The 2016 Presidential Candidates: Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida. He has held the office since January 2011, and he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Born May 28, 1971 in Miami, the 44 year old Rubio is of Cuban descent. He graduated from the University of Florida and the University of Miami Law School. In the late 1990s, he served as a City Commissioner for West Miami and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000, representing the 111th House district. He was elected Speaker in September 2005. He announced his run for the Senate in May 2009 after incumbent Republican Mel Martínez resigned. Initially trailing by double-digits against the incumbent Republican Governor Charlie Crist, Rubio cam from behind to win the Republican nomination after Crist opted instead to run with no party affiliation. In a three-way split against Crist and Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek, Rubio won the general election in November 2010 with 49 percent of the vote. In 2013 he gave the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union Address, in a speech which, unfortunately for Rubio, was overshadowed by pundits' reference to Rubio's frequent drinking from his water glass.
As early as January 2011, there was speculation that Marco Rubio might seek the office of the President or Vice-President. In January 2011, Rubio stated he had no interest in being the Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2012 Presidential election, but despite his comments, he was on a short-list to be the running mate of Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
After the 2012 election, efforts began to raise funds for a potential Marco Rubio Presidential campaign. Groups supporting Rubio raised over $530,000 in the first three months of 2014. Early polling data showed Rubio as a frontrunner for the nomination. From late 2012 to mid-2013, Rubio came in first in eight consecutive national polls among potential 2016 candidates. But he fell in the ranks of Republican contenders in polls taken in April 2014. By the time Rubio announced that he was running for President, he had regained some standing in the polls. In a March 2015 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of Republican Party voters, Rubio finished first with 56 percent of Republican voters saying they could see themselves supporting Rubio, while only 26 percent said they could not. A CNN/ORC poll conducted from March 13 to March 15, 2015 had Rubio tied with Chris Christie for the Republican nomination. As of this writing, Real Clear Politics' average of national polls shows Rubio in 5th place at 5.8%, following candidates Trump, Carson, Bush and Cruz.
In January 2015, Rubio began laying the foundation for a presidential campaign. He began contacting top donors and appointed advisors. On March 30, 2015 Rubio announced on Fox News and through social media that he would be making a "Big Announcement" on April 13 in Miami, Florida. He made the announcement that he would be running for President in 2016 at the Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami. In his announcement speech, Rubio cast himself as forward-looking and a leader for a new generation of Americans, in contrast to Democrat Hillary Clinton, who had announced her presidential campaign the day before. Clinton's announcement had stolen a great deal of media attention from Rubio however. In his speech, he also announced he would not seek re-election as Senator.
A Super PAC in support of Rubio, called Conservative Solutions PAC, was launched in the beginning of April 2015. It is led by Warren Tompkins. Miami businessman Norman Braman is believed to be a large donor to the pac. Rubio raised about $1.25 million online the day after his announcement. By the three-month mark of his campaign - July 13 - Rubio had raised over $12 million.
Following are some of the positions taken on the issues by Rubio:
Fiscal Policy: Rubio supports an initiative to limit federal spending growth to the per capita inflation rate. He opposed President Barack Obama's stimulus package of 2009. Rubio supports initiatives to balance the federal budget, including a balanced budget amendment.
Social Security: Rubio supports Social Security 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.
Taxation: Rubio supports extending the Bush tax cuts and believes no taxes should be increased during a recession. He also opposes the capital gains tax, stating that it is double taxation. He also opposes the estate tax. Rubio supports a flat rate federal tax. In 2014, Rubio proposed legislation to replace the earned income tax credit 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." As a Senator from Florida, Rubio has received grades of A in 2011, and B+ in 2012 and 2013 from the National Taxpayers Union.
Domestic Violence: Rubio was one of 23 GOP senators who voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, stating that he largely supported it but objected to certain new provisions in the bill.
Abortion: Rubio identifies as pro-life. He strongly opposes the US Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade, and has said that the "right to life is a fundamental one that trumps virtually any other right I can imagine".
Same-Sex Marriage: On March 14, 2013, Rubio told the Conservative Political Action Conference that he was opposed to same-sex marriage, saying "states should have the right to define marriage in the traditional way".
Gun Control: Rubio was given a B+ rating by the National Rifle Association (NRA) for his stance on gun control. He voted against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor in part because of her position on the second amendment which he viewed as infringing the rights of gun owners.
Immigration: Rubio urged his party to compromise on the DREAM Act to keep from alienating Hispanic voters from the Republican party in 2012.
Marijuana: Regarding medical cannabis, Rubio says he would like to learn more about the "science of it", but is only open to allowing forms of the drug that do not cause a high. He supports continued criminal penalties for recreational cannabis. He has stated "I don’t think legalizing marijuana or even decriminalizing it is the right decision for our country".
Foreign Policy: Rubio said 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 roving wiretaps provision of the Patriot Act, which governs surveillance of suspected terrorists. He has supported President Obama's initial response to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's invasion of Iraq. He has also called for arms to support moderate elements in the Syrian opposition and a bombing campaign to stop ISIL's advance, but voted against an authorization to use force in Syria.
