[7], Rubio's maternal grandfather, Pedro Victor Garcia, immigrated to the U.S. legally in 1956, but returned to Cuba to find work in 1959. Rubio said in an interview that he wanted to get into coaching to teach children the proper tackle techinique. He campaigned as a moderate, advocating tax cuts and early childhood education. Marco Rubio is said to have a net worth of about $400,000. After earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 1993, he went to the [225] Over time, Rubio distanced himself from his previous efforts to reach a compromise on immigration,[226] and developed more hardline views on immigration, rejecting bipartisan immigration reform efforts in 2018. [60][61], 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. WebSenator Rubio was born in Miami, after his parents came to the United States from Cuba in search of the American Dream. Mario RubioMarco Rubio / Brother. [253][254], Rubio has a mixed relationship with Donald Trump. He supports expanding public charter schools, opposes Common Core State Standards, and advocates closing the federal Department of Education. Marco Rubio used his influence to help his convicted Rubio enjoys coaching his two sons in football on the weekends. "[256], Rubio is a Roman Catholic[258] and attends Catholic Mass at Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables, Florida. 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 $33billion) ultimately passed. [citation needed] He is supportive of the Trans Pacific Partnership, saying that the U.S. risks being excluded from global trade unless it is more open to trade. I cant stand them being on those video gamesthey only get to play one hour on the weekend, Jeanette tells Parade. Getty Images. [59] At that point, Rubio assumed responsibility for the payments, and the house was eventually sold. [117] The administration decided that no congressional authorization 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. [122][123][124][125], Rubio voted against the 2012 "fiscal cliff" resolutions. May 27, 2021. [29][32] He then defeated Democrat Anastasia Garcia with 72% of the vote in a January 25, 2000, special election. [244] Rubio is a staunch supporter of Israel. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., today is expected to become the third big-name Republican to enter the 2016 race for the White House. He became the first Cuban American to be speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and would remain speaker until November 2008. I would say that even if it was a Republican president. [29] 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. [23] He also worked on Republican senator Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. [43] 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". 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. They have four On November 2, 2010, Rubio won the general election with 49% of the vote to Crist's 30% and Democrat Kendrick Meek's 20%. [11], 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. [148] On January 11, Rubio questioned Tillerson during a Senate committee hearing on his confirmation, saying afterward he would "do what's right". Why Senator Rubio's Lies Matter Does Marco Rubio have siblings? Aside Mario, Marco Rubio has other siblings, Veronica Rubio and Barbara Rubio. [128][129] The bill passed 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. [36] In 2006, he was reelected to a fourth term unopposed. [52][53][54], 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. For other uses, see, Marco Rubio honors Senate Staffer who passed away. [26] He became a member of the Florida House of Representatives in early 2000. ", "PolitiFact - No proof for Val Demings claim that Marco Rubio backs tax hikes like those indicated in Scott's plan", "Rubio rejects running as Republicans' VP nominee", "Romney: Marco Rubio is being seriously vetted as possible vice presidential pick", "Romney alum rebuts Bush whispers: Rubio passed our vetting", "Marco Rubio Picks a Chief of Staff: Cesar Conda", "Rubio taps Cheney aide for chief of staff", "Sen. Marco Rubio hires Cesar Conda to be chief of staff", "Marco Rubio announces staff changes sure to fuel 2016 talk", "Marco Rubio to the rescue! Marco and Jeanette have four children. [139], According to analysis by Vocativ as reported by Fox News, Rubio missed 8.3% of total votes from January 2011 to February 2015. [86] 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. When asked about the dangerous nature of football Rubio said that any sport can be dangerous, including competitve stunt cheerleading, which his daughter Amanda does. [101] He faced Democratic challenger Val Demings, the U.S. Representative for Florida's 10th congressional district and a former police officer. [116] 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". [130], Rubio was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address. Marco Rubio does not have a Twin brother but an older brother by the name Mario Rubio. [145], On May 17, 2016, Rubio broke from the Republican majority in his support of Obama's request for $2 billion in emergency spending on the Zika virus at a time when Florida accounted for roughly 20% of the recorded cases of Zika in the U.S., acknowledging that it was the president's request but adding, "it's really the scientists' request, the doctors' request, the public health sector's request for how to address this issue. [49][56] At the time, Republican anti-tax activist Grover Norquist described Rubio as "the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country". Rubio recalls his parents always wanting what was best for their four children including Rubio, his two sisters and brother. "As we deploy legislative solutions to tackle this challenge, Democrats must not allow our corporate and financial sectors leftward shift on social issues to blind them to the enormity of China as a geo-economic threat. When you think of celebrity twins, famous duos like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen or Tegan and Sara Quin might come to mind. "[211] Rubio reaffirmed his support of Trump shortly thereafter. They began dating but it quickly turned into a long-distance relationship, in which they communicated through letters, because Rubio began attending University of Florida in the fall and Jeanette would attend Miami-Dade Community College and work part-time as a bank teller. The most important thing for me is that they learn respect. Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio - Wikipedia 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. [104] Rubio won the November 8 general election with 57% of the vote to Demings's 41%.[105]. [41][42] Additionally, an office in the executive branch compiled a longer list of spending requests by legislators, including Rubio,[43] as did the non-profit group Florida TaxWatch. The house later went into foreclosure in 2010 after several missed mortgage payments. The plan would set the top individual income tax rate at 35%. Rubio himself always wanted to play in the NFL, but after a short college football career he realized that wasnt going to happen. (Instagram). 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. Rubio Tries To Clarify How His Family Left [166], Rubio's committee memberships are as follows:[167], Rubio said in April 2014 that he would not run for reelection to the Senate if he ran for 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. [63][64] 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. The Florida senator has had his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes,and four children by his side throughout his campaign. [29] In 2006, after traveling around the state and talking with citizens, and compiling their ideas, Rubio published the book. [8][10] Immigration officials reversed their decision later that day, the deportation order was not enforced, and Garcia was given a legal status of "parolee" that allowed him to stay in the U.S.[11][12][13] Garcia re-applied for permanent resident status in 1966 following passage of the Cuban Adjustment Act, at which point his residency was approved. [181], In the first Republican primary, the February1 Iowa caucuses, Rubio finished third, behind candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. But I live in an exceptional country where even the son of a bartender and a maid can have the same dreams and the same future as those who come from power and privilege. [11] Rubio enjoyed a close relationship with his grandfather during his childhood. Trump just endorsed him for re-election", "Wall Street Must Stop Enabling Communist China", "ICYMI: Rubio: Wall Street Must Stop Enabling Communist China", "Is Marco Rubio Catholic or Baptist? [248] Experts noted that the inclusion of such a question would likely result in severe undercounting of the population and faulty data, as undocumented immigrants would be less likely to respond to the census. After they got married she only had one semester left but then she got pregnant. He rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, which is that climate change is real, progressing, harmful, and primarily caused by humans, arguing that human activity does not play a major role and claiming that proposals to address climate change would be ineffective and economically harmful. Not quite, but Rubio has history of bipartisanship, "Rubio faces foreclosure on Tally home; his campaign says it's resolved", Rubio sells troubled house in Florida for $117K, "Perspective: Rubio seeks the sweet spot", "Rubio's farewell: 'I leave here today with full peace in my heart'", "Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys", "Marco Rubio Made Personal Charges on GOP Credit Card", "Marco Rubio, Florida GOP Under Federal Investigation, Report Says", "Rubio releases more credit card statements, team says 'nothing to hide', Marco Rubio campaign releases previously undisclosed GOP credit card statements, "GOP Credit Scandal Threatens to Halt Rubio's Momentum in Primary", Rubio says GOP credit card paid with 'my money', "Ethics panel dismisses 2010 claim about Rubio", "Marco Rubio's Florida spending caused alarm for colleague", "Marco Rubio releases Florida GOP charge card statements", "At Florida International University, GOP rising star Sen. Marco Rubio is professor Rubio", "What it's like to take a political science class with professor Marco Rubio", "U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's teaching post at FIU draws scrutiny", Sen. Marco Rubio returns to teaching at FIU, "Professor Rubio: Inside the classroom, the Florida Republican gives clues about his political future", Senate run puts Rubio's ties to FIU under fiscal scrutiny, Billionaire Lifts Marco Rubio, Politically and Personally, "Marco Rubio quietly registers to run for U.S. Senate", "Rubio Edges Crist In Florida Gop Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; President Obama Under Water As Voters Disapprove", "Election 2010: Florida Republican Primary for Senate", "Charlie Crist will run for Senate with no party affiliation", "Crist to Run as Independent in FL Sen Race", "All-Star Panel on GOP Gov. Rubio has been awarded the following foreign honor: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [147], On December 13, after President-elect Trump nominated Rex Tillerson as his Secretary of State in the incoming administration, Rubio expressed concern about the selection. [228] He has said that he would ban it even in cases of rape and incest, but with exceptions if the mother's life is in danger. Marco Rubio 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. [39][40] 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. [259] He also previously attended Christ Fellowship, a Southern Baptist Church[260] in West Kendall, Florida. Rubios parents, Mario and Oriales Rubio, were born in Cuba but moved to the U.S. following Fidel Castros takeover. When Rubio was eight years old his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where his father worked as a bartender at the Sams Town Hotel and his mother as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace Hotel. [262][263] Rubio and his family live in West Miami, Florida. [29], As a state representative, Rubio requested legislative earmarks (called "Community Budget Issue Requests" in Florida), totaling about $145million for 2001 and 2002, but none thereafter. [203] On May 29, Rubio continued disavowing vice presidential speculation but indicated an interest in playing a role in Trump's campaign. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. "[247], In March 2018, Rubio defended the decision of the Trump administration to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. (Getty). He was sworn in a year later, in November 2006. [240][241][242][243] On capital punishment, Rubio favors streamlining the appeals process. I think the purpose of the letter I was trying to explain to her how I thought that even though it was tough being apart from each other, we were investing in the early stages of our relationship, which would be the foundation for whatever came of it down the road. [154], While ballots were being counted in a close Florida Senate race between Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson and Republican challenger Rick Scott, Rubio claimed without evidence that Democrats were conspiring with election officials to illicitly install Nelson. I really believe that when things are hardest those things make you stronger, she told the Tampa Bay Times. (Getty). [1] Rubio was reelected to a third term in 2022, defeating Democratic nominee Val Demings. This is a photo of Rubio as a child playing football, just like his sons do now. The Florida Supreme Court sided with Rubio and blocked the deal. So he asked questions and friends put something together where we would go to the movies and he would sit next to me and then you know, coincidentally. Read more about their family. [251][bettersourceneeded], In March 2016, Rubio opposed President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, saying, "I don't think we should be moving forward with a nominee in the last year of this president's term. Performance & security by Cloudflare. During Rubio's first four years in the U.S. Senate, Republicans were in the minority. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Florida in 1993 and his Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996. "Reality Check: Rubio on Libya post-intervention", Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, he fled communist Cuba and returned to the U.S. in 1962, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, 2010 United States Senate election in Florida, 2016 United States Senate election in Florida, 2022 United States Senate election in Florida, United States Interests Section in Havana, mandatory automatic budget cuts from sequestration, comprehensive immigration reform legislation, response to the State of the Union address, Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, 2021 United States Electoral College vote count, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development, 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016, List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress, "On Venezuela, Marco Rubio assumes U.S. role of ouster in chief", "Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal Become Focus Of Bipartisan Birthers", "Marco Rubio's compelling family story embellishes facts, documents show", Live Chat: Marco Rubio's embellished family story, "Marco Rubio Once Benefitted From Birthright Citizenship, Now He's Open to Restricting It", "Rubio's Parents Were Plain Old Immigrants, Not Refugees", "Marco Rubio's Policies Might Shut the Door to People Like His Grandfather", "Marco Rubio's grandfather had difficult transition to U.S.", "Marco Rubio's grandfather ordered deported to Cuba in 1962", "Rubio's Grandfather may have temporarily been in U.S. illegally", "Marco Rubio's book explains why he left Mormonism", "Sen. Marco Rubio's religious journey: Catholic to Mormon to Catholic to Baptist and Catholic", "Republican candidate Marco Rubio casts U.S. Senate race as battle for America", "Transcript: Marco Rubio's State of the Union Response", "Miami's Marco Rubio becomes new Florida senator", "In South Florida, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are forcing locals to pick sides", "Marco Rubio's meteoric rise in Florida politics", "16 Apr 2000, 235 The Miami Herald at Newspapers.com", "The story behind Marco Rubio's frustrating first job as a politician", "What Kind of Leader Is Marco Rubio? "[51], While speaker of the Florida House, Rubio shared a residence in Tallahassee with another Florida State Representative, David Rivera, which the two co-owned. [57] 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 the other side simply because they were the other side. [255], In May 2021, Rubio argued that "Wall Street must stop enabling Communist China" in The American Prospect[256] and on his website. She calls herself a strict mom and focused on her children more than his political career. Mario Rubio, older brother of Sen. Marco Rubio, lands In April 2015, Rubio decided to run for president instead of seeking reelection to the Senate. [120], The following month, Rubio and Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, co-sponsored 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. 