was a very assertive manager of affairs in Tallahassee, the article says, Rubio's style was to delegate certain powers, relinquish others, and invite former political rivals into his inner circle.<ref name=Mishak /> As incoming speaker, he decided to open a private dining room for legislators, which he said would give members more privacy, free from being pursued by lobbyists, though the expense of doing so led to a public relations problem.<ref name=Mishak /> | |||
| ] Select Committee on Private Property Rights, October 2005]] | |||
| In 2006, Florida enacted into law limitations upon the authority of the state government to take private property, in response to the 2005 Supreme Court decision in ] which took a broad view of governmental power to take private property under ]. This state legislation had been proposed by a special committee chaired by Rubio prior to his speakership.<ref name=NR1 /> | |||
| Jeb Bush's successor as governor was ], a moderate Republican who took office in January 2007. Rubio and Crist clashed frequently. Their sharpest clash involved the governor's initiative to expand casino ] in Florida. Rubio sued Crist for bypassing the Florida Legislature in order to make a deal with the ]. The ] sided with Rubio and blocked the deal.<ref>Deb, Sopan. , ] (November 3, 2015).</ref><ref name="BaconRevolt"/> | |||
| Rubio also was a critic of Crist's strategy to fight ] through an executive order creating new automobile and utility ]. Rubio accused Crist of imposing "European-style big government mandates," and the legislature under Rubio's leadership weakened the impact of Crist's climate change initiative.<ref name=Mishak /><ref name="BaconRevolt"/> Rubio said that Crist’s approach would harm consumers by driving up utility bills without having much effect upon the environment, and that a better approach would be to promote ] (e.g. ]), ]s, and ].<ref>Dunkelberger, Lloyd. , '']'' (July 26, 2007).</ref><ref>Klas, Mary Ellen. , '']'' (July 25, 2007).</ref><ref>Rubio, Marco. , '']'' (July 25, 2007) via carboncapture.us. Retrieved November 27, 2015.</ref> | |||
| Rubio introduced a plan to reduce ] to 2001 levels (and potentially eliminate them altogether), while increasing ] by 1% to 2.5% to fund schools. The proposal would have reduced property taxes in the state by $40–50 billion. His proposal passed the House, but was opposed by Governor Crist and Florida Senate Republicans, who said that the increase in sales tax would disproportionately affect the poor. So, Rubio agreed to smaller changes, and Crist's proposal to double the state's ] from $25,000 to $50,000 (for a tax reduction estimated by Crist to be $33 billion) ultimately passed.<ref name=Mishak /><ref name=NR1>{{cite news |title=When Rubio Was the Man of Florida's House |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/416889/when-rubio-was-man-floridas-house-jim-geraghty |accessdate=July 23, 2015 |work=National Review |date=April 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name=TB1>{{cite news |title=Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate campaign grew out of his 2007 antitax roots |url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/marco-rubios-us-senate-campaign-grew-out-of-his-2007-antitax-roots/1108354 |accessdate=May 24, 2012 |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |date=July 12, 2010}}</ref> Legislators called it the largest tax cut in Florida's history up until then.<ref name=NR1/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Bousquet|first1=Steve|title=Confused now? It will get worse|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/16/State/Confused_now_It_will_.shtml|accessdate=August 8, 2015|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=June 16, 2007}}</ref> At the time, Republican anti-tax activist ] described Rubio as "the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country."<ref name=TB1 /> | |||
| ], during 2007 legislative session]] | |||
| As speaker, Rubio "aggressively tried to push Florida to the ]," according to ], and frequently clashed with the ], which was run by more ]s, and with then-Governor Charlie Crist, a centrist Republican at the time.<ref name="BaconRevolt">Perry Bacon Jr., , NBC News, ''Meet the Press'' (April 14, 2015).</ref> Although a conservative, "behind the scenes many Democrats considered Rubio someone with whom they could work," according to biographer Manuel Roig-Franzia.<ref>Roig-Franzia, Manuel. ''The Rise of Marco Rubio'', p. 110 (Simon & Schuster, 2015).</ref> ] of Miami, the House Democratic leader at the time of Rubio's speakership, considered him "a true conservative" but not "a reflexive partisan," saying: "He didn't have an objection to working with the other side simply because they were the other side. To put it bluntly, he wasn't a jerk."<ref name="AdamsBipartisanship">Chris Adams, , McClatchy Washington Bureau (July 16, 2015).</ref> Gelber considered Rubio "a severe conservative, really far to the right, but probably the most talented spokesman the severe right could ever hope for."<ref name="BaconRevolt"/> | |||
| While Speaker of the Florida House, Rubio shared a residence in Tallahassee with another Florida State Representative, ], which the two co-owned. The house later went into foreclosure in 2010 after several missed mortgage payments.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bender |first=Michael C. |title=Rubio faces foreclosure on Tally home; his campaign says it's resolved |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/rubio-faces-foreclosure-on-tally-home-his-campaign-754440.html |accessdate=May 5, 2011 |newspaper=] |date=June 17, 2010}}</ref> At that point, Rubio assumed responsibility for the payments, and the house was eventually sold.<ref>Marc Caputo, , ''Politico'' (June 3, 2015).</ref><ref>Associated Press, http://wrapper.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/rubio-sells-troubled-house-in-florida-for-117k/ (June 3, 2015).</ref> | |||
| ] Speaker Rubio and Senate President ] embrace after the House's unanimous approval of the ] ] to formally express deep regret for ]. March 2008]] | |||
| In 2007, Florida State Senator ] (D-Jacksonville), chairman of the state legislature's Black Caucus, requested that the legislature apologize for ], and Rubio said the idea merited discussion.<ref>Kleindeinst, Linda. , '']'' (April 18, 2007).</ref> The following year, a supportive Rubio said such apologies can be important albeit symbolic; he pointed out that even in 2008 young African-American males "believe that the American dream is not available to them".<ref>Colavecchio-Van Sickler, Shannon. , '']'' (March 5, 2008).</ref><ref>Colavecchio-Van Sickler, Shannon. , '']'' (March 26, 2008).</ref> He helped set up a council on issues facing black men and boys, persuaded colleagues to replicate the ] in the Miami neighborhood of ], and supported efforts to promote literacy and mentoring for black children and others.<ref>Leary, Alex. , '']'' (August 1, 2014).</ref><ref>Hollis, Mark and Lewis, Gregory. , '']'' (April 23, 2008).</ref><ref>Figueroa, Laura. , '']'' (May 2, 2008).</ref><ref>, home page. Retrieved November 27, 2015.</ref> | |||
| In 2010 during Rubio's senate campaign, and again in 2015 during his presidential campaign, issues were raised by the media and his political opponents about some items charged by Rubio to his ] American Express card during his time as House speaker.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/25/marco-rubio-made-personal_n_476516.html | title=Marco Rubio Made Personal Charges on GOP Credit Card | publisher=HuffPost Politics | date=April 27, 2010 | accessdate=July 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-florida-gop-under-federal-investigation-report-says/ | title=Marco Rubio, Florida GOP Under Federal Investigation, Report Says | publisher=CBS News | date=April 21, 2010 | accessdate=July 15, 2014 | author=Condon, Stephanie}}</ref><ref name=FN1108/> Rubio charged about $110,000 during those two years, of which $16,000 was personal expenses unrelated to party business, such as groceries and plane tickets.<ref name="MazzeiLeary">Patricia Mazzei & Alex Leary, , ''Tampa Bay Times'' (November 7, 2015).</ref> Rubio said that he personally paid American Express more than $16,000 for these personal expenses.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/22/gop-credit-scandal-threatens-halt-rubios-momentum-primary/ | title=GOP Credit Scandal Threatens to Halt Rubio's Momentum in Primary | publisher=Fox News Channel | date=April 22, 2010 | accessdate=July 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>Aaron Sharockman, , PolitiFact (March 11, 2010).</ref> In 2012, the Florida Commission on Ethics cleared Rubio of wrongdoing in his use of the party-issued credit card, although the commission inspector said that Rubio exhibited a "level of negligence" in not using his personal MasterCard.<ref>Leary, Alex. , '']'' (July 27, 2012).</ref><ref>Drew Griffin, Scott Zamost & Tal Kopan, , CNN (November 6, 2015).</ref> In November 2015, Rubio released his party credit card statements for January 2005 through October 2006, which showed eight personal charges totaling $7,243.74, all of which he had personally reimbursed, in most instances by the next billing period.<ref name=FN1108>, Fox News (November 8, 2015).</ref><ref name="MazzeiLeary"/><ref>Eric Bradner, , CNN Politics (November 7, 2015)</ref> When releasing the charge records, Rubio spokesman Todd Harris said, "These statements are more than 10 years old. And the only people who ask about them today are the liberal media and our political opponents. We are releasing them now because Marco has nothing to hide."<ref name=FN1108/> | |||
