Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016/Foreign affairs
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 Marco Rubio |
Current U.S. Senator (2011-Present) FL House of Representatives (2000-2009) |
 Republican candidate: |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
Iran nuclear deal
- Marco Rubio issued a joint letter with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) on August 19, 2015, calling for Secretary of State John Kerry to make public letters he sent to the French, British, German and Chinese governments about the snapback provisions of the Iran nuclear deal. “These letters appear to reassure these foreign governments that their companies may not be impacted if sanctions are re-imposed in response to Iranian violations of the agreement. While Administration officials have claimed that this is not the case, we think it is important for the American public to be able to read your assurances to foreign governments for themselves as their elected representatives review this deal in the coming weeks,” the senators wrote.[2]
- On July 24, 2015, Rubio insisted the next president does not have to honor the Iran nuclear deal even if Congress approves it. “This is a deal with the Obama administration. It is not a treaty. It is not binding on the next president. And I anticipate that the next president of the United States may very well – and if it’s me, I will – reimpose the American sanctions that are in the law right now,” Rubio said.[3]
- On July 21, 2015, Rubio released a statement criticizing President Obama for not prioritizing the release of international journalist Jason Rezaian and other detainees in Iran during negotiations with the country. Rubio said, “It is unacceptable that the Obama Administration missed an opportunity to make the freedom of Jason, as well as Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini, and obtaining information about missing Floridian Robert Levinson, a priority in its negotiations with Iran. Jason should not be behind bars for his profession as a journalist, and he should be released unconditionally.”[4]
- On July 15, 2015, Rubio remarked on Obama and the final Iran deal, calling it "an exhibit in his presidential library." He continued, "Look at the press coverage of this issue: Some of it’s been glowing as some sort of historic deal — it’s ridiculous. A third-rate autocracy has now been given equality with a world power, with the United States of America. They are now a nuclear threshold country on a deal signed with the United States and other global powers. That’s why they’re cheering in the streets [of] Tehran; that’s why they’re celebrating. You don’t see any celebrations in America. You don’t see any celebrations in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, because they know this is a one-sided deal."[5]
- On April 2, 2015, Rubio released the following statement on the Iran nuclear deal: "I look forward to hearing from administration officials what specific terms Iran has agreed to as part of what was supposed to be a comprehensive framework agreement, but the initial details appear to be very troubling. Through more than a decade of efforts to resolve international concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, this regime has consistently lied about its ambitions and hidden the true nature of its efforts from the world. Among other issues, allowing Iran to retain thousands of centrifuges, keeping facilities such as Fordow open and not limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program indicate to me that this deal is a colossal mistake. This attempt to spin diplomatic failure as a success is just the latest example of this administration’s farcical approach to Iran. Under this President’s watch, Iran has expanded its influence in the Middle East, sowing instability throughout the region. Iran’s support for terrorism has continued unabated without a serious response from the United States. The regime’s repression of the Iranian people and its detentions of American citizens continue. And now Tehran is gaining international acceptance of its nuclear ambitions and will receive significant sanctions relief without making serious concessions. I intend to work with my colleagues to continue to ensure that any final agreement, if reached, is reviewed by Congress and that additional sanctions continue to be imposed on Iran until it completely gives up its nuclear ambitions and the regime changes its destructive behavior. Our message to Iran should be clear: until the regime chooses a different path, the United States will continue to isolate Iran and impose pressure. Today’s announcement takes us in the opposite direction, and I fear it will have devastating consequences for nuclear non-proliferation, the security of our allies and partners, and for U.S. interests in the region."[6]
Military preparedness and budget
- On November 8, 2015, Marco Rubio argued that cutting defense spending is “unsustainable, dangerous and reckless.” He said, “We need to get back to funding our defenses because it is the most important thing the federal government does. ...Defense spending is not the reason why we have a debt. It’s not the driver of our national debt. Our national debt, especially long-term, is driven by mandatory spending programs that need to be reformed.” Rubio also commented on Vladimir Putin saying, “He’s a gangster, but he’s a rational, cost-benefit analysis guy. He makes decisions based on geopolitical realities, and in the case of Europe, the benefits of what he’s doing in Europe outweigh the costs that Russia now is bearing militarily as a result.”[7]
- As a member of the 114th Congress, Rubio serves on the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.[8]
- During the 2014 budget debate, Rubio said in his floor speech, “Especially during this dangerous time when our enemies would be emboldened to see us abandon our allies around the world, I cannot support a budget that would make the world less safe place because the U.S. defense capabilities and our ability to influence events around the world are diminished."[9]
National security
- After it was reported on January 11, 2016, that Marco Rubio would miss a closed-door Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on North Korea to attend a fundraiser in Miami, Rubio’s campaign postponed the fundraiser to avoid the scheduling conflict. Rubio's Senate spokesman said the senator also would get a separate briefing on January 12, 2016, as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, as well as attending the State of the Union, vote on auditing the Federal Reserve and meet with the King of Jordan about the refugee crisis in Syria. [10] Rubio's move comes after he has been criticized by other GOP presidential candidates for missing votes.[11]
- After reports surfaced that North Korea “claimed to have conducted the successful test of a hydrogen bomb” on January 5, 2016, Marco Rubio criticized President Obama for his inaction, which he linked to Hillary Clinton. He said, "I have been warning throughout this campaign that North Korea is run by a lunatic who has been expanding his nuclear arsenal while President Obama has stood idly by. If this test is confirmed, it will be just the latest example of the failed Obama-Clinton foreign policy. Our enemies around the world are taking advantage of Obama's weakness. We need new leadership that will stand up to people like Kim Jong-un and ensure our country has the capabilities necessary to keep America safe."[12]
- While speaking at the American Legion in New Hampshire on January 4, 2016, Rubio criticized his “isolationist” rivals for endangering the U.S. He said, “On the other side of this election is the party of Reagan, the party of strong national defense and moral clarity, yet we have Republican candidates who propose that rulers like Assad and Putin should be partners of the United States, and who have voted with Barack Obama and Harry Reid rather than with our men and women in uniform. We have isolationist candidates who are apparently more passionate about weakening our military and intelligence capabilities than about destroying our enemies. They talk tough, yet they would strip us of the ability to keep our people safe."[13]
- Rubio positioned his national security platform as an alternative to “outdated political establishment” policies during a speech to factory workers at Granite State Manufacturing in Manchester, N.H. on November 5, 2015. “The nature of warfare is always changing and the leaders of the past are almost always blind to these changes," Rubio said. He added that Hillary Clinton would “write the sequel to President Obama's disastrous foreign policy."[14]
- Calling Russian President Vladimir Putin “a gangster and a thug,” Rubio said on October 2, 2015, that the U.S. was “barreling toward a second Cold War” with Russia. He also commented that he would provide more intelligence and military support to Ukraine and “impose visa bans and asset freezes against top Russian officials.”[15]
- In an interview with NPR on September 28, 2015, Rubio discussed the landscape of Syrian and Russian geopolitics. He argued that there would always be a power vacuum for terrorist groups while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was in power. He also said President Obama had “strengthened Putin’s hand” by giving him a path to broker stronger alliances in the Middle East than the U.S. has.[16]
- During the September 2015 GOP debate, Rubio supported an active American role in foreign affairs. “I think the belief that somehow by retreating, America makes the world safer has been disproven every single time it’s ever been tried,” he said. He also said that groups like ISIS have been successful because America allowed a power “vacuum that they filled, and they created an operating space.” He did, however, oppose the use of military force for a “pinprick” mode of attack: “If the United States military is going to be engaged by a commander-in-chief, it should only be engaged in an endeavor to win. And we’re not going to authorize use of force if you’re not put in a position where they can win.”[17]
