Marco Rubio: 2012 Presidential Profile

Background

Marco Rubio was born in Miami in 1971 to a blue-collar family. His Cuban parents came to America after Fidel Castro’s takeover of their home country.

Family

Rubio and his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio were married in 1998 and have four children. They live in West Miami, four blocks from the home his parents bought in 1985.

Religious Affiliation

Although Rubio is a Roman Catholic, he belongs to the Christ Fellowship Nondenominational Church, leading some to believe that he is truly Protestant. About his faith, Rubio has said “For those who have the Christian faith and are in politics, there is a constant struggle between a desire to do what is right and how that sometimes may not coincide with what is popular,” he said. “I hope that, more often than not, I make the right choice.”

Education

After beginning his college education with Tarkio College in Missouri on a football scholarship, Rubio transferred to Santa Fe Community College. In 1993, he graduated with a bachelor of science from the University of Florida. He earned his juris doctor in 1996, graduating cum laude from the University of Miami.

Political Start

Rubio served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000-1008. While there, his roles included Majority Whip, Majority Leader and Speaker of the House. His agenda was one of lower taxes, better schools, a smaller more efficient government and free market empowerment.

Political Career

Before becoming speaker, Rubio traveled around the state for 2 years hosting “Idearaisers” to hear from his consitutents on ways to make Florida better. This resulted in the book “100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future,” on which he based his term. All 100 ideas were passed by the Florida House, and 57 became law. Newt Gingrich called this “a work of genius.”

Rubio has worked to develop a public school curriculum that would match the best in the world, increase performance-based accountability, allow for greater school choice and target factors which affect academic underperformance.

In 2010, Rubio was elected US Senator for Florida. He sits on the following committees:

• Committee on commerce, science and transportation
• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Select Committee on Intelligence
• Committee on Small business and entrepreneurship

Private Sector Career

After his time as Speaker, Rubio returned to practicing law. He also acted as a visiting professor at Florida International University, was Florida Chairman of GOPAC and a political analyst for Univision.

On the issues

Abortion- Pro-Life

Budget- Supports moratorium on all earmarks until budget is balanced

Economic- Supports a balanced budget and a line item veto

Economic- Supports a limit on federal spending growth to per-capita inflation rate

Education- Supports more scholarships for private schools

Education- Supports less federal control of education with increased local control, including increased parental choice

Energy- Supports exploration of proven energy reserves including ANWR

Environment- Opposes Cap & Trade. Does not believe it has had an impact on the global climate

Environment- Signed the No Climate Tax Pledge by AFP

Healthcare- Supports the repeal of any government-run healthcare

Healthcare- Supports a marketplace of affordable health insurance

Healthcare- Supports alternatives to employer-based insurance

Immigration– Believes Arizona law may unreasonably single out some citizens

Immigration- Opposes counting illegal aliens in the census

Immigration- Supports in-state tuition for children of illegal aliens

Immigration- Opposes amnesty in any form

Immigration- Supports full implementation of current border security laws

Legislative- Supports identifying the constitutionality in every new congressional bill

National Security- Believes that Islamic terrorists are the greatest threat to America

National Security- Supports the 2007 troop surge

National Security- Opposes timetable for Afghanistan withdrawal

Other- Opposed Ground Zero Mosque

Other- Opposes card check & Employee Free Choice Act

Second Amendment- Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms

Social- Supported amendment to ban same-sex marriage and supports the ban of gays in the military

Tax- Supports making Bush tax cuts permanent

Tax- Supports replacing property taxes with state sales tax

Tax- Opposes capital gains tax

Tax- Supports flat-rate federal tax

Tax- Supports repeal of death taxes

Sources:

Rubio.senate.gov

Ontheissues.org