| ==Adjunct professor at Florida International University== | |||
| After leaving the Florida Legislature in 2008, Rubio started his own law firm,<ref>{{cite news |first=Beth |last=Reinhard |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |date=May 22, 2010 |url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/rubios-income-grew-with-his-political-clout-tax-records-show/1096766 |title=Rubio's income grew with his political clout, tax records show |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> and also began teaching under a fellowship appointment at ] (FIU) as an ].<ref name=Leary>{{cite web|last=Leary|first=Alex|title=At Florida International University, GOP rising star Sen. Marco Rubio is professor Rubio|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/at-florida-international-university-gop-rising-star-sen-marco-rubio-is/1226057|work=Tampa Bay Times|accessdate=February 19, 2014|date=April 20, 2012}}</ref> In 2011, he rejoined the FIU faculty after entering the U.S. Senate, and he has taught on most Mondays and Fridays, when the Senate is usually not in session.<ref name="Leary" /><ref name=Terris>Terris, Ben. , '']'' (February 10, 2015).</ref> Rubio teaches in the Department of Politics and International Relations, which is part of FIU's Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.<ref>, Department of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University. Retrieved November 9, 2015.</ref> He has taught up to four undergraduate courses per year, on ], political parties, and legislative politics.<ref name=GB>Bennett, George. ,'' ]'' (June 13, 2011).</ref><ref>Alex Leary, , ''Tampa Bay Times'' (June 2, 2011).</ref> | |||
| Rubio's reviews from students have been positive, even from students who disagree with him politically.<ref name=Leary /> He generally gives the impression of being unbiased and nonpartisan, and when offering his own opinion identifies it as such.<ref name=Terris /><ref name=MC>Caputo, Marc. , '']'' (February 9, 2015).</ref> Rubio says that he wants students, when they watch the news, to have an appreciation for what is really going on behind the scenes, and says that teaching "forces me to stop sometimes and analyze things."<ref name="Leary" /> | |||
| As of 2015, Rubio's appointment as an FIU professor is no longer a matter of partisan criticism, though it was initially.<ref name=MC /> The university obtained considerable state funding when Rubio was speaker of the Florida House, but many other university jobs were being eliminated due to funding issues at the time FIU appointed him to the faculty.<ref name=Leary /><ref name=GB /><ref name="LearyReinhard">Alex Leary & Beth Reinhard, , ''Tampa Bay Times''/''Miami Herald'' Tallahassee Bureau (December 12, 2009).</ref> According to news reporting about Rubio's speakership, he "might have helped FIU get money early, but all the projects already had been scheduled for funding by the state's ]."<ref name=GB /> The president of the ] at the time criticized the appointment, and Charlie Crist raised the issue against Rubio during the 2010 U.S. Senate election.<ref name=Leary /><ref name="LearyReinhard"/> Both the university and Rubio's office deny that the teaching position was based on a "]".<ref name=GB /> The director of FIU's School of International and Public Affairs says that Rubio "brings a great deal of insight and hands-on knowledge of the political process to the classroom...our students will learn from a sitting U.S. senator, which is an incredible opportunity."<ref name=GB /> | |||
| When Rubio accepted the fellowship appointment as an adjunct professor at FIU, he agreed to raise most of the funding for his position from private sources. A major contributor has been billionaire ], also a major campaign donor to Rubio.<ref name="LearyReinhard" /><ref>Barbaro, Michael and Eder, Steve. , '']'' (May 9, 2015).</ref> Rubio's office says that his current arrangement with FIU was approved by the ], and that other senators, such as then-Senator ], have held teaching positions during their terms of office.<ref name=GB /> | |||
| ==U.S. Senate== | |||
| ] | |||
| ===2010 election=== | |||
| {{Main|United States Senate election in Florida, 2010}} | |||
| On May 5, 2009, Rubio announced on his website that he planned to run for the United States Senate seat being vacated by ], who had announced that he would not seek reelection. Martinez subsequently announced (in August 2009) that he would resign before completing his term, and upon his resignation was replaced by ]. Prior to making his May 5, 2009 announcement, Rubio had been meeting with fundraisers and supporters throughout the state.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/933424.html |title=Marco Rubio quietly registers to run for U.S. Senate |work=The Miami Herald |date=March 5, 2009 |first=Beth |last=Reinhard}}http://wayback.archive.org/web/20151117033152/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/933424.html</ref> Initially trailing by double-digits in the primary against the incumbent Governor of his own party, Charlie Crist, Rubio eventually surpassed Crist in polling for the Republican nomination.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1297.xml?ReleaseID=1417 |date=January 26, 2010 |title=Rubio Edges Crist In Florida Gop Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; President Obama Under Water As Voters Disapprove |publisher=Quinnipiac University}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/florida/election_2010_florida_gop_senate_primary |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |title=Election 2010: Florida Republican Primary for Senate|date=February 1, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209003948/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/florida/election_2010_florida_republican_primary_for_senate |archivedate=February 9, 2010 |accessdate=February 25, 2012}}</ref> In his campaign, Rubio received the support of members of the ], many of whom were dissatisfied with Crist's policies as governor.<ref name=mleib>{{cite news|last1=Leibovich|first1=Mark|title=The First Senator From the Tea Party?|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10florida-t.html|accessdate=November 19, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=January 6, 2010}}</ref> | |||
| On April 28, 2010, Crist announced he would be running without a party affiliation, effectively ceding the Republican nomination to Rubio.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/charlie-crist-will-run-for-senate-with-no-party-affiliation/1091169|title=Charlie Crist will run for Senate with no party affiliation|work=Tampa Bay Times|accessdate=December 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/04/28/crist-to-run-as-independent-in-fl-sen-race |title=Crist to Run as Independent in FL Sen Race |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=April 28, 2010 |first=Kimberly |last=Schwandt |accessdate=July 10, 2010}}http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/special-report/2010/04/29/all-star-panel-gop-gov-crist-running-independent-floridas-senate-race</ref> Several of Crist's top fundraisers, as well as Republican leadership, refused to support Crist after Rubio won the Republican nomination for the Senate.<ref>{{cite web |last=Romm |first=Tony |url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/92869-mcconnell-crist-would-lose-all-gop-support-if-he-ran-as-independent |title=McConnell: Crist would lose all GOP support if he ran as independent |work=] |date=April 18, 2010 |accessdate=July 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35937.html |title=Top Charlie Crist supporters torn over indy bid |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |last2=Catanese |first2=David |date=April 17, 2010 |work=] |accessdate=April 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/24/marco-rubio-wins-florida-_n_693377.html |title=Marco Rubio Wins Florida GOP Senate Primary |first=Brendan |last=Farrington |first2=Jennifer |last2=Kay |work=] |date= August 24, 2010 |accessdate=November 3, 2010}}</ref> | |||
