This Week in the Office of Senator Marco Rubio - The West Volusia ...

This Week in the Office of Senator
              Marco Rubio
This week, I was honored to be elected Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small
Business and Entrepreneurship for the 116 th Congress. I plan to continue to push
Congress to pass legislation that encourages American entrepreneurs to innovate,
thrive, and grow. Read more here.

As my first act as Chairman of the Small Business Committee, I introduced five bills to
protect and expand economic opportunities for America’s small businesses and
entrepreneurs. Read more here.

I am excited to introduce all of you to Oceana Coffee Roasters in Tequesta, Florida,
which I named as the Small Business of the Week for the week of January 6-13, 2019.
See my video message here.

On Thursday, I wrote an op-ed outlining what Congress should do to help small
businesses and entrepreneurs succeed Read more here.

I welcomed the news that Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order to secure
$2.5 billion over the next four years for the improvement of water quality and
Everglades restoration. Read more here.

On Tuesday, I urged the newly inaugurated Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to direct the
state’s Department of Emergency Management (DEM) to quickly begin disbursing
Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant (CRBG) funds to eligible citrus growers to “restore
confidence in Florida’s signature crop, and buoy family farms and small businesses in
the state’s struggling rural communities.” Read more here.

On Tuesday, I spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the Senate Democrats’ planned vote
against the Senate to begin consideration of the Strengthening America’s Security in
the Middle East Act of 2019 (S.1). Watch my remarks here.

On Wednesday, I returned to the Senate floor to outline the atrocities happening in
Syria and around the Middle East. I urged my colleagues to support this important
legislation. Watch my remarks here.

On Thursday, I spoke on the Senate floor for the third time this week. Democrats
blocking the Senate from debating legislation won’t end the government shutdown. I
hope they will vote to take up the SASME Act, which bundles four key bipartisan
national security bills. U.S. allies in the Middle East cannot wait. Watch my remarks
here.

On Fox news I discussed the need for border security and my bill to support our allies
in the Middle East. Watch the full interview here.

On CNBC I discussed the need to secure our borders. Watch the full interview here.

On Fox News I discussed the need to secure our borders and the refusal of the Senate
Democrats to allow Debate on my bill to support our allies in the Middle East. Watch
the full interview here.

I released a statement following the decision by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to sanction Venezuelan individuals and
companies involved in a corruption scheme generating more than $2.4 billion in
corrupt proceeds. Read more here.

Ayer, Maduro se convirtió en presidente ilegitimo de Venezuela. Le envié este mensaje
al pueblo venezolano y a los países del hemisferio quienes se han unido en declarar a
la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela como el único cuerpo legítimo que queda en el
país. Vea mi mensaje aquí.

I wrote an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, urging others in my party to focus on
the hard daily realities faced by the Americans we represent. Read more here.

In Case You Missed It...
“Marco Rubio: Will we shape societal trends, or be helplessly shaped by them?”
(Washington Examiner, 1/7/2019)

“Sen. Marco Rubio: Here’s what Congress should do to help small businesses and
entrepreneurs succeed” (FOX, 1/10/2019)

“Tequesta coffee company is U.S. Senate panel’s Small Business of the Week” (Palm
Beach Post, 1/11/2019)

“Resolución de Bob Menéndez y Marco Rubio pide restaurar el programa de refugio
de EEUU para médicos Cubanos” (Diario Las Americas, 1/10/2019)

“Marco Rubio gets chair of Senate Small Business Committee” (Florida Politics,
1/9/2019)

“Marco Rubio targets China from Small Business committee chair” (Florida Politics,
1/10/2019)

“Marco Rubio: Es importante que EEUU y sus aliados apoyen a los venezolanos”
(Diario Las Americas, 1/10/2019)

“Marco Rubio introduces bill to extend moratorium on drilling in Gulf of Mexico”
(Pensacola News Journal, 1/6/2019)

“Senador Marco Rubio aplaude sanciones contra red corrupta de intercambio en
Venezuela” (La Patilla, 1/8/2019)

“Rubio Calls on DeSantis to Disburse Citrus Aid” (Sunshine State News, 1/9/2019)

“Marco Rubio: Senate Democrats Should Support Bill To Strengthen Security In
Middle East” (Florida Daily, 1/9/2019)

“Fox News Discusses Senator Rubio Cigar Exemption at JC Newman” (Cigar Authority,
1/6/2019)

“Marco Rubio Starts New Congress Focused on the Middle East” (Sunshine State
News, 1/6/2019)

Legislation Introduced…
   •   Senator Menendez and I introduced a resolution condemning the Cuban
       regime for a program that sends tens of thousands of Cuban medical
       professionals to foreign countries to work under conditions that qualify as
       human trafficking.
   •   Senator Feinstein and I introduced the State Flexibility for Family First
       Transitions Act, legislation to extend waivers for states receiving Title IV-E of
       the Social Security Act, the entitlement that pays for foster care and adoption,
       to allow for greater funding and flexibility for foster care and child welfare
       recipients beyond the current federal baseline.
   •   The Preventing SBA Assistance from Going to China Act of 2019 will protect
       small businesses from Chinese interference by preventing loans and
       guarantees, money intended to stimulate the growth of American businesses,
       from going in the pockets of Chinese-owned firms.
   •   The Small Business Credit Protection Act, will provide notification
       requirements and free credit reports to small businesses in the wake of a data
       breach, such as the Equifax breach in 2017.
   •   The Small Business Relief from Disease Induced Economic Hardship Act will
       build upon the Small Business Act to make loans available to small businesses
       that suffer economic injury from disease-induced travel alerts or travel
       warnings issued by the federal government. This stems from Florida area
       businesses who have been directly impacted by the Zika virus.
   •   The Hearing Small Business Act will expand small businesses’ role in the
       regulatory process and require the government to consider feedback from
       small businesses in forming new regulations.
   •   The Advocacy Empowerment Act will ensure proper authority for SBA’s Office
       of Advocacy as it works to enact government-wide regulatory reform.

Coming up...
   •   My staff will host Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with
       federal casework issues in their communities. More information and locations
       near you here.

       Keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter