Following Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic landfall, Governor Ron DeSantis has requested an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration to support Florida's response and recovery efforts. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and members...
Following Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic landfall in Florida, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined the U.S. Coast Guard to survey impacted areas across the State. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio joins the U.S. Coast Guard for a flyover...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
Major Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida, bringing with it devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. The Seminole Tribe of Florida should have access to the federal resources required for emergency response and recovery preparations on...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to potentially hinder or obstruct the Port of Tampa Bay, which receives more than 40 percent of Florida’s petroleum products. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite all requested measures to protect Florida’s economy...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to impact Florida with devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. After just being hit by Hurricane Helene, it’s crucial for the State of Florida to have the support of the federal government. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio...
Protect Homestead Air Reserve Base to Secure America’s Future
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
March 7, 2024
…To keep our country safe, we must protect the U.S. military’s ability to respond to threats in our hemisphere. This means protecting Homestead Air Reserve Base….
F-15 Eagles and F-16C Fighting Falcons operating from HARB work with Doral’s U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to defend our nation from air attacks and other threats. The base is also the headquarters of U.S. Special Operations Command South and houses numerous U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard assets….
To prevent disruptive commercial activity in the area…, I secured a four-year prohibition on civilian aviation at the base…. Senator Rick Scott and I, together with Representative Carlos Giménez, have introduced legislation that would make that prohibition permanent…. As the world grows more dangerous, the need to protect HARB from intrusive development remains strong….
We cannot discount the possibility that [the area around Florida and Cuba] will become a combat zone in a future global conflict…. Though it seems unlikely, our adversaries could wreak tremendous destruction by arming terrorists based in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, or Venezuela to attack shipping near Florida with [cheap] drones….
Most disturbing is Beijing’s investment in close to 40 regional ports, all of which could eventually serve as Chinese military bases. Meanwhile, Russia and Iran are also expanding their presence in the region.
As President Dwight D. Eisenhower said in his farewell address, “Our arms must be mighty…so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.” The threats are different today, but they‘re no less pressing, and in the face of them, we can’t afford to undermine HARB’s operational security….