| On November 2, 2010, Rubio won the general election with 49 percent of the vote to Crist's 30% and ] ]'s 20%.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://elections.nbcnews.com/ns/politics/2010/florida/senate/ |title=Florida Senate Election Results |publisher=NBC News|date=November 8, 2010 |accessdate=February 19, 2013}}</ref> Following his victory in the elections, Rubio soon became the subject of speculation as a potential ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2010/1106/President-Obama-Marco-Rubio-face-off-on-tax-cuts |title=President Obama, Marco Rubio face off on tax cuts |first=Brad |last=Knickerbocker |work=] |date=November 6, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/886650--florida-s-new-senator-seen-as-great-right-hope |title=Florida's new senator seen as 'Great Right Hope' |work=Toronto Star |date=November 5, 2010 |first=Lee-Anne |last=Goodman}}</ref> At the time of his election, Rubio joined ] of New Jersey as the only two ]. (] would be elected Senator of Texas two years later).<ref>{{cite web|title=Explaining the Senate's growing conservative Latino caucus|url=http://www.wbez.org/blogs/achy-obejas/2012-08/explaining-senates-growing-conservative-latino-caucus-101449|publisher=WBEZ91.5|accessdate=April 14, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| ===Tenure in Congress=== | |||
| Shortly after taking office in 2011, Rubio said he had no interest in running for president or vice president in the 2012 presidential election.<ref>Michael O'Brien, , ''The Hill'' (January 10, 2011).</ref> In March 2012, when he endorsed ] for president, Rubio said that he did not expect to be or want to be ] as a vice presidential ],<ref name="RuckerVP">Philip Rucker, , ''The Washington Post'' (June 19, 2012).</ref> but was ] for vice president by the ].<ref name="RuckerVP"/> Former Romney aide ] has said that the vetting process turned up nothing disqualifying about Rubio.<ref>Alex Isenstadt, , ''Politico'' (October 29, 2015).</ref> | |||
| Upon taking office, Rubio hired ] as his ].<ref>{{Cite news |authorlink=Stephen F. Hayes |last=Hayes |first=Stephen |date=January 28, 2011 |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/marco-rubio-picks-chief-staff-cesar-conda_537520.html |title=Marco Rubio Picks a Chief of Staff: Cesar Conda |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rubio taps Cheney aide for chief of staff|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0111/Rubio_taps_Cheney_aide_for_chief_of_staff_.html|publisher=Politico|accessdate=April 20, 2014|date=January 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sen. Marco Rubio hires Cesar Conda to be chief of staff|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/sen-marco-rubio-hires-cesar-conda-to-be-chief-of-staff/1148232|work=Tampa Bay Times|accessdate=April 20, 2014|date=January 28, 2011}}</ref> Conda, a former adviser to Vice President ], and former top aide to Sens. ] (R-Mich.) and ] (R-Wis.), was succeeded in 2014 as Rubio's chief of staff by his deputy, Alberto Martinez, but Conda remained as a part-time adviser.<ref>O’Keefe, Ed and Costa, Robert. , '']'' (April 11, 2014).</ref> | |||
| Rubio voted against the ], which included ].<ref name="McAuliffSequester">Michael McAuliff & Erin Mershon, , ''The Huffington Post'' (August 2, 2012).</ref><ref>Amy Sherman, , PolitiFact (November 26, 2013).</ref> Rubio said in August 2012 that defense spending should never have been linked to taxes and the deficit, calling the policy a "terrible idea" based on a "false choice."<ref name="McAuliffSequester"/> | |||
| In October 2011, Rubio co-sponsored the Reducing the Size of Federal Government Through Attrition Act. The bill, which was not voted on in the Senate, would have reduced federal employment by 10% by 2015.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ashley Lopez |title=Rubio cosponsors bill that would eliminate one out of every ten federal jobs |url=http://floridaindependent.com/51770/marco-rubio-government-layoffs-jobs |work=The Florida Independent |date=October 12, 2011 |accessdate=September 14, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| In November 2011, Rubio and Senator ], Democrat of Delaware, co-sponsored the American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act (AGREE Act), which would have extended many ]s and exemptions for businesses investing in ], equipment, and other capital; provided a tax credit for veterans who start a business franchise; allowed an increase in immigration for certain types of work visas; and strengthened copyright protections.<ref>{{cite news |author=Laura Green |title=Sen. Marco Rubio says bipartisan jobs bill built on common ground |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/sen-marco-rubio-says-bipartisan-jobs-bill-built-on/nLzkn/ |work=The Palm Beach Post |date=November 16, 2011 |accessdate=August 18, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| In 2012, Rubio introduced a bill, co-sponsored by ], Democrat of West Virginia, to allow employers to be exempted from newly mandated coverage for contraception based on religious or moral grounds, but it was not adopted in the Senate.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/obama-contraception-rule-marco-rubio-bill_n_1274291.html |title=White House Attacks Marco Rubio's Contraception Bill |work=The Huffington Post |agency=Associated Press |date=February 13, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Rubio voted against the 2012 "]" resolutions. Although he received some criticism for this position, he responded: “Thousands of small businesses, not just the wealthy, will now be forced to decide how they'll pay this new tax, and, chances are, they'll do it by firing employees, cutting back their hours and benefits, or postponing the new hires they were looking to make. And to make matters worse, it does nothing to bring our dangerous debt under control.”<ref>{{cite web |last=Reinhard |first=Beth |title=Paul Ryan vs. Marco Rubio: The Politics of the Cliff Vote |work=National Journal |date=January 3, 2013 |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/paul-ryan-vs-marco-rubio-the-politics-of-the-cliff-vote-20130103?page=1}}http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/paul-ryan-vs-marco-rubio-the-politics-of-the-cliff-vote-20130103?page=2</ref> | |||
| ]) in ]]] | |||
| In 2013, Rubio was part of the bipartisan "]" Senators that crafted ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Sen. Marco Rubio (R)|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/almanac/member/1856|accessdate=August 16, 2014|publisher=National Journal Almanac}}</ref> Rubio proposed a plan providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States involving payment of fines and ]es, background checks, and a probationary period.<ref name=Foote/> | |||
| Rubio was chosen to deliver the ] to President Obama’s ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/12/full-text-marco-rubios-republican-response/ |title=Full text: Marco Rubio's Republican response |publisher=CNN|date=February 12, 2013}}</ref> It marked the first time the response was delivered in English and Spanish.<ref>{{cite news |title=State of the Union: Marco Rubio to Deliver Republican Response |url=http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/marco-rubio-to-deliver-gop-state-of-the-union-response/ |publisher=ABC News |first=Z. Byron |last=Wolf |date=February 6, 2013 |accessdate=February 19, 2013}}</ref> Rubio's attempt to draw a strong line against the looming defense sequestration was undercut by fellow Republican senator ]'s additional response to Obama's speech that called for the sequester to be carried out.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130224/DEFREG02/302240006/Has-U-S-GOP-Lost-Its-Standing-Strong-Defense-Party-|title=Has U.S. GOP Lost Its Standing as The Strong-on-Defense Party?|work=Defense News|accessdate=December 16, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In April 2013, Rubio voted against an expansion of ], contending that such increased regulatory measures would do little to help capture criminals.<ref>Zach Carter, , ''The Huffington Post'' (April 14, 2013).</ref><ref name="S.Amdt 715 to S.649">{{cite web |url=http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00097 |title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress – 1st Session |publisher=] |accessdate=July 30, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| In May 2013, Rubio proposed the Regulation Costs to Small Businesses Act which would have required the ] to conduct an annual study to estimate the total cost of regulations on small businesses.<ref name="WPHarrison">{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-small-business/wp/2015/04/14/what-a-marco-rubio-white-house-could-mean-for-businesses/ |title=What a Marco Rubio White House could mean for businesses |author=J.D. Harrison |date=April 14, 2015 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=April 15, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In July 2013, Rubio and Senator ], Democrat of Maryland, introduced the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2013. The bill would require federal agencies to monitor and regularly report on the performance of foreign assistance programs based on specified goals and metrics. The reports would be published publicly. According to Rubio: "America’s foreign assistance programs need greater transparency to ensure that they are advancing our values and interests overseas."<ref>{{cite web |title=Senators Rubio and Cardin introduce bipartisan bill to increase transparency of foreign aid |url=http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/10/senators-rubio-and-cardin-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-increase-transparency-of-foreign-aid/ |work=Gretawire |date=July 10, 2013 |accessdate=September 14, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| In 2014, Rubio co-sponsored legislation with Senator ], Democrat of Virginia, to revise the process for calculating and collecting student loans. The legislation would base student loan payments on the student's subsequent income and automatically collect payments from paychecks in order to simplify the process and eliminate loan servicer fees.<ref name="WPHarrison" /> | |||
