This Week in the Office of Senator Marco Rubio On Tuesday, I released a video message on President Joe Biden’s failure to meet the bipartisan $725 million funding request made by myself and every U.S. Representative from Florida. Watch the video in English here and in Spanish here. 
On Friday, I praised the Senate passage of my bill to allow the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s investment fund to purchase, lease, and sell commercial real estate properties to create generational wealth for the Tribe and its members. Read more here.  On Friday, I sent a letter to President Joe Biden “request[ing] that the administration conduct a thorough review of all existing federal regulations that can be relaxed to yield more effective and well-organized hurricane relief and response efforts.” Read more here.  On Thursday, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I spoke on the Senate floor before the Senate killed my amendment (#1802) 55-40 to the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021. My amendment would have established a counterintelligence screening process to protect the United States against China’s and other adversaries’ efforts to engage in economic espionage and misappropriate America’s intellectual property, research and development, and innovation efforts. Read more here and watch my full remarks here.  On Thursday, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I issued a statement after voting against an amendment to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). Read more here.  On Wednesday, I joined Fox & Friends to discuss the origins of COVID-19 and the radical education agenda of social Marxists. Watch the full interview here.  On Wednesday, I published an op-ed in The American Prospect warning against Wall Street’s growing integration with Chinese companies. Read the full article here.  On Wednesday, at a Senate Committee on Appropriations Hearing, I questioned Dr. Fauci about why he downplayed the theory that COVID-19 originated in a lab. Watch the full exchange here.  Last Saturday, I welcomed the Department of Homeland Security’s designation granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Haitian nationals residing in the U.S. for a period of 18 months. Read more here.  On Tuesday, I filed 22 amendments to the Senate’s United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, the substitute amendment to the rebranded Endless Frontier Act. Read more here.  On Wednesday, I joined Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in filing an amendment that would ensure the proper constitutional check by requiring that the President submit to Congress any renewed nuclear deal with Iran as a treaty. Read more here.  On Tuesday, I applauded the passage of my resolution to designate May 17 as DIPG Pediatric Brian Cancer Awareness Day, which raises awareness of and encourages research on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) tumors and other pediatric cancers. Read more here.  On Monday, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and I sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the administration to prohibit U.S. airlines from entering Belarusian airspace following the reckless actions of Belarus’ despotic dictator Alexander Lukashenko. On Sunday, under false pretenses, Lukashenko forced a passenger plane en route to Lithuania from Greece to land in Minsk so he could detain Belarusian activist Roman Protasevich. Read more here.  On Wednesday, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I released a statement after voting against advancing Mr. Christopher Fonzone, a Biden Administration nominee who has done legal work for Huawei, to serve as General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Read more here.  On Thursday, I held a virtual meeting with Colombian business leaders who reside in the United States to discuss the impact their respective business sectors are confronting amid national blockades and acts of arson in the nation. During the meeting, I discussed the challenges in Colombia’s flower industry, freight forward industry, palm oil industry, and electrical industry. Read more here.  On Tuesday, I joined Ahora con Oscar Haza to discuss China, the ongoing crisis in Colombia, the proposed commission to examine the events of January 6th, and more. Watch Part 1 of the interview here and Part 2 here.  Legislation Introduced- On Monday, I reintroduced the Liberty City Rising Act , which would improve safety standards for federally assisted public housing complexes located in high-crime areas, such as Miami’s Liberty City and Overtown. Read more here.
- On Monday, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and I introduced the Secure Equipment Act of 2021 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify that it will no longer review, or approve, applications from companies on the Commission’s “Covered List.” The bill would prevent further integration and sales of Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua – all Chinese state-backed or directed firms – in the U.S. regardless of whether federal funds are involved. Read more here.
- On Monday, Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and I introduced the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act , which would authorize new federal grant programs aimed at reducing maternal mortality and to help improve maternal health outcomes for all expectant mothers and their infants. Read more here.
