Marco Rubio is an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. He has served as the 72nd United States secretary of state and acting administrator of USAID since 2025. Previously, he was a United States senator from Florida from 2011 to 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a candidate for president of the United States in the 2016 Republican primaries.
In 1956, Marco Rubio's maternal grandfather, Pedro Victor Garcia, legally immigrated to the U.S.
Marco Rubio's parents left Cuba in 1956, during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
In 1959, Marco Rubio's maternal grandfather returned to Cuba to find work.
In October 2011, it was reported that Marco Rubio's previous statements that his parents were forced to leave Cuba in 1959 (after Fidel Castro came to power) were falsehoods.
In 1961, Marco Rubio's mother made a month-long trip back to Cuba after Castro's takeover.
In 1961, Marco Rubio's mother took his two elder siblings back to Cuba with the intention of living there permanently.
In 1962, Marco Rubio's grandfather fled communist Cuba and returned to the U.S. without a visa, leading to his detention as an undocumented immigrant; however, he was later given legal status.
In 1966, Marco Rubio's grandfather re-applied for permanent resident status following passage of the Cuban Adjustment Act, at which point his residency was approved.
In 1975, Marco Rubio's parents were naturalized as U.S. citizens.
In 1984, Marco Rubio received his first communion as a Catholic before moving back to Miami a year later.
In 1993, Marco Rubio earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Florida.
In 1996, Marco Rubio earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law.
In 1996, Marco Rubio worked on Republican senator Bob Dole's presidential campaign.
In April 1998, Marco Rubio was elected as city commissioner for West Miami.
On December 14, 1999, Marco Rubio placed second in the Republican primary but won the runoff election for the Republican nomination.
In January 2000, Marco Rubio took his seat in the Florida House of Representatives in Tallahassee.
On January 25, 2000, Marco Rubio defeated Democrat Anastasia Garcia with 72% of the vote in a special election.
In November 2000, Marco Rubio was reelected unopposed to the Florida House of Representatives.
In 2000, Marco Rubio was elected to represent the 111th district in the Florida House of Representatives.
In early 2000, Marco Rubio became a member of the Florida House of Representatives.
Later in 2000, Marco Rubio was promoted to be one of two majority whips in the Florida House of Representatives.
In September 2001, Mike Fasano resigned as majority leader of the Florida House, and Rubio volunteered to work on redistricting.
In 2001, as a state representative, Marco Rubio requested legislative earmarks totaling about $145 million.
Rubio introduced a plan to reduce state property taxes to 2001 levels and potentially eliminate them altogether, while increasing sales taxes by 1% to 2.5% to fund schools.
In December 2002, Marco Rubio was appointed House majority leader by Speaker Johnnie Byrd.
In 2002, Marco Rubio was reelected unopposed to a second term in the Florida House of Representatives.
In 2002, as a state representative, Marco Rubio requested legislative earmarks totaling about $145 million.
In 2004, Marco Rubio was reelected to a third term in the Florida House of Representatives with 66% of the vote.
Beginning in January 2005, Rubio made some personal charges on his Republican Party of Florida American Express card.
On September 13, 2005, Marco Rubio became speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives.
In 2005, the Supreme Court made the decision on Kelo v. City of New London which took a broad view of governmental power to take private property under eminent domain.
In 2005, when he was chosen as future speaker, Marco Rubio delivered a speech to the Florida House and presented a blank book titled "100 Innovative Ideas For Florida's Future".
In October 2006, Rubio made some personal charges on his Republican Party of Florida American Express card, prior to releasing his statements years later.
In November 2006, Marco Rubio was elected speaker of the Florida House, serving for two years.
In November 2006, Marco Rubio was sworn in as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
In 2006, Florida enacted into law limitations upon the authority of the state government to take private property, this legislation was proposed by a special committee chaired by Rubio prior to his speakership.
In 2006, Marco Rubio was reelected to a fourth term in the Florida House of Representatives unopposed.
In 2006, after traveling around the state and compiling ideas, Marco Rubio published the book "100 Innovative Ideas For Florida's Future".
In January 2007, Charlie Crist took office as governor and frequently clashed with Rubio, particularly over Crist's initiative to expand casino gambling in Florida. Rubio sued Crist for bypassing the Florida Legislature in order to make a deal with the Seminole Tribe.
In 2007, John McCain missed a higher percentage of votes than Rubio did in 2015, when Rubio was running for president.
In 2007, after a request from Florida state senator Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville) that the legislature apologize for slavery, Rubio said the idea merited discussion.
In November 2008, Marco Rubio's term as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ended.
From 2008 to 2011, Jonathan D. Farrar was the Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana.
In 2008, Marco Rubio left the Florida legislature due to term limits and began teaching at Florida International University.
In 2008, Rubio voiced his support for apologies for slavery, emphasizing the importance of symbolic gestures and addressing the belief among young African-American males that the American dream is not accessible to them.
In 2008, after leaving the Florida Legislature, Rubio began teaching as an adjunct professor at Florida International University (FIU).
In January 2015, it was reported that George Seay, previously worked on such campaigns as Mitt Romney's in 2008.
On May 5, 2009, Rubio announced his intent to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martínez.
On April 28, 2010, Charlie Crist announced he would run for Senate without a party affiliation, effectively ceding the Republican nomination to Rubio.
On November 2, 2010, Rubio won the general election for U.S. Senate, becoming one of only two Hispanic Americans in the Senate at the time.
In 2010, Marco Rubio was elected to the U.S. Senate in a three-way race.
In 2010, a report said some of Marco Rubio's spending requests dovetailed with his personal interests.
In 2010, during Rubio's Senate campaign, issues were raised by the media and his political opponents about some items charged by Rubio to his Republican Party of Florida American Express card during his time as House speaker.
In 2010, the house Rubio co-owned with David Rivera went into foreclosure after missed mortgage payments, and Rubio assumed responsibility for the payments.
From January 2011 to February 2015, Marco Rubio missed 8.3% of total votes, according to analysis by Vocativ as reported by Fox News.
In March 2011, Rubio supported U.S. participation in the military campaign in Libya to oust Muammar Gaddafi.
In June 2011, Rubio joined Senator Joe Lieberman in urging passage of congressional authorization for military action in Libya.
In October 2011, Rubio joined other senators in pushing for continued engagement in Libya to help lay the foundation for sustainable security.
In October 2011, The Washington Post reported that Rubio's previous statements about his parents leaving Cuba in 1959 were false, causing a controversy.
In 2011, Rubio became an influential defender of the United States embargo against Cuba and induced the State Department to withdraw an ambassadorial nomination of Jonathan D. Farrar. Rubio also visited the Reagan Library and rescued Nancy Reagan from falling.
In 2011, Rubio stated he had no interest in running for president or vice president in the 2012 election.
In 2011, Rubio voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011, which included mandatory automatic budget cuts from sequestration.
In 2011, after entering the U.S. Senate, Rubio rejoined the FIU faculty, teaching undergraduate courses on Florida politics, political parties, and legislative politics.
Since 2011, Cesar Conda served as Rubio's chief of staff. Conda later departed in April 2014 to lead Rubio's Reclaim America PAC as a senior advisor.
In March 2012, Rubio endorsed Mitt Romney for president and stated he did not expect to be or want to be selected as a vice presidential running mate, though he was vetted.
In 2012, Marco Rubio paid off $100,000 in student loans.
In 2012, Rubio voted against the 2012 "fiscal cliff" resolutions, expressing concerns about the impact on small businesses and the lack of debt control.
In 2012, The Florida Commission on Ethics cleared Rubio of wrongdoing in his use of the party-issued credit card.
In January 2015, it was reported that George Seay, previously worked on such campaigns as Rick Perry's in 2012.
In April 2013, Rubio voted against an expansion of background checks for gun purchases.
In 2013, Rubio was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union Address, marking the first time the response was delivered in both English and Spanish.
In 2013, Rubio was part of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators that crafted comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
In April 2014, Marco Rubio stated that he would not run for reelection to the Senate if he ran for president in 2016, due to Florida law.
On April 18, 2014, a poll tracking New Hampshire's Republican primary voters showed Marco Rubio had dropped to 10th place among Republican contenders.
From October 27, 2014, to October 26, 2015, Marco Rubio voted in 74% of Senate votes, according to an analysis by GovTrack.us, which tracks congressional voting records.
In November 2014, as Republicans gained control of the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio advocated for eliminating the "risk corridors" within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). His efforts led to a provision in the 2014 federal budget that restricted funding sources to replenish these depleted risk corridors.
After the 2014 midterm elections, the Republicans obtained majority control of the Senate.
In 2014, Alberto Martinez succeeded Cesar Conda as Rubio's chief of staff, with Conda remaining as a part-time advisor.
Until 2014, Marco Rubio practiced law at a firm specializing in land use and zoning, before taking a position with Broad and Cassel, a Miami law and lobbying firm.
In January 2015, Marco Rubio began contacting top donors and appointing advisors, including George Seay and Jim Rubright, for a potential 2016 presidential run.
In January 2015, Marco Rubio placed second among potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates in an online poll of likely voters conducted by Zogby Analytics.
From January 2011 to February 2015, Marco Rubio missed 8.3% of total votes, according to analysis by Vocativ as reported by Fox News.
In March 2015, Marco Rubio and Senator Mike Lee proposed a tax plan. The plan aimed to lower the corporate income tax rate, eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends, and inherited estates, and create a new child tax credit. It also proposed a new "consolidated system of benefits" to replace the means-tested welfare system.
On April 13, 2015, Marco Rubio officially launched his campaign for president in 2016, pitching his candidacy as an effort to restore the American Dream.
In April 2015, Marco Rubio launched a presidential bid instead of seeking reelection to the Senate.
In April 2015, Rubio decided to run for president instead of seeking reelection to the Senate.
From October 27, 2014, to October 26, 2015, Marco Rubio voted in 74% of Senate votes, according to an analysis by GovTrack.us, which tracks congressional voting records.
In November 2015, Rubio released his party credit card statements for January 2005 through October 2006, showing personal charges he had reimbursed.
During a nationally televised debate among Republican candidates in New Hampshire on February 6, 2016, Marco Rubio was criticized by Chris Christie for speaking repetitively and sounding "scripted".
During the Republican primary campaign in February 2016, Marco Rubio criticized Donald Trump, calling him a "con artist" and saying that Trump is "wholly unprepared to be president of the United States".
On March 15, 2016, Marco Rubio suspended his campaign for the presidency after losing to Donald Trump in the Florida Republican primary.
On May 17, 2016, Marco Rubio supported President Obama's request for $2 billion in emergency spending on the Zika virus, despite being in the Republican majority. He cited the need to address the issue, especially given that Florida accounted for about 20% of U.S. Zika cases at the time.
On June 13, 2016, Rubio "seemed to open the door to running for reelection", citing the previous day's Orlando nightclub shooting
In June 2016, after Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee, Marco Rubio reaffirmed his February 2016 comments that we must not hand "the nuclear codes of the United States to an erratic individual".
On July 20, 2016, after Trump won the Republican Party's nomination, Marco Rubio endorsed him.
On August 30, 2016, Rubio won the Republican primary, defeating Carlos Beruff.
Following the October 7, 2016, Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy, Marco Rubio called Trump's comments "vulgar, egregious & impossible to justify."
In 2016, Marco Rubio was a candidate for president of the United States in the Republican primaries.
In 2016, Rubio said the U.S. should "find out everything they know" from captured terrorists and should not telegraph "the enemy what interrogation techniques we will or won't use."
In April 2014, Marco Rubio stated that he would not run for reelection to the Senate if he ran for president in 2016, due to Florida law.
In January 2015, Marco Rubio began contacting top donors and appointing advisors, including George Seay and Jim Rubright, for a potential 2016 presidential run.
In January 2015, Marco Rubio placed second among potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates in an online poll of likely voters conducted by Zogby Analytics.
On April 13, 2015, Marco Rubio officially launched his campaign for president in 2016, pitching his candidacy as an effort to restore the American Dream.
Throughout 2016, Marco Rubio expressed support for Donald Trump, confirmed his attendance at the Republican National Convention, and rebuked some of Trump's controversial comments.
On March 17, 2016, Marco Rubio stated that he would be a "private citizen" by January 2017, leading to speculation about the termination of his political career, though he later reversed this decision.
On April 5, 2017, Marco Rubio stated that Bashar al-Assad felt he could act with "impunity" because the United States was not prioritizing his removal from office.
In September 2017, Marco Rubio defended President Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, deeming the program "unconstitutional".
On August 28, 2018, Marco Rubio and 16 other members of Congress urged the U.S. to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang.
In 2019, Marco Rubio defended President Trump's decision to host the 46th G7 summit at Trump National Doral Miami, a resort owned by Trump. Rubio stated that the decision was "great" and would benefit local businesses.
In January 2019, Marco Rubio became Florida's senior senator following the defeat of former Senator Bill Nelson.
On July 13, 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned Marco Rubio and three other U.S. politicians for "interfering in China's internal affairs" by condemning human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
On August 10, 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned Marco Rubio and 10 other Americans for "behaving badly on Hong Kong-related issues".
In November 2020, Rubio announced he would run for a third Senate term in the 2022 election.
By November 23, 2020, after initially defending Trump's right to challenge the election results, Marco Rubio referred to Joe Biden as president-elect.
After the 2020 elections, the Democrats regained majority control of the Senate, and Rubio has reassumed minority status within the Senate.
In 2020, Marco Rubio supported the nomination of Judy Shelton to the Federal Reserve board of governors, despite her receiving bipartisan criticism.
In January 2021, Marco Rubio sponsored the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
In February 2021, Marco Rubio voted to acquit Donald Trump for his role in inciting the mob to storm the Capitol.
In May 2021, Marco Rubio argued that "Wall Street must stop enabling Communist China" in The American Prospect and on his website.
On May 28, 2021, Marco Rubio voted against creating the January 6 commission.
In 2022, Marco Rubio condemned holding the Winter Olympics in China due to its "evil, genocidal regime", and stated he would work to ensure the Olympics are never hosted there again. He also introduced the Chinese Communist Party Visa Ban Act.
In 2022, Marco Rubio denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine and co-sponsored a bill targeting pro-Russian separatist groups.
In 2022, Marco Rubio was reelected to a third term in the Senate, defeating Democratic nominee Val Demings.
In 2022, Rubio won the November 8 general election with 57% of the vote to Demings's 41%.
In March 2023, Marco Rubio voiced support for revoking China's permanent normal trade relations status.
In November 2024, Donald Trump reportedly chose Marco Rubio as United States Secretary of State in his second administration.
In November 2024, Marco Rubio called Ukrainians "incredibly brave and strong", but said the war in Ukraine had reached a "stalemate" and "needs to be brought to a conclusion" to avoid further casualties.
In 2024, Marco Rubio endorsed Trump for president days before the Iowa caucuses.
On January 20, 2025, Marco Rubio was formally nominated by President Trump as Secretary of State. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations unanimously approved his nomination, and the Senate confirmed him later that day by a vote of 99 to 0.
On January 21, 2025, Marco Rubio was confirmed and took office as United States Secretary of State.
On January 22, 2025, Marco Rubio instructed State Department staff to freeze passport applications requesting "X" sex markers, in compliance with Executive Order 14168.
On January 24, 2025, Marco Rubio enacted a 90-day freeze on all U.S. foreign aid, with some exceptions, following President Trump's executive order. The freeze went into effect January 28.
On February 16, 2025, Marco Rubio rejected concerns that Ukraine and Europe would be excluded from future peace negotiations regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He stated that Donald Trump was the only leader capable of starting that process.
On February 18, 2025, Marco Rubio, along with other American delegates, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They discussed a framework for future peace negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine.
In 2025, Marco Rubio started serving as the 72nd United States secretary of state and acting administrator of USAID.