| In 2014, Rubio asked ] "to take up the cause of freedom and democracy" in Cuba after helping negotiate the release of ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/marco-rubio-cuba-pope-criticism-113645.html |title=Marco Rubio calls out pope on Cuba |last1=FRENCH |first1=LAUREN |last2=MIN KIM |first2=SEUNG |date=December 17, 2014 |publisher=politico.com |accessdate=December 17, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| In 2015, at a summit organized by Concerned Veterans for America, Rubio said that the ] was "simply buckling under the weight of its own bureaucracy" as he endorsed their proposal to open veterans' care to private providers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/26/va-health-care-task-force/24052871/ |title=Veterans propose major changes in VA health care |last1=Wagner |first1=Dennis |date=February 26, 2015 |website=USA Today |publisher=USA TODAY |accessdate=April 19, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In March 2015, Rubio and Senator ], Republican of Utah, proposed a tax plan which, according to ''The Wall Street Journal'', combined thinking from "old-fashioned, Reagan-era supply siders" and a "breed of largely younger conservative reform thinkers" who are concerned with the tax burden on the middle-class. The plan would lower the top corporate income tax rate from 38% to 25%, eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends and inherited estates, and create a new child tax credit worth up to $2,500 per child. The plan would set the top individual income tax rate at 35%. It also included a proposal to replace the means-tested welfare system, including food stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit, with a new "consolidated system of benefits".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/03/13/lee-rubio-plan-gives-life-to-2016-tax-debate/ |title=Lee-Rubio Plan Gives Life to 2016 Tax Debate |last1=King Jr. |first1=Neil |date=March 13, 2015 |work=The Wall Street Journal |accessdate=September 24, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| According to analysis by ] as reported by Fox News, Rubio has missed 8.3 percent of total votes since taking office, from January 2011 to February 2015.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=April 23, 2015 |title=Absentee ballot: Ted Cruz a no-show at most committee meetings, floor votes |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2015/04/23/absentee-ballot-ted-cruz-no-show-at-most-committee-meetings-floor-votes/ |publisher=Fox News Channel |access-date=April 23, 2015 |quote=In February, an analysis carried out by Vocativ in partnership with GovTrack.us, showed that Rubio beats Cruz as the senator most absent from chambers, having missed 99, or 8.3 percent, of 1,198 total votes since taking office in January 2011 to February of this year. }}</ref> From October 27, 2014, to October 26, 2015, Rubio voted in 74 percent of Senate votes, according to an analysis by GovTrack.us, which tracks Congressional voting records.<ref>{{cite web|title=Marco Rubio, Senator for Florida|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/marco_rubio/412491|website=GovTrack|publisher=Civic Impulse, LLC|accessdate=October 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Rugaber|first1=Christopher S.|title=AP FACT CHECK: The Republican debaters and the facts|url=http://news.yahoo.com/ap-fact-check-republican-debaters-facts-005112443--election.html|accessdate=October 29, 2015|agency=Associated Press|date=October 28, 2015}}</ref> In historical context Rubio's attendance record for Senate votes is not exceptional among senators seeking a presidential nomination, such as Senator ] whose percentage of missed votes in 2007 was much higher. However it is the worst of the three senators currently running for the presidency.<ref>Bump, Philip. "The problem with Marco Rubio’s defense of his missed votes", '']'' (October 30, 2015).</ref> | |||
| ===Committee assignments=== | |||
| In the U.S. Senate, he chairs the ], as well as the ]. His committee memberships are as follows.<ref name=Commerce /><ref name=Foreign /> | |||
| * ]<ref name=Commerce>{{cite web |url=http://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSCM.htm |title=Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation |publisher=U.S. Senate}}</ref> | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] (chair) | |||
| ** ] | |||
| * ]<ref name=Foreign>{{cite web |url=http://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSFR.htm |title=Committee on Foreign Relations |publisher=U.S. Senate}}</ref> | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] (chair) | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==2016 presidential campaign== | |||
| {{Main|Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016}} | |||
| {{Further|United States presidential election, 2016}} | |||
| ]) in ], Maryland]] | |||
| Rubio stated in April 2014 that he would not run for both the Senate and President in 2016, as Florida law prohibits a candidate from appearing twice on a ballot, but at that time he did not rule out running for either office.<ref name=Berman>{{cite news|last=Berman|first=Matt|title=Marco Rubio Won't Run for Senate in 2016 if He Runs for President|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/marco-rubio-won-t-run-for-senate-in-2016-if-he-runs-for-president-20140402|accessdate=April 2, 2014|newspaper=National Journal|date=April 2, 2014}}</ref> He has since indicated that, even if he does not win the Republican nomination for president, he does not plan to run for reelection to the Senate.<ref>Camia, Catalina. , ] (April 14, 2015).</ref> Also in April 2014, the departure of Cesar Conda, Rubio's chief of staff since 2011, was seen as a sign of Rubio's plans to run for ]. Conda departed to lead Rubio's Reclaim America ] as a senior adviser.<ref>{{cite news|title=Marco Rubio announces staff changes sure to fuel 2016 talk|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/11/marco-rubio-announces-staff-changes-sure-to-fuel-2016-talk/|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 20, 2014|date=April 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Marco Rubio Shakes Up Staff And Stirs 2016 Presidential Rumors|url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/04/14/marco-rubio-shakes-up-staff-and-stirs-2016-presidential-rumors/|publisher=Fox News Latino|accessdate=April 20, 2014|date=April 14, 2014}}</ref> Groups supporting Rubio raised over $530,000 in the first three months of 2014, most of which was spent on consultants and data analytics, in what was seen as preparations for a presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paul, Rubio lead potential Republican 2016 contenders in spending|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-04-16/news/sns-rt-us-usa-campaign-money-20140416_1_ron-paul-marco-rubio-state-hillary-clinton|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=April 20, 2014|date=April 16, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| A poll from the WMUR/University, tracking New Hampshire Republican primary voters' sentiment, showed Rubio at the top alongside ] senator Rand Paul later in 2013, but as of April 18, 2014, he had dropped to 10th place behind other Republican contenders. The poll, however, also suggests that Rubio is not disliked by the primary voters, which could be positive for him if other candidates choose not to run.