Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from the barrier islands to discuss the storm’s impact and current recovery efforts. Photos are courtesy of...
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite state-requested resources and authorize key policy flexibilities in order for Floridians to make a swift...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host two in-person events to assist constituents affected by Hurricane Helene and help navigate applications for FEMA assistance. Food, water, and additional resources will be available at the events. Event...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person and virtual 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...
Following the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Debby, some local governments in Florida face looming budget shortfalls that could disrupt disaster recovery efforts. If these local governments receive reimbursements for past hurricanes from the Federal Emergency...
How to fix the military recruitment crisis
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
January 25, 2024
The U.S. armed forces missed their annual recruitment goals by 41,000 people last year…. [T]o restore people’s confidence, we need to understand why they lost it. This requires facing three difficult truths about our country’s recent history.
The first truth is that mission creep in the Middle East did major damage to American morale…. The second truth we need to face is that, for years, our government has provided service members with an unsuitable quality of life…. The third truth we must understand is how politics is turning young people away from the military….
[In response], we must increase the quality of life of the armed forces and their veterans. This means addressing lackluster housing, child care, and salaries. It also means faithfully executing laws such as my VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act and the bipartisan Honoring our PACT Act….
In addition, we must eliminate polarizing politics from the military. Through the 2024 annual defense bill, Congress froze hires and capped salaries for the Pentagon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion program. We need more such measures….
Finally, we must remind people of our military’s value to the national interest [by] communicating the stakes of the current moment. Today, American ships are under attack from…Iranian-backed militias…. Terrorist cells are poised to strike at our heartland. Russia has launched the largest European land conflict since 1945. Above all, there is the threat of communist China….
Policymakers have a duty to convey a sense of urgency to young people and convince them that lessons have been learned. Without new recruits, the chance that the 21st century will be another American century is very slim indeed.