Newly inaugurated Republican Sen. Marco Rubio announced his committee assignments in Washington Thursday, setting the stage for the issues he will focus on in his first years on the national stage.
Rubio, the former House speaker who is now considered one of the rising stars of the Republican Party and already the subject of buzz on the 2012 presidential ticket, will serve on these committees: Commerce, Science and Transportation; Foreign Relations; Intelligence; Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Im honored to be a member of these important committees that address some of our nations and states most important issues, said Rubio. This committee portfolio will enable me to work directly on policies to promote private-sector job creation, keep Americans safe and maintain our strong standing in the world.
In addition to continuing my work with small-business entrepreneurs Ive met throughout Florida, I am especially encouraged by the fact that these assignments will allow me to work on many issues of great interest to Floridians, including NASA, free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama, our missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and relations with key allies in our hemisphere and across the world, added Rubio.
With Democratic colleague Sen. Bill Nelson already serving on the Intelligence and the Commerce, Science and Transportation committees, the Sunshine State will have a large seat at the table on those bodies and the issues they cover. Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, whom Rubio replaced in the Senate, also served on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Rubio insisted that his new committee assignments will help him fulfill the conservative promises he made when he ran against Gov. Charlie Crist, who ran in the general election with no party affiliation, and Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek in 2010.
Beyond my committee work, I look forward to delivering on the promises Ive made to Floridians to fundamentally reform the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars, champion free-enterprise policies to help put Americans back to work, and support our men and women in uniform, said Rubio.
Rubio will be sharing the stage with some of the lions of the Senate. The Foreign Affairs Committee is led by former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry of Massachusetts, while U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana leads the Republicans. Kerry will also serve with Rubio on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee which contains one of Rubios biggest supporters at the national level -- U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