<ref>{{cite web|title=Marco Rubio's long, hard fall in New Hampshire|url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/marco-rubios-long-hard-fall-in-new-hampshire/article/2547467|publisher=The Washington Examiner|accessdate=April 20, 2014}}</ref> Rubio placed second among potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates in an online poll of likely voters conducted by Zogby Analytics in January 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Latest Zogby Poll Declares Rubio a Real 'Player' |url=http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/latest-zogby-poll-declares-marco-rubio-real-player |publisher=Sunshine State News |accessdate=February 3, 2015|date=January 26, 2015}}http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/latest-zogby-poll-declares-rubio-real-player</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Marco Rubio leaps to second place in Zogby poll (tied with Jeb and just behind Mitt) – but he’s first among women |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2923518/Rubio-skip-work-week-fundraise-probable-presidential-campaign.html |work=Daily Mail |accessdate=February 3, 2015|date=January 23, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In January 2015, it was reported that Rubio had begun contacting top donors and appointing advisors for a potential 2016 run, including ], who previously worked on such campaigns as ]'s ] and ], and Jim Rubright, who had previously worked for Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/23/rubio-signs-on-top-fundraiser-lines-up-donors-in-move-toward-2016-bid/|title=Rubio signs on top fundraiser, lines up donors in move toward 2016 bid|publisher=Fox News Channel}}</ref><ref name=Murray>{{cite web | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/marco-rubio-takes-steps-towards-2016-run-n292031 | title=Marco Rubio Takes Steps Towards 2016 Run | publisher=NBC News | date=January 23, 2015 | accessdate=January 24, 2015 | author=Murray, Mark}}</ref> Rubio also instructed his aides to "prepare for a presidential campaign" prior to a Team Marco 2016 fundraising meeting in ].<ref name=Caputo2>{{cite news | url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article8013126.html | title=Sen. Marco Rubio to aides: 'Prepare for a presidential campaign' | work=] | date=January 23, 2015 | accessdate=January 24, 2015 | author=Caputo, Marc}}</ref> | |||
| On April 13, 2015, Rubio announced that he would run for President in 2016.<ref name=2016Announce>{{cite news|last1=Parker|first1=Ashley|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/us/politics/marco-rubio-2016-presidential-campaign.html|title=Marco Rubio Announces 2016 Presidential Bid|work=The New York Times|accessdate=December 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name=rubiotells>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-tells-donors-hes-running-for-president-in-2016/|title=Marco Rubio tells donors he's running for president in 2016|publisher=CBS News|date=April 13, 2015|accessdate=April 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name=rubiorolls>{{cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/marco-rubio-rolls-the-dice|title=Marco Rubio rolls the dice|publisher=MSNBC|author=Steve Benen|date=April 13, 2015|accessdate=April 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name=rubiojumps>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/marco-rubio-jumps-in-will-leave-senate/article/2562951|title=Marco Rubio jumps in, will leave Senate|work=The Washington Examiner|author=David M. Drucker|date=April 13, 2015|accessdate=April 13, 2015}}</ref> Rubio is acceptable to many parts of the GOP base in the 2016 presidential race; while not usually regarded by the base as a first choice as of July 2015, there was a growing audience for his youthfulness and oratorical skill.<ref>Siddiqui, Sabrina. , The Guardian (July 12, 2015).</ref><ref>Downie, James. "", '']'' (July 30, 2015).</ref> | |||
| During his campaign, Rubio has often pitched his candidacy as an effort to restore the ] for middle and working-class families, who may find his working-class and immigrant background appealing.<ref name=GuardianSep252015 /> | |||
| ==Political positions== | |||
| As of early 2015, Rubio had a rating of 98.67 by the ], based on his lifetime voting record in the Senate. Two other senators were tied with Rubio, and only two were rated as having more conservative ratings. According to the ''National Journal'', in 2013 Rubio had been the 17th most conservative senator.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24780745.html | publisher=McClatchyDC | title=Sen. Marco Rubio sees opportunity for redemption on the right | date=February 26, 2015}}</ref> The ] gave Rubio ratings of 93 percent and 91 percent based on his voting record in 2014 and 2013 respectively, and he has a lifetime rating from the organization above 90 percent.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150310/BLOGS02/150319988/club-for-growth-zaps-votes-by-illinois-members-of-congress | publisher=Crain's Chicago Business | title=Club for Growth zaps votes by Illinois members of Congress | date=March 10, 2015}}</ref><ref name="USA Today">{{cite news| url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/08/05/gop-debate-pro-growth-candidates-column/31152497/ | work=USA Today | title=Rating GOP's pro-growth contenders: Club for Growth | date=August 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/02/24/club-for-growth-ted-cruz-was-perfect-in-2013/ | work=The Washington Post | title=Club for Growth: Ted Cruz was perfect in 2013 | date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| ]) in ]]] | |||
| Rubio initially won his U.S. Senate seat with strong ] support, but his 2013 support for comprehensive immigration reform legislation led to a decline in that support.<ref>, ] (June 30, 2015): "He was swept into the Senate in the Tea Party wave of 2010 but has fought to strengthen ties with conservatives after he helped lead a failed push for comprehensive immigration reform in 2013."</ref><ref name="MakTeaParty">Tim Mak, , ''Daily Beast'' (April 13, 2015).</ref> Rubio's stance on military, foreign policy and national security issues—such as his support for arming the Syrian rebels and for the NSA—alienated some libertarian-oriented Tea Party activists.<ref name="MakTeaParty"/><ref>, ] (June 22, 2015): "The budget and spending fight highlights widening divisions in the Republican Party between conservatives like Florida's Marco Rubio, concerned about shoring up the military, and Tea Party-aligned Republicans, like Cruz and Paul, more committed to limiting the size of government."</ref> | |||
| ===Energy and environment=== | |||
| Rubio disputes the ], arguing that human activity does not play a major role in global warming and that proposals to address climate change would be ineffective and economically harmful.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/05/marco-rubio-explains-his-climate-change-skepticism.html |title=Marco Rubio explains his climate-change skepticism |last1=Caputo |first1=Marc |date=May 15, 2014 |work=The Miami Herald |quote='I’ve never denied that there is a climate change,' Rubio said. 'The question is: Is man-made activity causing the changes in the climate?' Rubio, however, won’t answer that with a yes or no. | accessdate=September 18, 2014}}</ref><ref name=climatechange>{{cite news|last=Bennett|first=Brian|title=Marco Rubio says human activity isn't causing climate change|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-rubio-denies-climate-change-20140511-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 11, 2014|quote="I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it"}}</ref> The website ] has said that Rubio "consistently either avoids the link between human activity and climate change, or outright denies it."<ref name="pf-climate-change">{{cite web | publisher = ] | title = Has Marco Rubio backtracked on climate change? | first = Julie | last = Kliegman | url = http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/may/14/has-marco-rubio-backtracked-climate-change/ | date = May 14, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| In response to the encyclical '']'' by Pope Francis in 2015 in which he warns of the dangers of climate change,<ref> in the New York Times</ref> Rubio replied: "I have no problem with what the pope did" and "He is a moral authority and as a moral authority is reminding us of our obligation to be good caretakers to the planet. I'm a political leader. And my job as a policymaker is to act in the common good. And I do believe it's in the common good to protect our environment, but I also believe it's in the common good to protect our economy."<ref> in Miami Herald</ref> | |||
| Rubio has proposed a federal energy plan intended to address what he calls "one of the most politicized and regulated aspects of our economy" with "restrictions that result in higher prices and fewer jobs for our people in exchange for minimal environmental benefits". His plan would remove the crude oil export ban, block the ]'s Clean Power Plan for reducing carbon emissions which he says would result in the closure of coal-fired power plants, and transfer energy regulation to the states.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/423403/securing-americas-energy-future |title=Securing America's Energy Future |last1=Rubio |first1=Marco |date=September 1, 2015 |work=National Review |accessdate=October 1, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| The ] gave Rubio a lifetime score of 9% for votes on environmental issues.<ref>Rebecca Leber, , ''New Republic'' (October 7, 2015).</ref><ref>, League of Conservation Voters (access November 9, 2015).</ref> | |||
| ===Government regulation=== | |||
| Rubio has stated that he would cap government regulation on businesses. He has praised 'on-demand' businesses, such as ] and ], as drivers of innovation that should be protected from government interference, and has criticized efforts by New York City to limit those businesses.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-rubio-criticizes-government-regulation-of-on-demand-economy-2015-10 |title=Rubio criticizes government regulation of on-demand economy |last1=Lemire |first1=Jonathan |date=October 6, 2015 |publisher=Business Insider |accessdate=November 9, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In an ] for ''Politico'', Rubio criticized ]s for expanding government control over the Internet and applying "a 1930s law to a 21st century issue". As alternatives, Rubio has pointed to a resolution he proposed with Senator ], Democrat of Missouri, which called for the federal government to oppose international efforts to grant greater control over the Internet to the ], as well as proposed legislation to increase mobile broadband by "expanding unlicensed spectrum".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/government-is-crashing-the-internet-party-116168 |title=Government is Crashing the Internet Party |last1=Rubio |first1=Marco |date=March 17, 2015 |publisher=Politico |accessdate=November 9, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| ===Healthcare=== | |||
| Rubio has stated that he would repeal and replace the ].<ref>Roy, Avik. April 14, 2015. ''Forbes''. Retrieved September 26, 2015.</ref> In an opinion piece on the website '']'', Rubio proposed an up-front ] to be used for ], along with federally-supported, state-based ]s for those with ]s to purchase health insurance and the expansion of ]s (HSAs). The plan also calls for ] to be funded through per-capita block grants to states, which would eliminate ]s, while ] would be transitioned into a premium support system, like ] and ].<ref>Sen. Marco Rubio (August 17, 2015). ''Politico''. Retrieved October 1, 2015.</ref> | |||
| Rubio pushed for elimination of the "risk corridors" used by the federal government to compensate insurers for their losses as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The risk corridors were intended to be funded by profitable insurers participating in the PPACA. However, since insurer losses have significantly exceeded their profits in the program, the risk corridors have been depleted. His efforts contributed to the inclusion of a provision in the 2014 federal budget which prevented other funding sources from being tapped to replenish the risk corridors.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/261244-rubio-budget-win-is-dealing-heavy-blow-to-obamacare | publisher=The Hill | title=Rubio budget win is dealing heavy blow to ObamaCare | date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| ===Higher education=== | |||
| Rubio has proposed a plan to reform the country's higher education system which includes enlarged vocational and apprenticeship programs, a proposed "Student Right to Know Before You Go Act" which would require colleges to inform students prior to taking out loans of the future income they could expect after obtaining a degree, a proposal to automatically base student loan payments on subsequent income, and enabling students to partner with investors who would receive a percentage of the students' income in return for funding their education. The plan also includes a commitment to create a new college accreditation program in the first 100 days of Rubio's administration.<ref>Abby Jackson (July 7, 2015). ''Business Insider''. Retrieved October 2, 2015.</ref> | |||
| ===Immigration=== | |||
| As part of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" in the Senate, Rubio co-authored the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 to give illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status. His proposal contrasted with the Republican party’s long-held view that offering citizenship to undocumented immigrants is virtually the same as amnesty.<ref name=Foote>{{cite web | |||
| | last =Reiff | |||
| | first =Laura Foote | |||
| |author2=Nataliya Binshteyn | |||
| | title =President Obama to Outline Plan for Comprehensive Immigration Reform on Tuesday | |||
| | work =The National Law Review | |||
| | publisher =Greenberg Traurig, LLP | |||
| | date =January 28, 2013 | |||
| | url =http://www.natlawreview.com/article/president-obama-to-outline-plan-comprehensive-immigration-reform-tuesday-0 | |||
| }}</ref> On October 2013, four months after the Senate passed the bill he co-authored, Rubio publicly opposed its passage in the House of Representatives, proposing instead a series of individual bills.<ref>{{cite web|title=Has Marco Rubio Really Learned His Lesson on Immigration?|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/419744/has-marco-rubio-really-learned-his-lesson-immigration-jim-geraghty|work=National Review|accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| Rubio now advocates stopping illegal immigration before addressing those illegal immigrants who are already in the country.<ref name="Guray 2015" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/us/politics/23rubio.html|title=Florida Candidate Veers From Tea Party’s Script|date=August 23, 2010|work=The New York Times|accessdate=December 16, 2015}}</ref> In an interview in September 2015 he stated: "I don't think it's a decision you have to make on the front end. The first two things you have to do is stop illegal immigration, then second you have to modernize our legal immigration system, and then third you can have a debate about how to even legalize people to begin with. And then ultimately in 10 or 12 years you could have a broader debate about how has this worked out and should we allow some of them to apply for green cards and eventually citizenship."<ref>{{cite web|title=Marco Rubio Won't Even Consider Path to Citizenship During His Presidency|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/marco-rubio-opposes-path-to-citizenship.html|work=New York|accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In addressing his change of posture, at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in 2015, Rubio stated that his biggest lesson from the failure of enacting comprehensive immigration reform, was that Americans would not support it until the border is secure.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/27/marco-rubio-cpac_n_6756806.html |title=Marco Rubio Attempts to Win Back Conservatives on Immigration |work=The Huffington Post |date=February 27, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| ===International relations and security=== | |||
| Rubio advocates for a more active presence of United States in the global affairs and "a robust American role in confronting" ], ] and ]. He has opposed efforts by the Obama administration to ]. Rubio also opposes the ] deal with Iran's nuclear program which was partly brokered by the Obama administration, and has stated that he would continue to increase ] until it agreed to end its ], and has pointed to the possibility of military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.<ref name="Guray 2015">{{cite web | last=Guray | first=Geoffrey | title=What does Marco Rubio believe? Where the candidate stands on 10 issues | website=PBS NewsHour | date=April 13, 2015 | url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/marco-rubio-believe-candidate-stands-10-issues/ | accessdate=October 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Times 2015">{{cite news | last=Times | first=The New York | title=Marco Rubio on the Issues | website=The New York Times | date=April 13, 2015 | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/us/politics/marco-rubio-on-the-issues.html | accessdate=October 6, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In 2010, he stated that radical Islamist terrorists pose the greatest threat to the United States, and that these radicals intend to impose their beliefs on the world. He voted "yes" on extending the ]s provision of the ], which governs ].<ref name=OnIssues/> | |||
| In September 2013, Rubio voted against a resolution authorizing President Obama to use military force against Syria in response to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons stating that he was skeptical that the planned military strike would have the intended effect.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/rubio-votes-against-syria-strikes/2139977 |title=Rubio votes against Syria strikes |last1=Leary |first1=Alex |date=September 4, 2013 |work=Tampa Bay Times |accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref> In July 2014, Rubio supported Obama's initial response to the ]'s invasion of Iraq. He also called for arms to support moderate elements in the Syrian opposition and a bombing campaign to stop ]'s advance.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/us/republican-divide-over-strategy-for-middle-east-iraq-is-growing-1.292328 |title=Republican divide over strategy for Middle East, Iraq is growing |last1=Memoli |first1=Michael A. |date=July 7, 2014 |publisher=stripes.com |accessdate=July 8, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| Rubio favors the detention of terrorists at ] so that they can be interrogated for intelligence purposes, and has stated that if necessary he would re-open the military prison there.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/marco-rubio-reopen-gitmo-reverse-obama-foreign-policy/story?id=30292526 |title=Marco Rubio Would Reopen Gitmo, Reverse Obama Foreign Policy |last1=Good |first1=Chris |date=April 13, 2015 |publisher=ABC News |accessdate=November 16, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| ===Social issues=== | |||
| Rubio joined twenty-two other Republican senators in voting against ] the ], stating that he largely supported it, but objected to certain new provisions added to the law by the reauthorization bill.<ref name=PoliticoVAWA>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/marco-rubio-opposes-violence-against-women-act-87532.html |title=Marco Rubio opposes Violence Against Women Act |first=Seung Min |last=Kim |work=] |date=February 12, 2013 |accessdate=February 25, 2013}}</ref> His political opponents were pleased that Rubio cast a vote that could hurt him in 2016, though Rubio voiced support for the overall law.<ref>Hirschhorn, Dan. , '']|location=New York'' (February 13, 2013).</ref> | |||
| Rubio identifies as ], and ], including in cases of rape and incest.<ref name="LATimesAbortion">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-rubio-abortion-20150807-story.html|title=Marco Rubio takes tough stand against abortion, with no exceptions for rape or incest|newspaper=]|date=August 7, 2015|first=Lisa|last=Mascaro}}</ref> Rubio has said: "I believe all human life, irrespective of the circumstance in which it came into being, is worthy of protection."<ref name="LATimesAbortion"/> Rubio strongly opposes the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ] decision in '']'' (1973), calling it a "historically, egregiously flawed decision"<ref>Laura Bassett, , ''The Huffington Post'' (July 10, 2015).</ref> and "one of America's most blatant instances of ]."<ref>Evan Puschak, , MSNBC (January 22, 2013).</ref> | |||
| On March 14, 2013, Rubio reiterated his ] at the ], saying "that states should have the right to define marriage in the traditional way".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21790382 | publisher=BBC News | title=At CPAC, Marco Rubio ducks a challenge | date=March 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/15/17323938-gops-rob-portman-announces-support-for-same-sex-marriage | publisher=NBC Politics | title=GOP Rob Portman Announces Support for Same Sex Marriage | date=March 15, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| As of 2015, Rubio was given an A rating by the ] (NRA) for his stance on ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-ted-cruz-iowa-trouble-20151119-story.html | work=Chicago Tribune | title=Commentary: 6 reasons Ted Cruz is in trouble | date=November 19, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| Rubio opposed the nomination of ] to the ] based on "her case history and testimony regarding the ] at the state level, ] and the so-called ] that resulted in the ''Roe v. Wade'' decision."<ref name=OnIssues/><ref name=oped0809>{{cite web | title =Opposing the philosophy of Sonia Sotomayor isn't anti-Hispanic | work =] | url =http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25788.html}}</ref> | |||
| === Drug policy === | |||
| Rubio supports continued criminal penalties for recreational ] use. In January 2014, Rubio said: "I don't think legalizing marijuana or even decriminalizing it is the right decision for our country."<ref name="LearyMJ">Alex Leary, , ''Tampa Bay Times'' (July 30, 2014).</ref> In a May 2014 interview, Rubio said that he believed that there is "no responsible way to recreationally use" marijuana and that legalization of the substance would be "bad for the country."<ref name="ReillyMJ">Mollie Reilly, , ''The Huffington Post'' (May 19, 2014).</ref> Rubio has said that he only supports the use of ] if it is the noneuphoric type (such as "]") approved by the Florida Legislature.<ref name="LearyMJ"/> | |||
| Regarding the legalization of drugs in general, Rubio has stated, "I personally believe that legalizing drugs would be a great mistake and that any reductions in sentences for drug crimes should be made with great care."<ref>Sullivan, Sean. , ''The Washington Post'' (April 28, 2015).</ref> | |||
| ===Taxes and spending=== | |||
| Rubio opposed Obama's ]. He supports initiatives to balance the ], including a ] and statutory caps on federal spending.<ref name=OnIssues>{{cite web |title=Marco Rubio |publisher=OnTheIssues |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Marco_Rubio.htm#Budget_+_Economy}}</ref> Rubio supports ] changes to prevent projected future deficits in the program. He believes the program should have a higher age for the start of benefits for workers who are more than ten years away from retirement to account for Americans living longer.<ref name=OnIssues/> He has stated his support of federal ] funding and space exploration funding to promote technological innovation, which he sees as critical to the development to the economy.<ref name=OnIssues/> | |||
| The ], a ] ], gave Rubio grades of 'A' in 2011, and 'B+' in 2012 and 2013.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.ntu.org/state/legislator/marco-rubio|title=National Taxpayers Union - Marco Rubio|publisher=]|accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In 2014, Rubio proposed legislation to replace the ] with a federal wage enhancement for qualifying low-wage jobs. The proposal would apply to singles as well as married couples and families with children. It would also arrive in sync with a monthly paycheck rather than a year-end lump-sum credit. Rubio asserted that this was a "better way to support low-income workers than simply raising the minimum wage."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=958d06fe-16a3-4e8e-b178-664fc10745bf |title=Rubio Delivers Address on 50th Anniversary of the 'War on Poverty' |last1=Rubio |first1=Marco |date=January 8, 2014 |publisher=senate.gov |accessdate=January 18, 2014}}</ref> Rubio has also proposed a 25% tax credit for businesses that offer their employees at least four weeks of paid family leave. The tax break would be capped at 12 weeks, and at $4,000 per employee.<ref name=GuardianSep252015>{{cite news |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/25/marco-rubio-tax-break-plan-employers-paid-family-leave | work=The Guardian | title=Marco Rubio proposes tax break for employers who give paid family leave | date=September 25, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In March 2015, Rubio, along with Republican Senator Mike Lee, submitted a ] proposal which called for a simplified ] with just two ]s: 15% for individuals earning less than $75,000 annually and 35% for those earning more than that. It would eliminate ] and add a new $2,500 per ] for families. The ] rate would be reduced to 25%, and businesses would be able to fully ] the cost of investments in the year made.<ref name="Guray 2015" /> An analysis by the ] found that Rubio's plan would result in a loss of government revenue of $2.4 trillion (using dynamic models which take into account the projected economic growth from tax cuts) to $6 trillion (using more traditional static models).<ref name="mc-tax">{{cite news | url = http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article39456081.html | title = GOP tax plans aim to boost economy, but will nation's debt pay a price? | first = Chris | last =Adams | date = October 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name="tax-foundation">{{cite web|url=http://taxfoundation.org/blog/presidential-hopeful-marco-rubio-already-has-tax-plan|title=Presidential Hopeful Marco Rubio Already has a Tax Plan|publisher=Tax Foundation|date=April 14, 2015}}</ref> The Tax Foundation says that under Rubio's plan, these revenue shortfalls would substantially increase the national debt, which would not return to its current level until 2040. Rubio's campaign has said that he will offset the lost revenue through spending reductions, such as by increasing the eligibility age for ] and by reducing Medicare spending.<ref name="mc-tax"/> Using static assumptions and ], the proposed tax cuts would increase the after-tax income of the top 1% of earners by 12-28%, the top 10% by 6-20%, the middle 10% by 2-16%, and the bottom 10% by 44-56%.<ref>{{cite news | publisher = ] | url = http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/trackers/2015-10-29/fact-check-study-says-rubio-s-tax-plan-helps-rich-more-than-middle-class-less-than-poorest | title = Fact Check: Study Says Rubio's Tax Plan Helps Rich More Than Middle Class, Less Than Poorest | date = October 29, 2015}}</ref> Rubio later updated his proposal to add a 25% tax bracket, so that the individual tax rate would be 15% for those earning less than $75,000 annually, 25% for those earning between $75,000 and $150,000 annually, and 35% for those earning more than that.<ref>{{Cite web|title = A Pro-Growth, Pro-Family Tax Plan for the New American Century|url = https://marcorubio.com/issues-2/rubio-tax-plan/|website = Marco Rubio|access-date = 2016-01-24|language = en-US}}</ref> | |||
| ], senior fellow at the ], criticized Rubio's proposals, writing that Rubio's plan "takes the cake" in making the ] more ] and would "hemorrhage revenues while bequeathing a massive gift of wealth to the ]."<ref>], , ''The Washington Post'' (November 11, 2015).</ref> In contrast, ] of the ] praised Rubio's tax plan, calling it a "pro-growth tax cut and reform plan that would fundamentally reform the tax code and the ]," as well as lauding Rubio's support for ], ], and ].<ref name="USA Today"/> | |||
| === K-12 Education === | |||
| In his role as a legislator, Rubio was active in pursuing K{{ndash}}12 policy including introducing the Educational Opportunities Act in 2013. As a presidential candidate, Rubio has argued on behalf of closing the federal ],<ref>{{Cite news|title = Marco Rubio Swings Through New Hampshire|url = http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/18/us/politics/marco-rubio-swings-through-new-hampshire.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = April 17, 2015|access-date = November 24, 2015|issn = 0362-4331|first = Ashley|last = Parker}}</ref> expanding public ],<ref>{{cite web|title = Marco Rubio On Education: 5 Things The Presidential Candidate Wants You To Know|url = http://www.forbes.com/sites/maureensullivan/2015/04/13/marco-rubio-on-education-5-things-the-presidential-candidate-wants-you-to-know/|website = Forbes|accessdate = November 24, 2015}}</ref> and for teaching both ] and ].<ref name="bloomberg.com">{{cite web|title = The Evolution of Marco Rubio's Education Policy and Common Core|url = http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-20/the-evolution-of-marco-rubio-s-education-policy-and-common-core|website = Bloomberg.com/politics|accessdate = November 24, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| Additionally, Rubio has taken a strong stance against the ], arguing that, while they "started out as well-intentioned effort to develop more rigorous curriculum standards",<ref>{{cite web|title = Rubio comes out against Common Core, putting him at odds with Jeb Bush|url = http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/rubio-comes-out-against-common-core-putting-him-at-odds-with-jeb-bush/2133354|website = Tampa Bay Times|accessdate = November 24, 2015}}</ref> that they'll eventually be "used to force on states policies the federal government wants".<ref name="bloomberg.com"/> | |||
| ==Personal life== | |||
| ] by Vice President ]. January 2011]] | |||
| Rubio married his high school sweetheart, ], a former bank teller and ], in 1998 in a Catholic ceremony at the ], and together they have four children.<ref name=10things >{{cite web |last=Rettig |first=Jessica |url=http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/05/04/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-marco-rubio |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Marco Rubio |work=U.S. News and World Report |date=May 4, 2010 |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The women behind the men who would be Florida's senator |url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/the-women-behind-the-men-who-would-be-floridas-senator/1112189 |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |date=July 31, 2010 |accessdate=February 13, 2013}}</ref> Rubio and his family live in ].<ref name=myflorida>{{cite web |url=http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/SEctions/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4180&SessionId=42 |title=Representative Marco Rubio |publisher=Florida House of Representatives}}</ref> | |||
| When he was 8 years old and living in ], Rubio joined the ] (Mormon), but he returned to ] after receiving his ] at 13 years old.<ref name="Schneider">{{cite journal |last=Schneider |first=Elena |date=September 13, 2015 |title=Marco Rubio's Mormon play: The Florida senator is subtly leveraging his LDS background to build support in Nevada, where the Mormon community is small, but influential in GOP politics. |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/marco-rubio-mormon-play-2016-213240|journal=Politico |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Politico, LLC |access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> Rubio attends ], a ] Church<ref name=sbc>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbc.net/churchsearch/church.asp?ID=2979-33157|title=Southern Baptist Convention|publisher=sbc.net}}</ref> in ],<ref>{{cite news |title=Is Marco Rubio Catholic or Baptist? Or Is the Reformation Over? |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/11/15/is-marco-rubio-catholic-or-baptist-or-is-the-reformation-over/ |work=Politics Daily |first=David |last=Gibson |date=November 15, 2010 |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/11/15/is-marco-rubio-catholic-or-baptist-or-is-the-reformation-over/print/</ref> as well as Catholic Mass at ] in ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/27/us/27beliefs.html |title=Marco Rubio: Catholic or Protestant? |first=Mark |last=Oppenheimer |newspaper=] |date=November 26, 2010}}</ref> | |||
| In an interview in 2012, Rubio said: "I'm a Roman Catholic. I'm theologically in line with the Roman Catholic Church. I believe in the authority of the church, but I also have tremendous respect for my brothers and sisters in other Christian faiths. I recognize, as the Catholic Church does, that there are excellent teachings of the Word throughout other denominations. The elements of salvation are found in these churches as well."<ref>{{cite news |title=Q & A: Marco Rubio on His Faith of Many Colors |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/july-august/marco-rubio-faith-of-many-colors.html?paging=off |first=Sarah Pulliam |last=Bailey |work=Christianity Today |date=June 19, 2012 |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| ==Electoral history== | |||
| {{incomplete|section|reason=we may want to include Florida Legislature elections as well|date=January 2016}} | |||
| {{Election box begin |title=Florida U.S. Senate election 2010}} | |||
| {{Election box candidate with party link | |||
| |party = Republican Party (US) | |||
| |candidate = Marco Rubio | |||
| |votes = 2,645,743 | |||
| |percentage = 49% | |||
| |change = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Election box candidate with party link | |||
| |party = Independent (politician) | |||
| |candidate = ] | |||
| |votes = 1,607,549 | |||
| |percentage = 30% | |||
| |change = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Election box candidate with party link | |||
| |party = Democratic Party (US) | |||
| |candidate = ] | |||
| |votes = 1,092,936 | |||
| |percentage = 20% | |||
| |change = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Election box candidate with party link | |||
| |party = Libertarian Party (US) | |||
| |candidate = ] | |||
| |votes = 24,850 | |||
| |percentage = <1% | |||
| |change = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Election box end}} | |||
| ==Writings== | |||
| * {{cite book|title=100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future |year=2006 |publisher=Regnery Publishing |isbn=978-1596985117 }} | |||
| * {{cite book|title=An American Son: A Memoir |year=2012 |publisher=Sentinel HC |isbn=978-1595230942 }} | |||
| * {{cite book|title=American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone |year=2015 |publisher=Sentinel HC |isbn=978-1595231130 }} | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Portal|Biography|Florida|Politics}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| {{clear}} | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{Reflist|group="nb"}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist|30em}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Commons category|Marco Rubio}} | |||
| * {{CongLinks | congbio = R000595 | ballot = Marco_Rubio | votesmart = 1601 | govtrack = 412491 | natjournal = 1856 | opencong = 412491 | our = 5330 | rollcall = 32335 | factcheck = marco-rubio | politifact = marco-rubio | fec = S0FL00338 | opensecrets = N00030612 | assets = marco-rubio | legistorm = 2809/Sen_Marco_Rubio_FL.html | followthemoney = 31 | ontheissues = senate/Marco_Rubio.htm | congress = marco-rubio/2084 | worldcat = | c-span = marcorubio | rose = 7485 | imdb = 3811944 | bloomberg = marco-rubio | guardian = world/marco-rubio | nyt = r/marco_rubio | wsj = R/marco-rubio/6882 | washpo = gIQA5xxt6O }} | |||
| * official U.S. Senate website | |||
| * campaign website | |||
| * {{Dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Florida/Government/Federal/US_Senate/Marco_Rubio_%5BR%5D}} | |||
| * {{C-SPAN|marcorubio}} | |||
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| {{United States presidential election, 2016}} | |||
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Revision as of 03:55, 3 February 2016
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