- On August 25, 2015, Rubio wrote an op-ed in Foreign Policy stating how he would approach confronting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He argued the United States should be more engaged in training and supporting anti-Islamic State fighters, reassure the local community that the United States does not want to take control of Iraq and Syria, assist in the negotiation of a power-sharing deal for predominantly Sunni provinces, impose a no-fly zone over certain areas of Syria to prevent President Assad’s air force from using weapons against civilians and develop a post-war settlement in Syria in the advent Assad is overthrown.[18]
- On July 28, 2015, Rubio said the United States should retaliate against cyberattacks. “If we’re going to be attacked in cyber by China, we have to show a willingness to do the same. And again, I don’t want to get into a cyber war. But I’m telling you unilateral disarmament only encourages other nations to do more of this. The Chinese today believe that the costs of cyber warfare are outweighed by the benefits. They think they gain more than lose, and they think they can get away with it,” Rubio explained.[19]
- In November 2013, Rubio said, "Iraq needs our support but U.S. assistance must be conditioned on certain actions by the Iraqi government, including cooperation in shutting down Iran’s use of Iraqi territory and airspace to support Assad’s war machine in Syria. We have spent far too many American lives, dollars, and too much time in that country to stand by as extremists and rogue actors once again use Iraq to attempt to sow chaos and instability in this vital region.”[20]
- In October 2013, Rubio introduced a resolution stating "that current sanctions against the country must be continued and that additional sanctions should be put in place until Tehran completely abandons its nuclear weapons program."[21]
- In September 2013, Rubio did not support President Barack Obama's request to take military action against Syria because of his concern that there was no clear goal in taking that action. He said, "I don’t believe we should take military action unless we have a clear and achievable goal in mind. And one of the clear goals of this action he’s arguing for is to impede Assad from using chemical weapons in the future. I am highly skeptical. Now we have a closed hearing tomorrow where classified information will be discussed, and I’ll wait until then to reserve judgment. But I remain very skeptical that the kind of attack they’re contemplating, this limited attack, is going to actually achieve that goal of preventing Assad from using chemical weapons in the future."[22]
- In April 2013, Rubio called "on the Obama administration to relist North Korea as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, given North Korea’s ongoing support to state sponsors Iran and Syria, including through terrorist entities such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps."[23]
International relations
- Marco Rubio released a statement on February 10, 2016, in support of increased sanctions against North Korea. “Passage of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 is a first step toward applying more pressure to North Korea and those who do business with this corrupt regime. I was pleased to work with Senator Cory Gardner to specifically target the industries that North Korea uses to earn hard currency and to strengthen the bill’s provisions related to raising awareness of the plight of the North Korean people and funding activities to promote their human rights,” Rubio said.[24]
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Rubio discussed how he would respond to North Korea: "Here's the broader point, as well, and then I think it touches on what Donald just mentioned. Barack Obama views America as this arrogant global power that needed to be cut down to size. OK? This is a president that views this country as a country that's been too powerful in the world and we create problems around the world. For example, it's one of the reasons why he had betrayed Israel, because he believes that if we create separation from Israel, it will help our relations in the Islamic world. The same is happening in the Asia-Pacific region with accommodations to North Korea. North Korean should be back on that list of terrorist nations, as an example. And Donald's absolutely right. China does have a lot of influence over North Korea and he should be leveraging our relationship with the Chinese to ensure that North Korea no longer has access to the resources that have allowed them -- a country that has no economy to develop long range missiles already capable of reaching the west coast of the United States potentially."[25]
- During an interview on CBS' Face the Nation' on January 17, 2016, Rubio discussed the four Americans who were released by the Iranian government hours before the nuclear deal was implemented. He said, “These people that were being held were hostages. None of them had violated any real laws. And in fact some of them weren’t even charged. One of them was a reporter. The other one was a pastor. They’d done nothing. The people America’s releasing – they were convicted in a court law after due process of violate sanctions. The president has pardoned them in exchange for a release of hostages which had done nothing wrong and it proves once again now that nations and enemies of America around the world know there’s a price for Americans. … If you take an American hostage, Barack Obama will cut a deal with you, whether it’s Bergdahl, what he did with the Castro brothers, and now what he’s done with Iran.”[26]
