Card image cap

Marco Rubio's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Marco Rubio did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2022.

  • "For nearly half a century, a nation founded on God-given rights denied those rights to its most vulnerable citizens and more than 63 million Americans never got the chance to pursue their dreams, But we must not only continue to take steps to protect the unborn, we must also do more to support mothers and their babies. I will soon introduce a bill to ensure we do everything we can to give every child the opportunity to fully access the promise of America," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "In the aftermath of the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, millions of volunteers, nonpartisan organizations, and lawmakers came together with a shared voice to stand up for the rights of the unborn, who are the most vulnerable among us…. These supporters of the pro-life movement come from diverse backgrounds, with the shared goal of building a society that celebrates, protects, and cherishes life at all stages…. The pro-life movement has worked tirelessly over the last 5 decades to reverse the legally unsound and destructive ruling in Roe v. Wade and to ensure that the human dignity of every person is protected by law, regardless of age, background, or belief…. The work of the pro-life movement has been more than simply advocating for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and often occurs behind the scenes, with little recognition of the time and talent that countless individuals have invested in the effort to protect life," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 3275 "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 10% by Alliance for Retired Americans (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Sen. Rubio reintroduced the SAFE Hospitals Act to modernize Medicaid DSH and help hospitals providing to low-income patients." (twitter.com)
  • "Today we re-introduced #PaidFamilyLeave bill. It creates OPTION to pull forward a small portion of YOUR social security benefits to provide income after birth of child. Has no taxes,no mandates,no debt & no impact on solvency of #SocialSecurity." (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Defense spending is currently at roughly 3.3 percent of our budget, compared to 14 percent at the height of the Korean war. Our Army is on track to be at pre-World War II levels. Our Navy is already at pre- World War I levels, and our Air Force has the smallest and oldest combat force in its history. These are the results of specific policy choices made by politicians right here. It is no accident that the result has been more conflict around the world and less American influence." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Center for Security Policy (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "That responsibility means that our men and women in uniform must be equipped to meet the growing and changing array of actors that never cease to threaten our people, our allies, and our sacred principles of freedom and opportunity for all. Unfortunately, that isn't the case today: defense spending has fallen dramatically on President Obama's watch and our forces have been reduced and suffered readiness challenges even as threats abroad increase. Our military therefore needs a serious program of reinvestment and modernization -- boosting the size of our forces to do the jobs we ask them to do, and modernizing them to meet the threats they will face so that when efforts to deter conflict fail, they are never sent into a fair fight." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "I am optimistic that we will be able to pass this critical legislation before the end of the year," Rubio said. "Not only does this bill authorize a number of projects that will benefit Florida, but it includes language to fix the bureaucratic mess that has caused unnecessary delays to the construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Storage Reservoir. The EAA reservoir is a critical piece of infrastructure that will help move Everglades restoration forward, and reduce the threat that harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee pose to our coastal communities." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I am proud to partner with Senator Baldwin, a fellow member of the Climate Solutions Caucus, in this bipartisan effort to mitigate the challenges and impacts of a changing climate and empower states to plan appropriately," Senator Rubio said. "Florida's public and private building standards are already among the most stringent in the nation, including the requirement to withstand major hurricanes. The Built to Last Act would bolster our preparedness by improving the Federal Government's capacity to share projections of weather-related risks to our communities and provide guidance for building codes, ensuring that the infrastructure we build in the future is more resilient to weather impacts." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I support investing in roads, bridges, broadband, and efforts to mitigate against sea level rise, and I hoped there would be a bill I could vote for," Rubio said. "But this bill was negotiated in secret, rushed through the process without meaningful opportunities to have input, and adds a net increase of $350 billion to the national debt. I can't vote for a bill like that. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would add a net $350 billion to projected deficits through 2031. The package follows the Democrats' irresponsible American Rescue Plan, which prompted Obama Administration economists to raise alarms over inflation. And it will be followed by "a massive, $3.5 trillion spending proposal through the U.S. Senate that would fundamentally transform America into a far-left fever dream." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "As Congress continues to negotiate another economic response to the pandemic, we should prioritize direct assistance to those who need it most," Rubio said. "American families are among the hardest hit, facing unexpected challenges like homeschooling, child care shortages, and unemployment. Congress must take steps to help ensure that parents and children are able to manage and recover from the impact of this crisis as the American people continue to navigate these uncertain times." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This past year, Americans all across the country have had their lives, jobs, and communities upended by a global pandemic that has claimed the lives of far too many," Rubio said. "While I am confident that there are brighter days ahead and that Americans will persevere, it's clear that people need help right now. Although I believe Congress could have acted much sooner to provide additional relief to the American people, I am grateful that Congress was once again able to act in an overwhelmingly bipartisan manner to help workers, families, and small businesses." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 748 "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "And leftists want to pump another $3 trillion of government debt spending I guess so inflation can get over 10%" (twitter.com)
  • "Everyday Americans could care less about a lot of the issues we have been discussing lately in the Senate," Rubio said. "What people are really worried about is the fact that it costs more to feed their families and put gas in their cars. People can't get basic goods because grocery store shelves are empty. And rather than fixing the problem, the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress are making things worse. This bill puts a few commonsense guardrails in place to curb reckless spending habits in Congress that threaten to create even more challenges for American families. That's the kind of action we should be taking right now." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "We are facing the worst inflation in a generation because of the decision by Biden & leftists in Congress to pump $1.9 trillion of government spending into the already recovering economy they inherited" (twitter.com)
  • “Forgiving student loan debt isn’t free. It means the 85 percent of Americans with no undergraduate debt from college will be carrying the burden for those that do. That is not a relief, it is an unfair burden to place on working families." (www.rubio.senate.gov)
  • "Loan cancellation would mean hundreds of billions of dollars shelled out without congressional authorization. That money would come from 200 million American taxpayers, including those who already repaid their loans and those who decided not to pursue a college degree, who would subsidize some of our nation's wealthiest Americans. Not only is it wrong, but it would do nothing for our nation's future student borrowers. Blanket forgiveness is fundamentally backwards-looking and offers no long-term solution. Even if the Biden administration canceled some debts this year, we'd find ourselves in the same hole, with total outstanding student debt back to current levels, in less than a decade. In the meantime, millions of students will take out loans with the expectation they will eventually be forgiven. And colleges will see yet another excuse to raise tuition." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement following the Senate Democrats' failed attempt to push through a partisan federal takeover of Florida's elections. The bill, known as the For the People Act, would strip away critical electoral safeguards. For example, it would mandate that Florida allow ballot harvesting and completely undermine Florida's reasonable voter identification laws. Democrats want unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington to run our elections in Florida," Rubio said. "Not only is that unconstitutional, it is reckless. Florida election laws strike a fair balance between accessibility and security, and further involvement from Washington will weaken our elections and make things worse for Florida voters." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 2747 "Freedom to Vote Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "I applaud committee passage of the Small Scale LNG Access Act, which I co-authored with Sen. Cassidy. This legislation would strengthen an emerging sector of Florida's economy, augment our existing ties with Caribbean and Latin American nations, and help reduce harmful emissions in those regions. Importantly, the bill would also ensure that nefarious actors, including Cuba and Venezuela, cannot benefit from expedited access to American energy exports without first demonstrating real commitments to human rights and democracy," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I think renewable energy is fine. But now and for the foreseeable future we will need oil and natural gas We are blessed to have both here in America and it is crazy to not produce more of it for ourselves" (twitter.com)
  • "Putin's war in Ukraine is showing us the damning consequences of Europe's dependence on Russia for natural gas," the senators said. "American natural gas is cleaner, creates U.S. jobs, and strengthens U.S. and allies' national security. If we want to hit Putin's energy profits, our legislation gives the United States that leverage. There is no time to waste, Congress must pass the Expediting Natural Gas Exports to Allies Act." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 86% by American Energy Alliance (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I applaud committee passage of the Small Scale LNG Access Act, which I co-authored with Sen. Cassidy. This legislation would strengthen an emerging sector of Florida's economy, augment our existing ties with Caribbean and Latin American nations, and help reduce harmful emissions in those regions. Importantly, the bill would also ensure that nefarious actors, including Cuba and Venezuela, cannot benefit from expedited access to American energy exports without first demonstrating real commitments to human rights and democracy," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "If Congress had intended to give the EPA such sweeping authority to transform an entire sector of our economy, Congress would have done so explicitly. An administrative agency like the EPA may decide issues of such vast economic and political significance only when the agency can point to "clear congressional authorization.' Decisions regarding greenhouse gas emissions and the power sector are major policy questions with vast economic and political significance. Only elected members of Congress, representing the will of the people, may decide these questions. The EPA's attempt to issue expansive regulations cannot stand in the absence of clear congressional authorization. Congress knows how to address greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, Congress has decided to pass transformative laws that incentivize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from a wide range of industries, including the electric power sector," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "If President Biden was interested in putting America's interest first, he would defend the strides our nation made -- without sweeping mandates and draconian taxes -- in reducing carbon emissions. He would also tout our desire to pursue real, adaptive solutions like we are doing right now in Florida. In 2017, through proactive adaptation alone, the Environmental Protection Agency predicted Americans could reduce damage caused by climate change to coastal properties through 2099 by 90 percent." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Independent Petroleum Association of America (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Rifle Association (NRA) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This is why the recent focus on red-flag proposals from our Senate colleagues and the president are welcome. The most effective step Congress can take right now to prevent tragedies like those in Parkland, Fla.; Newtown, Conn.; and Dayton, Ohio, is to enact red-flag laws, which give law enforcement the ability to restrict gun access for unstable, potentially violent people, without infringing on other Americans' rights. That's why, on the first day of this Congress, I reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine; Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island; and Angus King, independent of Maine. We can see the consensus around red-flag legislation developing in real time. I commend Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, who have publicly voiced support for enacting a law that would provide financial incentives to states to adopt red-flag laws. Our bill does exactly that." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined his colleagues in the Senate in introducing the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This legislation will allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state to exercise those rights in any other state with concealed carry laws, while abiding by that state's laws." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 2938 "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Government run healthcare for all would be a disaster.I will never support the Sanders single payer plan." (twitter.com)
  • "American parents need #PaidFamilyLeave. But if we raise taxes to pay for it we will actually hurt the very people we are trying to help. Our plan provides parents the option to take paid leave without raising taxes or growing the debt." (twitter.com)
  • "But what really sets my bill apart is that it gives new parents much-needed flexibility in how they choose to use their paid leave. It would be available to working and stay-at-home moms and dads alike, allowing them to create a paid-leave plan that works best for their household. Most important, at a time when just over one in ten workers receives paid family leave from their employers, my bill gives millions of new parents the ability to take paid leave that they otherwise would never have." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The rising cost of prescription drugs is a problem facing countless American families. Unfortunately, bad actors have been employing anti-competitive tactics to exploit the regulatory process for their own gain," Rubio said. "Like any other industry, the pharmaceutical market needs competition to keep drug prices fair. This legislation would lower costs by preventing brand-name drug companies from abusing the FDA pharmaceutical approval process to delay generic drugs from entering the market." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "And if you can smuggle human beings, you can certainly bring bags of stuff like pills across the border. [Over] the Fourth of July weekend in one county in Florida, I believe we had 19 overdoses--a mass casualty event. Nineteen overdoses, because some tainted drugs wound up in the hands of some kids having a party. It overwhelmed the small county. They probably all came across that border. You know why it's not coming through the airport? Because they screen for it there. You know why it's coming across the border? Because we don't. We don't, because we have an administration that doesn't care about enforcing the law. Because frankly--and I'll be honest with you about this--their base, their activists, their supporters support open borders. They'll never say it because they know it doesn't poll well, but they think the border should be open and anyone who wants to come across should." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I agree that we need to secure our southern border, and that means enforcing our laws. I don't believe America should deploy a single one of our ICE or border agents to Ukraine, Europe, or anywhere else. We can do [secure our own border,] and we should do that. The Biden Administration not doing that is inexcusable." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 1959 "Secure and Succeed Act (Grassley Amendment)" (votesmart.org)
  • "Rescinding Title 42 may be Biden's biggest mistake thus far, and that is a really long list," Rubio said. "With this action, he is opening our borders and inviting a massive surge of illegal immigration - likely the biggest in U.S. history - that will inflict a lasting and avoidable crisis onto our nation. Ending Title 42 enforcement is reckless, dangerous, and puts our communities in harm's way." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This decision will send yet another signal to the trafficking networks and cartels that America's border is wide open," Rubio said. "Thousands of people walk right across our border every day. Many of them find their way to Florida, stretching public services to the breaking point. President Biden's reckless rhetoric and actions are encouraging illegal immigration and hurting our country." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 1948 "Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (Toomey Amendment)" (votesmart.org)
