U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that he will lead Republicans on the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs under the umbrella of the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- giving the Sunshine State one more seat at the table in dealing with the U.S.s policy in Latin America.
Rubio said he understood the important connections between South and Central American nations and 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, who met Tuesday with Gov. Luis Fortuno of Puerto Rico, 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 Tuesday that he has been 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.
Rubios new assignment bolsters the Sunshine State delegations role on foreign relations, particularly in regard to Latin American affairs.
South Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a harsh critic of the Castro regime, chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee where she is joined by fellow Republicans U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and U.S. Rep. David Rivera, as well as Democrats U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch and U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson.
While Rubio will lead Republican efforts with issues in the region in the U.S. Senate, fellow Florida Republican Mack, who has his eye on challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, wields the gavel on the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere in the U.S. House. Rivera is also on the subcommittee.
With the Panama Canal expansion expected to be completed in 2014, members of the Florida delegation are in agreement with Rubio that free-trade agreements with Columbia and Panama needed to be finalized. In addition to members of the committee, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has been very vocal in pushing the free-trade agreements. Buchanan continually brings up the fact that Port Manatee, which is in his district, is the nearest American port to the Panama Canal.
Ros-Lehtinen weighed in on the matter on Monday, taking aim at the Obama administration for not pushing those agreements vigorously.
I believe that the administration must put its full support behind the job-creating free-trade agreements with our allies Colombia and Panama, which have been languishing for far too long, said Ros-Lehtinen.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
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