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80-666: Marco Antonio Rubio ( / ˈ r uː b i oʊ / ; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida , a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party , he served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2008. Rubio sought the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2016. Rubio

160-542: A centrist "who sought out Democrats and groups that don't typically align with the GOP". He co-sponsored legislation that would have let farmworkers 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 undocumented immigrants . In the wake of the September 11 attacks , he voiced suspicion about expanding police detention powers and helped defeat

240-488: A GOP bill that would have required colleges to increase reporting to the state about foreign students. As a state representative, Rubio requested legislative earmarks (called "Community Budget Issue Requests" in Florida), totaling about $ 145   million for 2001 and 2002, but none thereafter. Additionally, an office in the executive branch compiled a longer list of spending requests by legislators, including Rubio, as did

320-563: A broad view of governmental power to take private property under eminent domain . This state legislation had been proposed by a special committee chaired by Rubio prior to his speakership. Jeb Bush was succeeded by Charlie Crist , 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 gambling in Florida. Rubio sued Crist for bypassing

400-467: A centrist Republican at the time. Although a conservative, "behind the scenes many Democrats considered Rubio someone with whom they could work," according to biographer Manuel Roig-Franzia. Dan Gelber 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

480-473: A diverse group of Cubans, including those who might not have close relatives in the United States. The last registration period was held from June 15 to July 15, 1998. The original Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 allowed Cubans to become permanent residents if they had been present in the United States for at least 2 years. The Refugee Act of 1980 ( Pub. L. 96-212 ) reduced this time to one year. Cubans are exempt from any immigration quotas, and are also exempt from

560-490: A member of the Florida House of Representatives in early 2000. In late 1999, a special election was called to fill the seat for the 111th House District in the Florida House of Representatives , representing Miami. 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 early childhood education . Rubio placed second in

640-804: A part-time adviser. During his first year in office, Rubio became an influential defender of the United States embargo against Cuba and induced the State Department to withdraw an ambassadorial nomination of Jonathan D. Farrar , who was the Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana from 2008 to 2011. Rubio believed that Farrar was not assertive enough toward the Castro regime. Also in 2011, Rubio

720-684: A position with Broad and Cassel , 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). When Rubio took his seat in the legislature in Tallahassee in January 2000, voters in Florida had recently approved a constitutional amendment on term limits . This created openings for new legislative leaders due to many senior incumbents having to retire. According to an article in National Journal , Rubio also gained an extra advantage in that regard, because he

800-516: A puppet of Nancy Pelosi ; she's voted with Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time". Demings criticized Rubio's attendance record in the Senate, and in a campaign ad said Rubio had "one of the worst attendance records in the Senate. When Florida needs you, you just don't show up." Demings also claimed that Rubio supported tax hikes, but this was proven false. Rubio won the November 8 general election with 57% of

880-599: A range of persons who can qualify for family or employment-based visas under the preference system that controls numerically limited immigration to the United States. The preference system allows U.S. citizens to bring their siblings and their adult married children to the United States. Lawful permanent residents of the United States can petition for their spouses, minor children, and unmarried adult children. The waiting period for preference visas varies by category. Those who have been persecuted in Cuba, or who fear persecution (on

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960-406: A senator who has served for 12 years is more senior than one who has served for 10 years. Because several new senators usually join at the beginning of a new Congress, seniority is determined by prior federal or state government service and, if necessary, the amount of time spent in the tiebreaking office. These tiebreakers in order are: When more than one senator had such office, its length of time

1040-439: A special election. The seniority date for an appointed senator is usually the date of the appointment, although the actual term does not begin until they take the oath of office. An incoming senator who holds another office, including membership in the U.S. House of Representatives , must resign from that office before becoming a senator. A senator's seniority is primarily determined by length of continuous service; for example,

1120-520: A three-way race, Rubio was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 . In April 2015, he launched a presidential bid instead of seeking reelection. He suspended his campaign for the presidency on March 15, 2016, after losing to Donald Trump in the Florida Republican primary . He then ran for reelection to the Senate and won a second term . Despite his criticism of Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries , Rubio endorsed him before

1200-716: A year later. He was confirmed and later married in the Catholic Church. Rubio attended South Miami Senior High School , graduating in 1989. He attended Tarkio College in Missouri for one year on a football scholarship before enrolling at Santa Fe Community College (later Santa Fe College ) in Gainesville, Florida . He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Florida in 1993 and his Juris Doctor , cum laude , from

1280-447: Is a Cuban American from Miami , Florida. After serving as a city commissioner for West Miami in the 1990s, he was elected to represent the 111th district in the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. Subsequently, he was elected speaker of the Florida House; he served for two years beginning in November 2006. Upon leaving the Florida legislature in 2008 due to term limits, Rubio taught at Florida International University . In

1360-450: Is named president pro tempore of the Senate , the second-highest office in the Senate and the third in the line of succession to the presidency of the United States . The United States Constitution does not mandate differences in rights or power, but Senate rules give more power to senators with more seniority. Generally, senior senators will have more power, especially within their own caucuses . There are several benefits, including

1440-501: Is used to break the tie. For instance, Jerry Moran , John Boozman , John Hoeven , Marco Rubio , Ron Johnson , Rand Paul , Richard Blumenthal , and Mike Lee took office on January 3, 2011. The first two senators mentioned had served in the House of Representatives: Moran had served for 14 years and Boozman for nine. As a former governor, Hoeven is ranked immediately after the former House members. The rest are ranked by population as of

1520-410: The 2000 census . These ranked from 36th to 43rd in seniority when the 118th United States Congress convened. If two senators are tied on all criteria, the one whose surname comes first alphabetically is considered the senior senator. This happened with Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , both of Georgia, who were sworn in on January 20, 2021. Because they were both newly elected senators from

1600-549: The 2016 general election and was largely supportive of his presidency. Due to his influence on U.S. policy on Latin America during the first Trump administration , he was described as a "virtual secretary of state for Latin America". Rubio became Florida's senior senator in January 2019, following the defeat of former Senator Bill Nelson , and was reelected to a third term in 2022 , defeating Democratic nominee Val Demings . Rubio endorsed Trump for president in 2024 days before

1680-514: The Iowa caucuses . In November 2024, Trump announced he had chosen Rubio for United States Secretary of State in his second administration . Rubio would be the first Latino to hold that role. Marco Antonio Rubio was born in Miami , Florida , the second son and third child of Mario Rubio Reina and Oriales ( née Garcia) Rubio. His parents were Cubans who immigrated to the United States in 1956 during

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1760-500: The Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture . In 2016, Rubio said the U.S. should "find out everything they know" from captured terrorists and should not telegraph "the enemy what interrogation techniques we will or won't use." Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate as a result of the elections in November 2014. As this new period of Republican control began, Rubio pushed for the elimination of

1840-436: The University of Miami School of Law in 1996. Rubio has said that he incurred $ 100,000 in student loans. He paid off those loans in 2012. While studying law, Rubio interned for U.S. representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen . He also worked on Republican senator Bob Dole 's 1996 presidential campaign. In April 1998, two years after finishing law school, Rubio was elected to a seat as city commissioner for West Miami . He became

1920-408: The junior senator . This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority. By tradition, the longest serving senator of the majority party

2000-525: 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, but since insurer losses have significantly exceeded their profits in the program, the risk corridors have been depleted. His efforts contributed to

2080-663: The 1960s. He added that his mother took his two elder siblings back to Cuba in 1961 with the intention of living there permanently (his father remained behind in Miami "wrapping up the family's matters"), but the nation's move toward communism caused the family to change its plans. Rubio stated that "[the] essence of my family story is why they came to America in the first place; and why they had to stay." Rubio has three siblings: older brother Mario, older sister Barbara (married to Orlando Cicilia), and younger sister Veronica (formerly married to entertainer Carlos Ponce ). Growing up, his family

2160-471: The 2012 " fiscal cliff " 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." In 2013, Rubio

2240-488: The American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act (AGREE Act), which would have extended many tax credits and exemptions for businesses investing in research and development , 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. Rubio voted against

2320-540: The American dream is not available to them". He helped set up a council on issues facing black men and boys, persuaded colleagues to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in the Miami neighborhood of Liberty City , and supported efforts to promote literacy and mentoring for black children and others. In 2010 during Rubio's Senate campaign, and again in 2015 during his presidential campaign, issues were raised by

