By Senator Marco Rubio
Good evening. I’m Marco Rubio. I’m blessed to represent Florida in the United States Senate. Let me begin by congratulating President Obama on the start of his second term. Tonight, I have the honor of responding to his State of the Union address on behalf of my fellow Republicans. And I am especially honored to be addressing our brave men and women serving in the armed forces and in diplomatic posts around the world. You may be thousands of miles away, but you are always in our prayers.
The State of the Union address is always a reminder of how unique America is. For much of human history, most people were trapped in stagnant societies, where a tiny minority always stayed on top, and no one else even had a chance.
But America is exceptional because we believe that every life, at every stage, is precious, and that everyone everywhere has a God-given right to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them.
Like most Americans, for me this ideal is personal. My parents immigrated here in pursuit of the opportunity to improve their life and give their children the chance at an even better one. They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didn’t inherit any money from them. But I inherited something far better – the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams.
This opportunity – to make it to the middle class or beyond no matter where you start out in life – it isn’t bestowed on us from Washington. It comes from a vibrant free economy where people can risk their own money to open a business. And when they succeed, they hire more people, who in turn invest or spend the money they make, helping others start a business and create jobs.
Presidents in both parties – from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan – have known that our free enterprise economy is the source of our middle class prosperity.
But President Obama? He believes it’s the cause of our problems. That the economic downturn happened because our government didn’t tax enough, spend enough and control enough. And, therefore, as you heard tonight, his solution to virtually every problem we face is for Washington to tax more, borrow more and spend more.
This idea – that our problems were caused by a government that was too small – it’s just not true. In fact, a major cause of our recent downturn was a housing crisis created by reckless government policies.
And the idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle class taxpayers – that’s an old idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried.
More government isn’t going to help you get ahead. It’s going to hold you back.
More government isn’t going to create more opportunities. It’s going to limit them.
And more government isn’t going to inspire new ideas, new businesses and new private sector jobs. It’s going to create uncertainty.
Because more government breeds complicated rules and laws that a small business can’t afford to follow.
Because more government raises taxes on employers who then pass the costs on to their employees through fewer hours, lower pay and even layoffs.
And because many government programs that claim to help the middle class, often end up hurting them instead.
For example, Obamacare was supposed to help middle class Americans afford health insurance. But now, some people are losing the health insurance they were happy with. And because Obamacare created expensive requirements for companies with more than 50 employees, now many of these businesses aren’t hiring. Not only that; they’re being forced to lay people off and switch from full-time employees to part-time workers.
Now does this mean there’s no role for government? Of course not. It plays a crucial part in keeping us safe, enforcing rules, and providing some security against the risks of modern life. But government’s role is wisely limited by the Constitution. And it can’t play its essential role when it ignores those limits.
There are valid reasons to be concerned about the President’s plan to grow our government. But any time anyone opposes the President’s agenda, he and his allies usually respond by falsely attacking their motives.
When we point out that no matter how many job-killing laws we pass, our government can’t control the weather – he accuses us of wanting dirty water and dirty air.
When we suggest we strengthen our safety net programs by giving states more flexibility to manage them – he accuses us of wanting to leave the elderly and disabled to fend for themselves.
And tonight, he even criticized us for refusing to raise taxes to delay military cuts – cuts that were his idea in the first place.
But his favorite attack of all is that those who don’t agree with him – they only care about rich people.
Mr. President, I still live in the same working class neighborhood I grew up in. My neighbors aren’t millionaires. They’re retirees who depend on Social Security and Medicare. They’re workers who have to get up early tomorrow morning and go to work to pay the bills. They’re immigrants, who came here because they were stuck in poverty in countries where the government dominated the economy.
The tax increases and the deficit spending you propose will hurt middle class families. It will cost them their raises. It will cost them their benefits. It may even cost some of them their jobs.
And it will hurt seniors because it does nothing to save Medicare and Social Security.
