GOP Beware: Marco Rubio Knows Nothing About the Middle or Class

TALLAHASSEE, FL —Republicans are continuing their attempts at a post-election reinvention, talking a lot about the middle class and tapping Florida’s Senator Marco Rubio to tout their agenda tonight. Rubio may know a lot about public reinventions, but his record of voting with the far-right fringe of the Republican Party underscores he knows nothing about the middle or class.

Dubbed the Senator from the Tea Party, Rubio has spent his career siding with extremists instead of doing what’s right for Florida – whether it’s serving as the lone Gulf Coast Senator to vote against the RESTORE Act, voting no on re-authorizing the Violence Against Women Act or backing Gov. Rick Scott’s move to turn away high speed rail money which would have created thousands of jobs.

“Sen. Marco Rubio is the perfect face of the GOP makeover, considering he’s spent his time in Washington angling for the cameras and distorting his extreme record at home,” said Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux. “Rubio has consistently shown that he’s willing to put his own political ambitions and partisan politics ahead of the people of Florida. That’s why Floridians weren’t surprised by Rubio’s recent announcement that he’s relocating himself from Florida to Washington – the reality is he left us behind a long time ago.”

MEET MARCO RUBIO’S EXTREME RECORD:  

Marco Rubio voted against equal rights for disabled individuals because he claimed it would lead to abortions. “Sen. Marco Rubio plans to vote against ratifying a U.N. disabilities treaty that has come under opposition from conservatives, his office tells the Buzz. A vote is scheduled for noon and failure is likely because two-thirds are needed. The treaty calls for equal rights for disabled people and is modeled after the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. It is widely supported by Democrats and some Republicans. But conservatives — most vocally Rick Santorum — say it could lead to international standards being imposed on the U.S. There’s also a worry, previously expressed by Rubio, that it could lead to abortions” [Tampa Bay Times, 12/4/12]  

After a threat from Grover Norquist, Rubio was the lone Gulf Coast state Senator to vote against dedicating BP oil spill fees to Florida and the Gulf Coast. “U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was the only Gulf state senator yesterday to vote against the Restore Act, the legislation that would dedicate 80 percent of BP oil spill fees to the region. His vote followed a warning by Grover Norquist’s anti-tax group that offsets in the measure violate The Pledge.” The Pensacola News Journal stated “his turnaround on the bill followed a pointed warning from powerful GOP anti-tax activist Grover Norquist that the offsets in the RESTORE Act violate the ‘Taxpayer Protection Pledge…’It shows the foolishness of pledging in advance how you will act on matters ofserious policy. In doing so Rubio surrendered his ability to vote in his own constitutents’ important, clear interests.” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/9/12; Pensacola News Journal,3/19/12]

On February 15, 2012 Marco Rubio was a co-sponsor of the RESTORE Act which directed 80 Percent Of The Fines To The Gulf Coast. [Herald/Times, 3/22/12]

On March 8, 2012, Grover Norquists Organization stated that the RESTORE Act would violate his pledge. [Americans for Tax Reform, 3/8/2012]

On March 8, 2012, following Norquist’s threat, Rubio voted no the RESTORE Act [Clerk of the Senate, 3/8/12]

Two days after Grover Norquist told him to, Rubio voted against building and repairing Florida’s roads. “On March 12, American for Tax Reform issued an alert telling U.S. Senators to vote “No” on Highway Bill S. 1813. In a statement, ATR stated, “Americans for Tax Reform and its Cost of Government Center strongly urge Senators to vote no on the Highway Bill on the Senate floor today.” On March 14, Rubio was one of only 22 U.S. Senators who voted against the bill. The bill “would give Florida nearly $2 billion for road-building and repair through the end of the current fiscal year andincludes a provision that could steer billions to Gulf Coast communities harmed by the 2010 BP oil spill. The $1.99 billion Florida would receive through the end of fiscal year 2012 on Sept. 30 is $23 million more than it received infiscal year 2011” [American for Tax Reform Alert, 3/12/12; S. 1813, Vote 48, 3/14/12; Tallahassee Democrat, 3/15/12] 

Rubio voted no on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act — the law that protects women and families from domestic abuse and violence. “Florida’s senators split their votes on the Violence Against Women Act, with Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson voting to extend it, and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio voting against it…The 18-year-old federal law created a national strategy to prevent domestic violence against women and pours resources into efforts to help victims of domestic violence.” [Miami Herald, 4/26/2012] 

Standing with Rick Scott, Rubio sided against funding high speedrail. Rubio agreed with Florida Governor Rick Scott “that the state simply cannot afford the [high-speed] rail project. ‘Our state and country simply cannot continue spending borrowed money on every new idea that comes along,’ Mr. Rubio said. ‘I appreciate Gov. Scott’s willingness to encourage this debate at the state level in Florida.’ Mr. Scott’s decision comes a week after he proposed state spending cuts of $4.6 billion in the next budget, along with tax and fee cuts totaling about $2 billion. High-speed rail was one of President Obama’s priorities in his 2009 stimulus package, and his fiscal 2012 budget proposal released Monday calls for $53 billion over the next six years for projects across the country.” A state report shows that high speed rail would have been profitable and benefited the state. [Washington Times, 2/16/11; Tampa Tribune, 2/6/2012]

Appealing to Tea Partiers, Marco Rubio voted against federal funding that would help Florida’s schools. “Finally, someone in Washington has seized initiative to do right by Florida schools and business. Unfortunately, it’s not U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who has protested the action on grounds that will surely rile his tea party supporters. At issue is U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s decision last month to unilaterally override an unrealistic requirement in the No Child Left Behind Act that all U.S. students — 100 percent — read, write and do math at grade level by next year…Rubio, R-West Miami, protested the move, calling it unconstitutional in a letter to Duncan on Monday. A national curriculum is illegal, he said…Rubio’s argument surely will appeal to tea partiers” [Florida Today Column, 9/15/11; See also: Education News, 9/14/2011]

Rubio voted against the American Jobs Act which would have benefited Floridians. “President Obama served up a jobs plan Thursday that could benefit many Floridians through cheaper mortgage rates, cleaned-up neighborhoods hit hard by foreclosures and an infrastructure program that could put the state’s beleaguered construction industry back to work, his supporters said.” Rubio voted against S. 1660 on October 11. [Palm Beach Post, 9/9/11; Senator Rubio release, 10/11/11 and S. 1660, Vote 160, 10/11/11]