The Biden Administration has been slow to implement sanctions under the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which became law in 2020, and seeks to hold the perpetrators of the Uyghur genocide accountable. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representative Mike...
In-person Mobile Office Hours Monday, December 11, 2023 Jackson County 9:30am – 11:00am CST UF/IFAS Jackson County Extension 2741 Penn Ave. Suite 3 Marianna, FL 32448 Click Here Pinellas County 1:30pm – 3:00pm EST Pinellas Park Chamber of Commerce 5851 Park...
Foreign adversaries, including China, have significantly increased covert tactics to infiltrate American colleges and K-12 schools. They do this to steal research, spread propaganda, and silence students and academics. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and...
The criminal Maduro regime issued bogus warrants to arrest members of the Venezuelan opposition, including several campaign staffers working for opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the opposition’s primary election earlier this year. Last night, Roberto...
El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) habló con Ninoska Pérez en La Poderosa 670 AM, sobre los grupos en EE.UU. que apoyan la masacre que lidera Hamás contra Israel, sobre los reclamos para un cese de fuego, sobre el arresto de Manuel Rocha y más. Una...
Yes, We Should Restrict U.S. Investment in China U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) December 7, 2023 National Review [A] recent investigation reveals that U.S. firm BlackRock is funneling the assets of millions of unwitting Americans into Chinese companies directly...
Earlier today, I cast several votes regarding the Violence Against Women Act.
On the Klobuchar amendment, I voted no because I believe the Cornyn amendment, which I voted for, is better policy. I supported the Cornyn amendment because it addresses rape kit backlogs, tightens mandatory federal sentences for crimes against women and children, imposes a 15-year minimum sentence in crimes where domestic violence leads to death and imposes a 10-year minimum sentence in rape convictions. In addition, it creates a database for investigating sex offenders, including DNA databases to assist law enforcement. And finally, it contains a Sense of Congress provision calling on Backpage.com to take down its adult services section, which has become a facilitator for sex trafficking. On the other hand, the Klobuchar amendment does not contain the sentencing provisions or the subpoena authorities found in the Cornyn Amendment, nor does it have the Backpage.com component.
On the Hutchison amendment, I voted no because of strong concerns, particularly by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, about the new requirement that 30 percent of STOP grant funding be targeted to sexual assault would divert funding away from current domestic violence programs without evidence that the increased funding will result in enhanced prosecutions or additional cases reported.
Finally, on the Leahy Substitute, I voted no because it would also divert funding away from domestic violence programs to sexual assault cases, without any evidence that the increased funding will result in enhanced prosecutions or additional cases reported. Furthermore, it would give the Justice Department greater power in determining how funds are used at the state level, taking decision-making out of the hands of the state-based coalitions on the ground who know best about how to serve their communities. Lastly, this legislation fails to address the duplication and overlap within VAWA programs and with non-VAWA programs operated by both the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services.
I support reauthorizing the current Violence Against Women Act as written and hope we can vote for it once it comes out of the House-Senate conference committee.