Climate change: Rubio has said that he does not dispute that there is climate change, but questions whether human activity is causing dramatic changes the way scientists are portraying them. He is concerned that proposals to address climate change would not work and would hurt the economy. In response to the encyclical Laudato si' by Pope Francis in 2015 in which he warns of the dangers of climate change Rubio's response was: "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."
As early as January 2011, there was speculation that Marco Rubio might seek the office of the President or Vice-President. In January 2011, Rubio stated he had no interest in being the Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2012 Presidential election, but despite his comments, he was on a short-list to be the running mate of Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
After the 2012 election, efforts began to raise funds for a potential Marco Rubio Presidential campaign. Groups supporting Rubio raised over $530,000 in the first three months of 2014. Early polling data showed Rubio as a frontrunner for the nomination. From late 2012 to mid-2013, Rubio came in first in eight consecutive national polls among potential 2016 candidates. But he fell in the ranks of Republican contenders in polls taken in April 2014. By the time Rubio announced that he was running for President, he had regained some standing in the polls. In a March 2015 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of Republican Party voters, Rubio finished first with 56 percent of Republican voters saying they could see themselves supporting Rubio, while only 26 percent said they could not. A CNN/ORC poll conducted from March 13 to March 15, 2015 had Rubio tied with Chris Christie for the Republican nomination. As of this writing, Real Clear Politics' average of national polls shows Rubio in 5th place at 5.8%, following candidates Trump, Carson, Bush and Cruz.
In January 2015, Rubio began laying the foundation for a presidential campaign. He began contacting top donors and appointed advisors. On March 30, 2015 Rubio announced on Fox News and through social media that he would be making a "Big Announcement" on April 13 in Miami, Florida. He made the announcement that he would be running for President in 2016 at the Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami. In his announcement speech, Rubio cast himself as forward-looking and a leader for a new generation of Americans, in contrast to Democrat Hillary Clinton, who had announced her presidential campaign the day before. Clinton's announcement had stolen a great deal of media attention from Rubio however. In his speech, he also announced he would not seek re-election as Senator.
A Super PAC in support of Rubio, called Conservative Solutions PAC, was launched in the beginning of April 2015. It is led by Warren Tompkins. Miami businessman Norman Braman is believed to be a large donor to the pac. Rubio raised about $1.25 million online the day after his announcement. By the three-month mark of his campaign - July 13 - Rubio had raised over $12 million.
Following are some of the positions taken on the issues by Rubio:
Fiscal Policy: Rubio supports an initiative to limit federal spending growth to the per capita inflation rate. He opposed President Barack Obama's stimulus package of 2009. Rubio supports initiatives to balance the federal budget, including a balanced budget amendment.
Social Security: Rubio supports Social Security 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.
Taxation: Rubio supports extending the Bush tax cuts and believes no taxes should be increased during a recession. He also opposes the capital gains tax, stating that it is double taxation. He also opposes the estate tax. Rubio supports a flat rate federal tax. In 2014, Rubio proposed legislation to replace the earned income tax credit 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." As a Senator from Florida, Rubio has received grades of A in 2011, and B+ in 2012 and 2013 from the National Taxpayers Union.
Domestic Violence: Rubio was one of 23 GOP senators who voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, stating that he largely supported it but objected to certain new provisions in the bill.
Abortion: Rubio identifies as pro-life. He strongly opposes the US Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade, and has said that the "right to life is a fundamental one that trumps virtually any other right I can imagine".
Same-Sex Marriage: On March 14, 2013, Rubio told the Conservative Political Action Conference that he was opposed to same-sex marriage, saying "states should have the right to define marriage in the traditional way".
Gun Control: Rubio was given a B+ rating by the National Rifle Association (NRA) for his stance on gun control. He voted against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor in part because of her position on the second amendment which he viewed as infringing the rights of gun owners.
Immigration: Rubio urged his party to compromise on the DREAM Act to keep from alienating Hispanic voters from the Republican party in 2012.
Marijuana: Regarding medical cannabis, Rubio says he would like to learn more about the "science of it", but is only open to allowing forms of the drug that do not cause a high. He supports continued criminal penalties for recreational cannabis. He has stated "I don’t think legalizing marijuana or even decriminalizing it is the right decision for our country".
Foreign Policy: Rubio said 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 roving wiretaps provision of the Patriot Act, which governs surveillance of suspected terrorists. He has supported President Obama's initial response to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's invasion of Iraq. He has also called for arms to support moderate elements in the Syrian opposition and a bombing campaign to stop ISIL's advance, but voted against an authorization to use force in Syria.
Climate change: Rubio has said that he does not dispute that there is climate change, but questions whether human activity is causing dramatic changes the way scientists are portraying them. He is concerned that proposals to address climate change would not work and would hurt the economy. In response to the encyclical Laudato si' by Pope Francis in 2015 in which he warns of the dangers of climate change Rubio's response was: "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."