- On Tuesday, I joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and 11 Republican colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning hatred and violence against the Jewish community, denouncing anti-Israel rhetoric from elected officials and the media, and reaffirming that the Jewish people must be treated with dignity and respect. Read more here.
- On Tuesday, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and I led 10 of our Senate colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution that recognizes the growing threats to freedom of the press and free expression around the world. The resolution calls for the unconditional and immediate release of all imprisoned journalists and reaffirms freedom of the press as a priority of the United States in promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance. Read more here.
- On Wednesday, I joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and others in introducing a resolution in support of the United States’ sale of defensive equipment to Israel. This resolution is a statement of support for our nation’s partner and ally, Israel, which was bombarded by violent attacks from Hamas. Read more here.
- On Thursday, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), and I reintroduced the Contracts and Obligations Modernization for Efficient Terms of Service (COMETS) Act , which would allow NASA to use its procurement contracts to acquire supplies and services to meet not only NASA requirements, but also the requirements of its commercial partners. Read more here.
- On Thursday, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and I introduced the No IPOs for Unaccountable Actors Act to prohibit initial public offerings (IPOs) on U.S. exchanges for Chinese companies that are out of compliance with U.S. regulators. This legislation would direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to prohibit any company headquartered in a jurisdiction in which the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) lacks full auditing authority, or that retains an auditor PCAOB cannot inspect, from registering a security and making an IPO on a U.S. stock exchange. This would prevent Chinese companies from issuing IPOs or listing on American exchanges through SPACs. Read more here.
- On Thursday, I was joined by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Todd Young (R-IN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Boozman (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Wicker (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) in reintroducing the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act . This bill would impose sanctions against foreign individuals, entities, and governments that provide support to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian terrorist groups that just spent weeks launching more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli civilians. The legislation also requires the President to submit to Congress an assessment of whether critical foreign countries are doing enough to counter the fundraising, financing, and money laundering activities of Palestinian terrorist groups. Read more here.
- On Thursday, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and I, both members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, introduced a resolution supporting U.S. efforts through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to improve access to quality education for the poorest and most marginalized children and youth worldwide. Read more here.
In Case You Missed It...“Sen. Marco Rubio: Wall Street Must Stop Enabling Communist China” (The American Prospect, 05/26/21) “Sen. Rubio & Rep. Malliotakis: Biden's human rights choice – turn blind eye to UN corruption or demand reform?” (Fox News, 05/27/21) “Sen. Marco Rubio: Paycheck Protection Program plays critical role in Gulf Coast communities” (Fort Myers News-Press, 05/24/21) “Rubio said he is now considering legislation that would hold HUD accountable. ‘I think one of the lessons that we are going to begin to explore is about passing a law that creates penalties for HUD if they don’t carry out these inspections.’” (HUD fails to inspect apartment communities, but sends millions to the owners anyway, News4Jax, 05/21/21) “Marco Rubio Rails Against Senate Reducing Chinese Tariffs in Anti-China Bill” (Breitbart, 05/27/21) “Exclusive — Marco Rubio: Chinese Communists ‘Sense Opportunity’ in Biden Era, Senate Bill’s Lack of Safeguards ‘Crazy’ ‘Nuts’” (Breitbart, 05/24/21) “‘Antisemitism is an evil poison, an ancient poison,’ said Florida US Senator Marco Rubio.” (More Than 1,000, Including South Florida Elected Officials, Participate In ‘We Stand With Israel’ Event, CBS 4 Miami, 05/26/21) “Rubio slams officials who dismissed Wuhan lab questions: Americans treated like 'children'” (Fox News, 05/27/21) “Rubio: January 6th Commission is a ‘Partisan Joke’” (The Floridian, 05/25/21) “Exclusive — Rubio Opposes Media Cartel Bill: ‘Opens the Door to Greater Collusion Between Big Media and Big Tech’” (Breitbart, 05/25/21) “Sen Rubio: 'External Forces' Seek to Damage US-Colombia Relationship” (Newsmax, 05/27/21) |
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