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. [261], In 1998, Rubio married Jeanette Dousdebes, a former bank teller and Miami Dolphins cheerleader, in a Catholic ceremony at the Church of the Little Flower. [195], On April 12, during an interview with Mark Levin, Rubio expressed his wishes that Republicans would nominate a conservative candidate, name-dropping Cruz. [62] 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". Rubio is a Cuban American from Miami, Florida. "Senator Rubio" redirects here. #FathersDay, Marco Rubio 2016 Campaign: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Anthony Rubio waves as his father, Marco Rubio, delivers a speech. The poll, however, also suggested that Rubio was not disliked by the primary voters, which was thought to be positive for him if other candidates had chosen not to run. [24][25] In April 1998, two years after finishing law school, Rubio was elected to a seat as city commissioner for West Miami. [248] Fellow Republican members of Congress from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, criticized the Trump administration's decision on the basis that it could lead to a faulty census and disadvantage Florida in terms of congressional apportionment and fund apportionment. 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. [219][220], Rubio supports balancing the federal budget, while prioritizing defense spending. [43], On September 13, 2005, at age 34,[45] Rubio became speaker after State Representatives Dennis Baxley, Jeff Kottkamp, and Dennis A. Ross dropped out. [185] Around that time, Rubio revealed he was not "entirely proud" of his personal attacks on Trump. [4] His parents actually left Cuba in 1956, during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. [212] Two weeks later, at the annual Calle Orange street festival in downtown Orlando, he was booed off a stage by a mostly Latino crowd over his support for Trump. When the family has time off, they like to take trips to the Florida Keys on their 24-foot fishing boat. [116], Rubio voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011, which included mandatory automatic budget cuts from sequestration. [179][180] Rubio had pitched his candidacy as an effort to restore the American Dream for middle and working-class families, who might have found his background as a working-class Cuban-American appealing. [112], 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. [141][142] In 2015, Rubio was absent for about 35% of Senate votes. [65][66][67][68], 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 Republican Party of Florida American Express card during his time as House speaker. Early in his Senate tenure, Rubio was involved in bipartisan negotiations to provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants while implementing various measures to strengthen the U.S. border; the bill passed the Senate but was blocked by immigration hardliners in the House. Marco Antonio Rubio (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. Mario Rubio, 69, is 21 years older than his more famous brother. Marco Rubio holds his son at an event. Rubio enjoys coaching his two sons in football on the weekends. (Getty) Rubio himself always wanted to play in the NFL, but after a short college football career he realized that wasnt going to happen. Now, hes the coach of a youth football team that his two sons Dominick and Anthony play in on the weekends. "[152], In September 2017, Rubio defended Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Both of his parents earned their way to the Marco Rubio Is Better Than Even Money to Be the GOP Nominee, Marco Rubio and wife Jeanette Rubio wave to a crowd. "[155] He claimed that Broward County officials were engaged in "ongoing" legal violations, without specifying what those were. [255] During the Republican primaries in the 2016 presidential election, they harshly criticized each other. (Getty). Six years ago, Sen. Marco Rubio offered a blunt warning about the reckless and dangerous Donald Trump: He would do damage to America.. Update, June 22, 2016: While Marco Rubio on March 15 decided to suspend his presidential campaign after losing Floridas primary contest, he chose to seek re-election to his U.S. Senate seat. [140] From October 27, 2014, to October 26, 2015, Rubio voted in 74% of Senate votes, according to an analysis by GovTrack.us, which tracks congressional voting records. [127] 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. Marco Antonio Rubio was born in Miami, Florida,[2] the second son and third child of Mario Rubio Reina[3] and Oriales (ne Garcia) Rubio. [29][38], 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. A member How Rubio helped his ex-con brother-in-law acquire a