Marco Rubio Will Lead Republicans on Western Hemisphere Subcommittee

Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that he would be leading Republicans on the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs under the umbrella of the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Rubio said he understood the connections between South and Central American nations to the Sunshine State.

The United States economy and security are inextricably linked to this hemispheres future, said Rubio. As the gateway to the Americas, Florida in particular benefits enormously from robust commercial, cultural and family ties to Latin America.

Rubio said he would use his new position to promote greater free-trade opportunities with Latin American nations and would stand up to tyrannical regimes in the region.

In this capacity, I will work to highlight successes in our hemisphere and identify ways we can build on recent progress through policies like the free-trade agreements with Colombia and Panama, continued Rubio. At the same time, I will work to highlight the obstacles to freedom, security and prosperity that remain in the form of the Castro regime, resurgent caudillos and transnational crime, among many other threats.

Rubio also announced on Tuesday that he was named to the Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection; the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs; and the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

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