- During the sixth Republican presidential primary debate, on January 14, 2016, Rubio talked about the U.S. relationship with China: “We are all frustrated with what China is doing. I think we need to be very careful with tariffs, and here's why. China doesn't pay the tariff, the buyer pays the tariff. If you send a tie or a shirt made in China into the United States and an American goes to buy it at the store and there's a tariff on it, it gets passed on in the price to price to the consumer. So I think the better approach, the best thing we can do to protect ourselves against China economically is to make our economy stronger, which means reversing course from all the damage Barack Obama is doing to this economy. It begins with tax reform. Let's not have the most expensive business tax rate in the world. Let's allow companies to immediately expense. It continues with regulatory reform. Regulations in this country are out of control, especially the [Environmental Protection Agency], the EPA, and all of the rules they continue to impose on our economy and hurting us. How about Obamacare, a certified job killer? It needs to be repealed and replaced. And we need to bring our debt under control, make our economy stronger. That is the way to deal with China at the end of the day.”[27]
- Seventeen Latino members of Congress sent an open letter on Rubio requesting he stop blocking the nomination of Roberta Jackson as U.S. ambassador to Mexico “for reasons that have nothing to do with her qualifications or even the [Obama] Administration's policies.” U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), one of the signatories, said in a statement, “At a time when our nation faces security threats abroad, it is more important than ever to make sure our security partnership with our neighboring countries remains strong. Rubio is putting our nation's security and our economic ties with Mexico at risk, and it's time he put his grudges aside and did what was best for this country."[28]
- Following the defeat of Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela’s election, Rubio called for the release of several political prisoners on December 7, 2015. He said in a statement, “Maduro and his followers should accept the will of the Venezuelan people, and accept accountability for mismanaging the economy, destroying the rule of law and violating the fundamental rights of countless Venezuelans. Acknowledging the will of the Venezuelan people by releasing all political prisoners, including...would be a positive start and should happen immediately.”[29]
- During a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition on December 3, 2015, Rubio expressed his support for the “enduring bond between Israel and America.” He said, “Let me be crystal clear: there is no moral equivalence between Israel and its enemies. Understanding that fundamental truth is essential to being the next Commander in Chief. This is not a real estate deal with two sides arguing over money. It’s a struggle to safeguard the future of Israel.”[30]
- In a press release on November 12, 2015, Rubio opposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro being given permission to speak before a special meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council. He said, “Venezuela has rapidly descended into an abyss of repression and fundamental violations of human rights. The new norm in Venezuela is murder, political arrests, intimidation, harassments, detention and an overall disintegration of basic freedoms. The Maduro regime has systematically rejected every attempt by the Inter-American Commission and other UN inspectors to examine claims of human rights abuses made by dissenting and opposition leaders. The UN Human Rights Council should never have allowed Maduro to address this forum, which the world’s most notorious human rights violators have been trying to hijack and exploit for years.”[31]
- Rubio released a statement November 7, 2015, the same day that the leaders of China and Taiwan, that said the U.S. should “reassert its commitment to Taiwan’s security.” He also criticized the Obama administration’s relationship with Taiwan. The statement said: “Despite its supposed ‘pivot’ to Asia, the Obama administration has largely ignored Taiwan’s interests, including its urgent need for defensive arms. It has been four years since the White House notified Congress of a major arms sale to Taiwan, the longest period without such a notification in over 25 years. We must do more to help Taiwan counter the growing military threat from China. In addition, instead of focusing on petty bilateral trade disputes, the United States should be pushing for Taiwan’s eventual inclusion in additional international organizations and trade agreements. Finally, we should take the occasion of this meeting between the leaders of China and Taiwan to enhance dialogue and strengthen our own ties with Taipei. We too must engage with Taiwan at higher levels to ensure peace and stability across the Strait. Taiwan is one of America’s oldest and most steadfast security partners. We need to work together to pursue our common interest in an Asia that is prosperous, peaceful, and free.”[32]
- On October 20, 2015, Rubio introduced the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2015 to increase oversight of foreign aid. “Although it is less than 1 percent of our budget, foreign assistance plays an important role in advancing American interests in the world, but taxpayers have a right to see where and how American dollars are being used overseas. Foreign aid should be conditioned to advance our national interests and reflect our moral clarity as a nation. The programs we invest taxpayer dollars in must reinforce our alliances and support the spread of economic and political freedom around the world. Sharing more information about our assistance programs will provide much needed transparency and accountability to this useful foreign policy tool,” Rubio said.[33]
- Rubio and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.-4) announced the #FreeChinasHeroes initiative on September 15, 2015. The movement was founded to bring about awareness concerning individuals who were detained or disappeared in China. Said Rubio, “As the Obama White House prepares to roll out the red carpet for President Xi, we must not forget the men, women and juveniles who languish unjustly in dark prison cells, the family members who do not know the fate of their loved ones and the professionals who have disappeared for daring to do their job.”[34]
- In an interview with Boston Herald Radio in September 2015, Rubio said he was “open to” the United States accepting thousands of refugees escaping the Syrian Civil War and the Islamic State. “We’ve always been a country that has been willing to accept people who have been displaced and I would be open to that if it can be done in a way that allows us to ensure that among them are not ... people who are part of a terrorist organization. The vast and overwhelming majority of people who are seeking refuge are not terrorists, of course, but you always are concerned about that.”[35]
- Rubio wrote an open letter to Secretary John Kerry on August 10, 2015, requesting he meet with Cuban dissidents during his trip to Havana, Cuba, to mark the reopening of the U.S. embassy there. “I will make sure that the embassy you are opening in Havana will not have a U.S. ambassador unless, at the very least, we see real political reforms and progress on human rights, the return to the U.S. of harbored terrorists and fugitives to face justice, and the resolution of outstanding American property claims and judgments against the Cuban government,” Rubio added.[36]
- In July 2015, Rubio sent a letter to President Obama recommending that he address human rights violations during his pending visit to Ethiopia. Rubio wrote that Obama should “strongly condemn the arrest of political prisoners and encourage the government to respect human rights and the freedom of assembly. It is important that the United States continues to promote democracy and freedom for everyone, including the people of Ethiopia.”[37]
- In a March 2014 op-ed, Rubio argued for strong financial sanctions against Russia, removing Russia from international forums and deploying additional military assets and U.S. personnel to U.S. allies.[38]
- During a February 2013 trip to Israel, Rubio said, "There is no more important relationship for the United States, perhaps in the world but certainly in the region, than Israel. It’s one that has bipartisan support and I’m proud to say that Republicans and Democrats are united on that. We remain deeply committed, above all else, to Israel’s security. Like every nation, like every sovereign people, the people of Israel have the right to be safe. The ties between the United States and Israel are unbreakable. Israel represents everything the United States stands for as a vibrant democracy."[39]
ISIS and terrorism
- During the sixth Republican presidential primary debate, on January 14, 2016, Marco Rubio talked about defeating ISIS: “When I'm president of the United States, we are going to win this war on ISIS. The most powerful intelligence agency in the world is going to tell us where we are, the most powerful military in the world is going to destroy them. And if we capture any of them alive, they are getting a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and we are going to find out everything they know.”[40]
- At the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Rubio talked about defeating ISIS: “Well, let me begin by saying that we have to understand who ISIS is. ISIS is a radical Sunni group. They cannot just be defeated through air strikes. Air strikes are a key component of defeating them, but they must be defeated on the ground by a ground force. And that ground force must be primarily made up of Sunni Arabs themselves, Sunni Arabs that reject them ideologically and confront them militarily. We will have to embed additional American special operators alongside them to help them with training, to help them conduct special missions, and to help improve the air strikes. The air strikes are important, but we need to have an air force capable of it. And because of the budget cuts we are facing in this country, we are going to be left with the oldest and the smallest Air Force we have ever had. We have to reverse those cuts, in addition to the cuts to our Navy and in addition to the cuts to our Army, as well. And beyond that, I would say we must win the information war against ISIS. Every war we have ever been involved in has had a propaganda informational aspect to it. ISIS is winning the propaganda war. They are recruiting people, including Americans, to join them, with the promise that they are joining this great apocalyptic movement that is going to defeat the West. We have to show what life is really like in ISIS territory, and we have to show them why ISIS is not invincible, by going out and conducting these attacks and publicizing them to those who they recruit.”[41]
- Rubio said at a town hall in Iowa on November 23, 2015, that the U.S. should film and broadcast its military efforts against ISIS. “I want the world to see how these ISIS leaders cry like babies when they're captured. I want the world to see how these ISIS leaders, once captured, begin to sing like canaries if they survive.” He continued, “We should be carrying out attacks against (ISIS) leadership nodes, videotaping the whole thing, and putting it up on YouTube so the world can see these people are not invincible."[42]
- In an interview on Fox News on November 22, 2015, Rubio said the “only way” to defeat the Islamic State would be to use a ground force “made up primarily of Arab Sunnis.” He added, “There will have to be American operators embedded alongside them. Special operators are combat troops. This is not a return to Iraq. We're not talking about 100,000 people or 50,000 armed soldiers. But we are talking about a significant force with special operators and others with specific missions that will have to be embedded alongside that Sunni Arab coalition that this president and the United States must put together if we are to defeat ISIS on the ground.”[43]
- Rubio wrote an op-ed for Politico Magazine on November 19, 2015, explaining the strategy he would use to defeat the Islamic State. Under his proposal, the U.S. would “strengthen the Visa Waiver Program’s security screening to ensure individuals coming to our country are not a threat,” “rescind limitations on overseas intelligence collection and restore the intelligence gathering authorities Congress drastically limited this year,” and “reverse defense sequestration.” Rubio added, “Early in 2011, when a strain of isolationism seemed to be taking root in the Republican Party, I began to warn of the dangers of failing to lead on the growing challenge in Syria and Iraq. I predicted much of what has happened today. I have repeatedly laid out what must be done to defeat ISIL and have spoken of the need for American strength even when it wasn't popular.”[44]
Syrian refugees
- Rubio expressed support for the House-passed American Safe Act to restrict Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. on November 22, 2015, calling it “an appropriate response.” He said, “My argument is that we can’t allow anyone in this country that we can’t vet. And I believe that the vast majority of refugees that are trying to come here are people that we will not be able to vet. … Does common sense still apply? Of course, it does. A 5-year-old orphan, a 90-year-old widow, a well-known Chaldean priest, these are obviously common-sense applications that you can clearly vet them just by common sense. But what about someone who doesn’t fit that profile? There is no reliable database that we can rely on.”[45]
- On November 15, 2015, Rubio criticized President Barack Obama’s plan to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Rubio said, "We won’t be able to take more refugees. It’s not that we don’t want to — it’s that we can’t. Because there’s no way to background check someone that’s coming from Syria. You can’t pick up the phone and call Syria."[46]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Marco + Rubio + Foreign + Affairs
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Marco Rubio Suspends His Presidential Campaign," March 15, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio, "Rubio, Kirk: If Accountability For Iran Is Real, Don't Hide Information From American People," August 19, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "Sen. Marco Rubio on Iran nuclear deal, Clinton and Trump," July 24, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio, "Anniversary Of Washington Post Reporter's Imprisonment Another Example Of Failed Negotiations With Iran," July 21, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Marco Rubio: For Obama, Iran deal ‘is an exhibit in his presidential library’," July 15, 2015
- ↑ Rubio.Senate.gov, "Rubio Comments On Iran Nuclear Deal," accessed April 10, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Rubio: Reductions in defense spending ‘reckless’," November 8, 2015
- ↑ United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 114th Congress," accessed February 17, 2015
- ↑ Vote Smart, "Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, Fiscal Year 2014," March 21, 2013
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Marco Rubio postpones fundraiser to attend classified North Korea briefing," January 11, 2016
- ↑ WYFF4.com, "Truth Check: Has Marco Rubio 'missed more total votes than any other senator?'," January 6, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Republicans blast Obama after North Korea claims nuclear test," January 5, 2016
- ↑ USA Today, "Marco Rubio criticizes 'isolationist' rivals in GOP field," January 4, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Rubio says he would be better commander in chief than ‘outdated leaders’," November 5, 2015
- ↑ USA Today, "Rubio: U.S. 'barreling toward a second Cold War,'" October 3, 2015
- ↑ NPR, "NPR News Interview With Senator Marco Rubio," September 27, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "CNN REAGAN LIBRARY DEBATE: Later Debate Full Transcript," September 16, 2015
- ↑ Foreign Policy, "It’s Not Too Late to Save Iraq and Syria," August 25, 2015
- ↑ Greenville News, "Rubio in Greenville: US should hit back after cyber attack," July 28, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, "Rubio Statement on President Obama's Meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki," November 1, 2013
- ↑ Marco Rubio, "Rubio Introduces Senate Resolution Calling For Additional Sanctions On Iran," October 16, 2013
- ↑ Marco Rubio, "Rubio: No Military Action In Syria Without Clear & Achievable Goal," September 3, 2013
- ↑ Marco Rubio, "Senator Rubio Comments On Recent Developments On The Korean Peninsula," April 2, 2013
- ↑ Marco Rubio: U.S. Senator for Florida, "Rubio Supports North Korea Sanctions And Policy Enhancement Act," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Rubio on freed Americans: ‘These people were hostages’," January 17, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "6th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 14, 2016
- ↑ Latin Post, "Marco Rubio Criticized for Blocking Confirmation Vote of US Ambassador to Mexico," December 15, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator for Florida, "Rubio: After Historic Venezuelan Elections, Political Prisoners Should Be Immediately Released," December 7, 2015
- ↑ TIME, "Marco Rubio Hits Donald Trump Over Israel," December 3, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator for Florida, "Rubio: Letting Venezuela's Maduro Lie To World Undermines U.N. Human Rights Council’s Credibility & Venezuelan People," accessed November 13, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, United States Senator for Florida, "Following Historic China-Taiwan Meeting, Rubio Calls For Strengthening U.S.-Taiwan Relations," accessed November 10, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, United States Senator for Florida, "Rubio, Cardin Introduce Foreign Aid Transparency And Accountability Act," accessed October 22, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, United States Senator for Florida, "Rubio, Smith to Highlight Prisoners of Conscience Cases in Advance of President Xi Jinping Visit," September 15, 2015
- ↑ Boston Herald, "Marco Rubio ‘open to’ U.S. taking in refugees... with safeguards," September 8, 2015
- ↑ The Miami Herald, "Ahead of U.S. embassy in Havana opening, Marco Rubio asks John Kerry to meet with Cuban dissidents," August 10, 2015
- ↑ Marco Rubio, United States Senator for Florida, "Rubio Urges Obama To Make Human Rights A Priority During Ethiopia Visit," July 22, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Marco Rubio: Making Putin pay," March 19, 2014
- ↑ Marco Rubio, "Senator Rubio Meets With Israeli President Peres And Prime Minister Netanyahu," February 20, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "6th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 14, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Rush Transcript second debate: CNN Facebook Republican Presidential Debate," December 15, 2015
- ↑ [ http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/politics/marco-rubio-youtube-isis/index.html CNN Politics, "Rubio: Put U.S. attacks against ISIS on YouTube," November 23, 2015]
- ↑ Fox News, "How would President Rubio wage the war on terror?; Exclusive: Rush Limbaugh talks terror attack, refugee crisis," November 22, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "We Asked Marco Rubio to Lay Out His ISIL Strategy. Here It Is." November 19, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Rubio backs House bill limiting refugees," November 22, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Obama refugee plan targeted after attacks," accessed November 16, 2015
