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...
News
Latest News
Rubio, Scott, Florida Colleagues to POTUS: Expedite Resources to Floridians
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...
Rubio Staff Hosts Hurricane Helene Recovery Assistance
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...
Next Week: Rubio Staff Hosts Mobile Office Hours
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...
Rubio, Scott Urge FEMA to Expedite Hurricane Reimbursements
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...
Photos: Rubio Meets With Citrus County Officials and Volunteers, Tours Small Business and Distribution Site Post-hurricane Helene
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...
Rubio Questions Nominee to Serve As U.S. Ambassador to Germany at Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke during a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the nominations for U.S. ambassadorships to Germany, India, and Pakistan. During the hearing, he pressed Dr. Amy Gutmann, President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Germany, to outline her plans to urge Germany to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s malign influence campaign. Video of Rubio’s remarks can be found here and a full transcript is below.
Rubio is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Rubio: “Ms. Gutmann, I know Senator Risch has already asked about the money the Chinese entities gave to the [University of Pennsylvania]…
“I wanted to ask you more specifically about China and Germany. Germany is China’s largest European trading partner and, since 2017, I think China has been Germany’s largest trading partner. And it’s concerning because while other governments have been more forward leaning, for example, on a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics and speaking out about the genocide of the Uyghurs, Germany is obviously more resistant. And I think the commercial links explain why.
“What is, generally, your assessment of how the Germans view China on a global scale, and what are your plans or thoughts about getting them to become more engaged?”
Gutmann: “Thank you for that very important question, Senator.
“My sense is that there has been a balancing in the German government between its important economic ties with China and its concerns for human rights and democracy and the threats thereof.
“If confirmed, I would lean in on this to emphasize our government’s position and our society’s position that the ongoing genocide in [the] Xinjiang province against the Uyghurs, the threats to fair market practices, cyber security threats — and I could go on and on and will, if confirmed with the German government — [that] pose economic, as well as security threats to Germany, to Europe, to the free world and of course, to the United States.
“I see this as an opportunity with the new government, that there is an opening to help build and reset Germany’s position. I will very much urge Germany in concert with this committee to join us in boycotting the Olympics, to stand down and speak up against Chinese practices in alliance. It will be to the betterment of German security and most important to me, if confirmed, to the interests and the values of the United States.”
Rubio: “Thank you, Chairman.”