  • "When I'm president, there will be no amnesty. I'll cancel Obama's unconstitutional executive orders; cut sanctuary city funding; and deport criminal aliens. We'll add 20,000 border agents; finish all 700 miles of border wall; and if we aren't 100 percent sure who you are and why you're coming to America, you're not getting in." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Rescinding Title 42 may be Biden's biggest mistake thus far, and that is a really long list," Rubio said. "With this action, he is opening our borders and inviting a massive surge of illegal immigration - likely the biggest in U.S. history - that will inflict a lasting and avoidable crisis onto our nation. Ending Title 42 enforcement is reckless, dangerous, and puts our communities in harm's way." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 1948 "Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (Toomey Amendment)" (votesmart.org)
  • "Putin is actively fueling the Russian war machine through funds generated by Moscow's state-owned corporations," Rubio said. "No Russian state-owned enterprises should have access to American capital while a bloodthirsty dictator is waging an invasion against Ukraine." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Chinese Communist Party's abuse of Uyghurs is well-documented in horrific detail. It is not enough to sanction those directly responsible for these crimes -- we also need to hold their supporters accountable. Anyone who enables these evil acts should not be benefiting from U.S. financial markets." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "These sanctions are going to start biting. They really, really are. The Russian economy is in freefall, and they weren't that big to begin with. It's smaller than Italy's. These invasions, these protracted military conflicts, cost a lot of money. Every day that he's spending [money on the war], it gets harder and harder for him to sustain it, as this economy's headed towards the tank." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3364 "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "The Ukrainian people have displayed immeasurable courage in the face of Putin's barbaric attack," Rubio said. "Ukrainians are asking for support, including weapons, ammunition, and communications equipment. They cannot wait for business as usual here in Washington, they need help right now. The United States must act quickly to ensure Ukraine's survival, success, and future prosperity as a part of Europe." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7691 "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We urge your Administration to work with Poland and our NATO allies to expedite the transfer of urgently-needed airpower, air defense systems, and other combat and support capabilities from the United States, NATO allies, and other European partners to Ukraine," the senators wrote. "While we commend the lethal aid that your Administration has sent to Ukraine thus far, we strongly disagree with your decision to delay and deny Poland the option to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine. Your Administration champions the $1 billion in defense articles provided to Ukraine over the past 13 months and has definitively stated there are no restrictions in your current suite of authorities to adequately respond to Russia's lawless and bloody invasion of Ukraine," the senators continued. "We implore you to act without delay to provide urgently needed airpower that will bolster the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to defend their country and help save civilian lives," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "On every “crisis” the radical left always has one of three solutions: - raise taxes; - erase jobs; or - silence people" (twitter.com)
  • "The tax law passed last year cut the taxes of working American families. We made it a priority to expand the per-child tax credit, which directly increases the money working parents get to keep. The child tax credit was doubled, and the changes we secured in late-hour negotiations increased tax cuts for more than 8.6 million Americans making under $50,000 a year." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Free trade has been good for America. But it has also left millions of American workers unemployed, many as the direct result of cheating by China. For trade to benefit our country, our trade partners must play by the same rules we do. That is why supporters of free trade must be the first to take violations seriously. While trade rules must be enforced, tariffs are no substitute for a national strategy that makes us more competitive through research and development, skills training, and pro-worker economic policies. Early next week I will outline a way forward that promotes free and fair trade, while also protecting American workers and key industries." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "However, no trade deal is perfect, and while many American farmers and ranchers are celebrating, Florida's fruit and vegetable growers were once again left to fend for themselves," Rubio said. "Florida growers deserve an effective, enforceable, and durable solution to the problems NAFTA helped impose. While the USMCA will not improve their situation, I remain confident that this administration will continue to look for ways to address significant price distortions in the domestic seasonal and perishable produce market caused by a rising tide of unfair import competition." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to President Biden: "We write in support of extending, for four years, the safeguard duties imposed on imported solar products pursuant to Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, and applying the extended duties to imported bifacial solar products. We urge you to consider the U.S. International Trade Commission's (ITC) unanimous recommendation that Section 201 relief should be extended so that the domestic solar industry can complete a positive adjustment to import competition and avoid further serious injury. It is in our national interest to support American workers whose jobs are threatened by surging imports, many of which are traded unfairly by China." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5430 "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act" (votesmart.org)

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward