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...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic path through northwest Florida, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from Citrus County. Senator Rubio also met with small business owners impacted by the storm. Photos are courtesy of...
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today issued the following statement on President Obama’s announcement that the U.S. would be maintaining the current troop level in Afghanistan through the end of 2016:
“I welcome President Obama’s decision to maintain the current level of U.S. forces in Afghanistan through the end of 2016. I do not agree, however, with his decision to prematurely announce a further drawdown before he leaves office. Our presence in Afghanistan should be dictated by battlefield conditions, which are impossible to predict more than a year in advance. Just in recent weeks, the Taliban captured a major city for the first time since 2001, and ISIL has continued to make inroads in certain Afghan districts.
“As with President Obama’s premature withdrawal of the forces he announced as part of the surge in 2009, making decisions regarding our military commitment in this way only signals weakness to our enemies and encourages them to wait us out. Given the continued threats to the Afghan government, President Obama should maintain at least the current level of forces through the end of his presidency. This would allow the next president to reassess the situation as it exists at the end of 2016 and make decisions about our commitment to Afghanistan going forward based on the best military advice at that time.
“America’s history in Afghanistan, as well as recent events in Iraq and Syria, show that when the U.S. fails to lead and allows states to collapse, we ultimately undermine our own security. Our men and women in uniform who have served in Afghanistan have fought valiantly to eliminate those who attacked us on September 11, 2001, prevent terrorists from training and plotting attacks with impunity, and give the Afghan people the opportunity for a better future. Even though the Afghan government now bears primary responsibility for their country’s security, we cannot turn our backs on our Afghan partners at this critical moment.”