2400-486: The Democrats regained majority control of the Senate, and Rubio has reassumed minority status within the Senate. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Rubio said he had no interest in running for president or vice president in the 2012 presidential election. In March 2012, when he endorsed Mitt Romney for president, Rubio said that he did not expect to be or want to be selected as a vice presidential running mate , but

2480-520: 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. 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

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2560-561: The Florida Legislature in order to make a deal with the Seminole Tribe . The Florida Supreme Court sided with Rubio and blocked the deal. Rubio also was a critic of Crist's strategy to fight climate change through an executive order creating new automobile and utility emissions standards . Rubio accused Crist of imposing "European-style big government mandates", and the legislature under Rubio's leadership weakened

2640-399: 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 redistricting , 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. In December 2002, Rubio

2720-479: The Republican nomination to Rubio. Several of Crist's top fundraisers, as well as Republican leadership, refused to support Crist after Rubio won the Republican nomination. On November 2, 2010, Rubio won the general election with 49% of the vote to Crist's 30% and Democrat Kendrick Meek 's 20%. When Rubio was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, he and Bob Menendez of New Jersey were the only two Latino Americans in

2800-489: The Republican primary on August 30, 2016, defeating Carlos Beruff . He faced Democratic nominee Patrick Murphy in the general election, defeating him with almost 52% of the vote. In November 2020, Rubio announced he would run for a third Senate term in the 2022 election . He faced Democratic challenger Val Demings , the U.S. representative for Florida's 10th congressional district and a former police officer. Rubio criticized Demings as an "ineffective member of Congress and

2880-433: The Republican primary on December 14, 1999, but won the runoff election for the Republican nomination, defeating Angel Zayon (a television and radio reporter who was popular with Cuban exiles) by just 64 votes. He then defeated Democrat Anastasia Garcia with 72% of the vote in a January 25, 2000, special election. In November 2000, Rubio was reelected unopposed. In 2002, he was reelected to a second term unopposed. In 2004, he

2960-525: The Senate . In April 2015, Rubio decided to run for president instead of seeking reelection to the Senate. After suspending his presidential campaign on March 15, 2016, Rubio "seemed to open the door to running for reelection" on June 13, 2016, citing the previous day's Orlando nightclub shooting and how "it really gives you pause, to think a little bit about your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country." Rubio officially started his campaign nine days later, on June 22. Rubio won

3040-447: The Senate 68 to 32 with his support, but Rubio then signaled that the bill should not be taken up by the House because other priorities, like repealing Obamacare, were a higher priority for him; the House never did take up the bill. Rubio has since explained that he still supports reform, but a different approach instead of a single comprehensive bill. Rubio was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obama's 2013 State of

3120-543: The U.S. Senate, he rejoined the FIU faculty. 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. He has taught undergraduate courses on Florida politics , political parties, and legislative politics. Rubio's appointment as an FIU professor was initially criticized. The university obtained considerable state funding when Rubio

3200-402: The U.S. as refugees. Rubio's maternal grandfather, Pedro Victor Garcia, immigrated to the U.S. legally in 1956, but returned to Cuba to find work in 1959. When he fled communist Cuba and returned to the U.S. in 1962 without a visa , he was detained as an undocumented immigrant and an immigration judge ordered him to be deported . Immigration officials reversed their decision later that day,

3280-477: The U.S. through various migration programs that include immigrant visa issuance, asylum, and the diversity lottery. Immigrant visas are issued to the parents, spouses, and unmarried children who are under 21 years of age, of U.S. citizens as soon as the immigrant visa petition is approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services . Immigrant visas are also available to

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3360-605: The US enabled migration using the parole authority of the Attorney General for any Cuban that reached the US. Prior to 1995, the U.S. government allowed all Cubans who reached U.S. territorial waters to remain in the U.S. In 1996, the U.S. government introduced the so-called " wet feet, dry feet policy " which limited the scope of the Act to only those Cubans who readed "dry land". The policy was abolished by President Barack Obama at

3440-653: The Union Address . It marked the first time the response was delivered in English and Spanish. Rubio's attempt to draw a strong line against the looming defense sequestration was undercut by fellow Republican senator Rand Paul 's additional response to Obama's speech that called for the sequester to be carried out. In April 2013, Rubio voted against an expansion of background checks for gun purchases , contending that such increased regulatory measures would do little to help capture criminals. Rubio voted against publishing

3520-493: The basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion), may apply for U.S. resettlement through its in country refugee processing unit at the United States Embassy in Havana . The diversity visa program is also available in Cuba. There are 55,000 visas available annually to eligible applicants from around the world. For the three years that statistics are available,

3600-459: The book was 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. In 2006, after traveling around the state and talking with citizens, and compiling their ideas, Rubio published the book. The National Journal called this book "the centerpiece of Rubio's early speakership". About 24 of the "ideas" became law, while another 10 were partially enacted. Among

3680-414: The case of senators elected in a run-off election occurring after the commencement of a new term, or a special election, their seniority date will be the date they are sworn in and not the first day of that Congress. A senator may be simultaneously elected to fill a term in a special election and elected to the six-year term which begins on the upcoming January 3. Their seniority is that of someone chosen in

3760-657: The deportation order was not enforced, and Garcia was given a legal status of "parolee" that allowed him to stay in the U.S. Garcia re-applied for permanent resident status in 1966 following passage of the Cuban Adjustment Act , at which point his residency was approved. Rubio enjoyed a close relationship with his grandfather during his childhood. In October 2011, The Washington Post reported that Rubio's previous statements that his parents were forced to leave Cuba in 1959 (after Fidel Castro came to power) were falsehoods. His parents actually left Cuba in 1956, during

3840-530: The dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. According to the Post , "[in] Florida, being connected to the post-revolution exile community gives a politician cachet that could never be achieved by someone identified with the pre-Castro exodus, a group sometimes viewed with suspicion." Rubio denied that he had embellished his family history, stating that his public statements about his family were based on "family lore". Rubio asserted that his parents intended to return to Cuba in

3920-414: The following requirements which are imposed on most other immigrants: The Cuban Adjustment Act remains in the books with little modification. Migration flow and control has been a long standing pawn in U.S. Cuba relations, and there is not enough domestic clamor in the U.S. for the U.S. government to concede to Cuba's demands to eliminate the law, according to expert Prof. Michael Bustamante. In practice,

4000-461: The following: The beginning of an appointment does not necessarily coincide with the date the Senate convenes or when the new senator is sworn in. In the case of senators first elected in a general election for the upcoming Congress, their terms begin on the first day of the new Congress. For most of American history this was March 4 of odd-numbered years, but effective from 1935 the 20th Amendment moved this to January 3 of odd-numbered years. In

4080-526: The impact of Crist's climate change initiative. 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 biofuel (e.g. ethanol ), solar panels , and energy efficiency . Rubio introduced a plan to reduce state property taxes to 2001 levels (and potentially eliminate them altogether), while increasing sales taxes by 1% to 2.5% to fund schools. The proposal would have reduced property taxes in

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4160-491: The inclusion of a provision in the 2014 federal budget that prevented other funding sources from being tapped to replenish the risk corridors. Seniority in the United States Senate United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the senior senator ; the other is

4240-475: The 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 led to a public relations problem. 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 Kelo v. City of New London which took

4320-435: 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 some critics, point out that nationwide economic difficulties overlapped with much of Rubio's speakership, and so funding new legislative proposals became difficult. As Rubio took office as Speaker, Jeb Bush

4400-498: The largest tax cut in Florida's history up until then. At the time, Republican anti-tax activist Grover Norquist described Rubio as "the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country". As Speaker, Rubio "aggressively tried to push Florida to the political right ", according to NBC News , and frequently clashed with the Florida Senate , which was run by more moderate Republicans , and with then-Governor Charlie Crist,

4480-430: The media and his political opponents about some items charged by Rubio to his Republican Party of Florida American Express card during his time as House speaker. 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. Rubio said that he personally paid American Express more than $ 16,000 for these personal expenses. In 2012,

4560-493: The next billing period. 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." After leaving the Florida Legislature in 2008, Rubio began teaching under a fellowship appointment at Florida International University (FIU) as an adjunct professor . In 2011, after entering

4640-539: The non-profit group Florida TaxWatch. 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". A 2010 report by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald said that some of Rubio's spending requests dovetailed with his personal interests. For example, Rubio requested a $ 20   million appropriation for Jackson Memorial Hospital to subsidize care for

4720-601: The other side simply because they were the other side. To put it bluntly, he wasn't a jerk." Gelber considered Rubio "a severe conservative, really far to the right, but probably the most talented spokesman the severe right could ever hope for." While speaker of the Florida House, Rubio shared a residence in Tallahassee with another Florida State Representative, David Rivera , which the two co-owned. The house later went into foreclosure in 2010 after several missed mortgage payments. At that point, Rubio assumed responsibility for

4800-430: The payments, and the house was eventually sold. In 2007, Florida state senator Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville), chairman of the state legislature's Black Caucus, requested that the legislature apologize for slavery , and Rubio said the idea merited discussion. 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

4880-529: The poor and uninsured, and Rubio later did work for that hospital as a consultant. 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". On September 13, 2005, at age 34, Rubio became speaker after State Representatives Dennis Baxley , Jeff Kottkamp , and Dennis A. Ross dropped out. He

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4960-493: The regime of Fulgencio Batista , two and a half years before Fidel Castro ascended to power after the Cuban Revolution . His mother made at least four return trips to Cuba after Castro's takeover, including a month-long trip in 1961. Neither of Rubio's parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of Rubio's birth, but they applied for U.S. citizenship and were naturalized in 1975. Some relatives of Rubio's were admitted to

5040-471: The same state, with no prior government service, no other tie-breaking criteria could be used. The Senate's official records, as well as the Democratic Caucus, thus consider Ossoff, whose name comes first alphabetically and elected to a full six-year term, as the senior senator. Only relevant factors are listed below. For senators whose seniority is based on their state's respective population,

5120-450: 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 property tax exemption from $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 (for a tax reduction estimated by Crist to be $ 33   billion) ultimately passed. Legislators called it

5200-2020: The state population ranking is given as determined by the relevant United States census current at the time that they began service.     Republican (49)         Democratic (47)         Independent (4) 1 (1789) 2 (1791) 3 (1793) 4 (1795) 5 (1797) 6 (1799) 7 (1801) 8 (1803) 9 (1805) 10 (1807) 11 (1809) 12 (1811) 13 (1813) 14 (1815) 15 (1817) 16 (1819) 17 (1821) 18 (1823) 19 (1825) 20 (1827) 21 (1829) 22 (1831) 23 (1833) 24 (1835) 25 (1837) 26 (1839) 27 (1841) 28 (1843) 29 (1845) 30 (1847) 31 (1849) 32 (1851) 33 (1853) 34 (1855) 35 (1857) 36 (1859) 37 (1861) 38 (1863) 39 (1865) 40 (1867) 41 (1869) 42 (1871) 43 (1873) 44 (1875) 45 (1877) 46 (1879) 47 (1881) 48 (1883) 49 (1885) 50 (1887) 51 (1889) 52 (1891) 53 (1893) 54 (1895) 55 (1897) 56 (1899) 57 (1901) 58 (1903) 59 (1905) 60 (1907) 61 (1909) 62 (1911) 63 (1913) 64 (1915) 65 (1917) 66 (1919) 67 (1921) 68 (1923) 69 (1925) 70 (1927) 71 (1929) 72 (1931) 73 (1933) 74 (1935) 75 (1937) 76 (1939) 77 (1941) 78 (1943) 79 (1945) 80 (1947) 81 (1949) 82 (1951) 83 (1953) 84 (1955) 85 (1957) 86 (1959) 87 (1961) 88 (1963) 89 (1965) 90 (1967) 91 (1969) 92 (1971) 93 (1973) 94 (1975) 95 (1977) 96 (1979) 97 (1981) 98 (1983) 99 (1985) 100 (1987) 101 (1989) 102 (1991) 103 (1993) 104 (1995) 105 (1997) 106 (1999) 107 (2001) 108 (2003) 109 (2005) 110 (2007) 111 (2009) 112 (2011) 113 (2013) 114 (2015) 115 (2017) 116 (2019) 117 (2021) 118 (2023) Cuban Adjustment Act Cubans legally migrate to

5280-488: The state. 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. In his campaign, Rubio received the support of members of the Tea Party , many of whom were dissatisfied with Crist's policies as governor. On April 28, 2010, Crist said he would run without a party affiliation, effectively ceding

5360-556: The success rate for Cuban applicants is quite high. In 1996 approximately 67% of those registered were issued visas, in 1997 the success rate was 69% and in 1998 a total of 73% of Cuban applicants who applied for the diversity visa program were issued visas. The Special Cuban Migration Program, or "Cuban lottery," was open to all adult Cubans between the ages of 18 and 55 years of age who resided in Cuba regardless of whether they qualified for U.S. immigrant visa or refugee programs. The lottery provided an additional avenue of legal migration to

5440-477: The vote to Demings's 41%. During Rubio's first four years in the U.S. Senate , Republicans were in the minority . After the 2014 midterm elections , the Republicans obtained majority control of the Senate, giving Rubio and the Republicans vast federal influence during the final two years of Barack Obama's presidency , as well as during all four years of Donald Trump's presidency . After the 2020 elections,

5520-654: Was Catholic , though from age   8 to age   11 he and his family attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while living in Las Vegas. During those years in Nevada, his father worked as a bartender at Sam's Town Hotel and his mother as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino . He received his first communion as a Catholic in 1984 before moving back to Miami with his family

5600-540: Was vetted for vice president by the Romney campaign . Former Romney aide Beth Myers has said that the vetting process turned up nothing disqualifying about Rubio. Upon taking office, Rubio hired Cesar Conda as his chief of staff . Conda, a former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney , and former top aide to Sens. Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) and Robert Kasten (R-Wis.), was succeeded in 2014 as Rubio's chief of staff by his deputy, Alberto Martinez, but Conda remained as

5680-568: Was a serious threat posed by the spread of militias and weapons, and called for more U.S. involvement to counter that threat. Rubio voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011 , which included mandatory automatic budget cuts from sequestration . He later said that defense spending should never have been linked to taxes and the deficit, calling the policy a "terrible idea" based on a "false choice". The following month, Rubio and Senator Chris Coons , Democrat of Delaware , co-sponsored

5760-479: Was appointed House majority leader by Speaker Johnnie Byrd . 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. According to National Journal , during this period Rubio did not entirely adhere to doctrinaire conservative principles, and some colleagues described him as

5840-537: 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, Rubio's style was to delegate certain powers, relinquish others, and invite political rivals into his inner circle. As

5920-634: Was invited to visit the Reagan Library , during which he gave a well-publicized speech praising its namesake, and also rescued Nancy Reagan from falling. In March 2011, Rubio supported U.S. participation in the military campaign in Libya to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi . He urged that Senate leaders bring "a bi-partisan resolution to the Senate floor authorizing the president's decision to participate in allied military action in Libya". The administration decided that no congressional authorization

6000-529: Was needed under the War Powers Resolution ; Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) joined Rubio in writing an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal in June 2011 again urging passage of such authorization. In October 2011, Rubio joined several other senators in pushing for continued engagement to "help Libya lay the foundation for sustainable security". Soon after Gadhafi was ousted, Rubio warned there

6080-420: Was part of the bipartisan " Gang of Eight " senators that crafted comprehensive immigration reform legislation . Rubio proposed a plan providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States involving payment of fines and back taxes , background checks, and a probationary period; that pathway was to be implemented only after strengthening border security . The bill passed

6160-402: Was reelected to a third term with 66% of the vote. In 2006, he was reelected to a fourth term unopposed. Rubio spent almost nine years in the Florida House of Representatives. Since the Florida legislative session officially lasted only sixty days, he spent about half of each year in Miami, where he practiced law, first at a law firm that specialized in land use and zoning until 2014 when he took

6240-595: Was speaker of the Florida House, and many other university jobs were being eliminated due to funding issues at the time FIU appointed him to the faculty. 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. On May 5, 2009, Rubio stated his intent to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martínez , who had decided not to seek reelection and subsequently resigned before completing his term. Before launching his campaign, Rubio met with fundraisers and supporters throughout

6320-423: Was sworn in a year later, in November 2006. He became the first Cuban American to be speaker of the Florida House of Representatives , and would remain speaker until November 2008. When he was chosen as future speaker in 2005, Rubio delivered a speech to the Florida 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

6400-559: Was sworn in early due to the special election, and he would take advantage of these opportunities to join the GOP leadership. Later in 2000, the majority leader of the House, Mike Fasano , promoted Rubio to be one of two majority whips . 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. Fasano resigned in September 2001 as majority leader of

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