In the News
Marco Rubio Is Failing to Show Up to Work, Again
Marco Rubio has a long history of failing to show up for his job in the Senate. From skipping vital meetings on national security to earning the worst attendance record of any Florida Senator in the last 30 years, Rubio has fostered a reputation as an “absentee senator.”
Now, new reporting from the Orlando Sentinel reveals that Rubio is still taking advantage of the taxpayers who fund his salary and failing to show up for work yet again. In recent months, Rubio has missed important Foreign Relations Committee hearings and skipped out on meetings covering issues vital to seniors and small businesses.
Orlando Sentinel: Demings rips Rubio for skipping 14 Senate hearings amid GOP boycotts
By Steven Lemongello
Key points:
- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has missed as many as 14 Senate hearings over the past two months, a practice the Republican was criticized for six years ago as he launched a bid for the presidency.
- Rubio did not appear at nine Foreign Relations hearings since Sept. 22, most of which focused on Biden nominations.
- Rubio also missed all three hearings of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in September and October
- Rubio also missed both hearings of the Special Committee on Aging in September and October.
- Rubio has gotten in hot water before over his attendance record. In 2015, Politico called him an “absentee senator” who “has been playing hooky more than the rest of the 2016 class.”
- Rubio at the time was running for president instead of reelection, saying of the Senate, “I don’t know that ‘hate’ is the right word. I’m frustrated.”
- A 2015 story noted how he had been critical of the Obama administration over hostages in Iran but skipped the resolution calling for their release.
- A review by the Tampa Bay Times in early 2016, spurred by criticism from presidential rival Jeb Bush, found Rubio had missed 68% of his committee hearings, including 80% of Commerce hearings and 85% of Small Business.
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