So Mr. President, I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich. I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.
Hard-working middle class Americans who don’t need us to come up with a plan to grow the government. They want a plan to grow the middle class.
Economic growth is the best way to help the middle class. Unfortunately, our economy actually shrank during the last three months of 2012.
But if we can get the economy to grow at just 4 percent a year, it would create millions of middle class jobs. And it could reduce our deficits by almost $4 trillion dollars over the next decade.
Tax increases can’t do this. Raising taxes won’t create private sector jobs. And there’s no realistic tax increase that could lower our deficits by almost $4 trillion. That’s why I hope the President will abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy.
One of the best ways to encourage growth is through our energy industry. Of course solar and wind energy should be a part of our energy portfolio. But God also blessed America with abundant coal, oil and natural gas. Instead of wasting more taxpayer money on so-called “clean energy” companies like Solyndra, let’s open up more federal lands for safe and responsible exploration. And let’s reform our energy regulations so that they’re reasonable and based on common sense. If we can grow our energy industry, it will make us energy independent, it will create middle class jobs and it will help bring manufacturing back from places like China.
Simplifying our tax code will also help the middle class, because it will make it easier for small businesses to hire and grow.
Related: Rubio’s Thirst-Quenching Response
34 Responses to “Senator Marco Rubio’s Response to the SOTU”
Congratulating him on his 2nd term when Rubio should be working on getting him out. Democrats are plain liars and Republicans are cowards.
Republicans are LIARS AND COWARDS…..RINO RUBIO IS THE PROOF!
Rand Paul’s SOTU Response was 1000% better than RINO Rubio’s!
Marco Rubio responded to Barack Obama’s extreme left wing State of the Union address with facts and simple truths. It was all that was needed to unravel Obama’s convoluted views which are based largely on lies and distortions. Obama is a despot seeking to centralize power and control all Americans. Rubio is a freedom lover seeking to extend personal liberty to all Americans. It’s our choice to select the government and life we want. I’ve already made mine.
Rubio is the choice for the PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL RINO! That makes Rubio perfect for the GOP that has become part of the DNC!
The GOP that MLK was part of was completely different than today’s GOP RINO Club!
Like Michael Savage says…..”Rubio is a RINO with a Latino Name”
If you think that Rubio is a progressive/liberal/rino then my friend I’d be willing to bet that you are either a libertarian who loves Rand Paul, or a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus (which is the same as a libertarian except that they are trying to deceive people into believing that they’re conservative Republicans).
What I don’t understand is why they need to take over the Republican Party when they already have a Party which represents everything they believe and stand for. Unless they know that by being honest they would never get elected, that’s the only reason I can figure out as to why they’re infiltrating (in large numbers) the Republican Party. The dishonesty of these people is why I would never, ever vote for one of them. (That includes Ron and Rand Paul).
I am an AMERICAN that believes in our Constitution. If that is what you call a “Libertarian” so be it.
My loyalty is to my country – the United States of America NOT any political establishment. I refuse to be a “sheeple” to any political party/establishment.
The biggest problem facing the U.S.A. today is the fact that we have to many Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, Constitutionalists, Communists, Green Party, etc. etc. etc. an too few AMERICANS!
If only AMERICANS would vote for AMERICA and NOT some STUPID POLITICAL BRAINWASHING PARTY/ORGANIZATION, maybe we could save AMERICA!
With that being said, RINO Rubio is nothing but a “Latino” puppet for the GOP because the GOP promotes itself not America or Americans! The RNC is the same as the DNC.
Learn the truth about political parties – Read President George Washington’s Farewell Address and then look at what the political parties have done to destroy the U.S.A.
IF the GOP really cared about America and Americans, they would embrace being Americans and nothing but Americans.
IF the GOP really cared about American and Americans, they would govern by our Constitution instead of being just like the Dems and trashing our Constitutional rights so that they can get rich.
-Let’s see the GOP enforce the Constitution for a change.
-Let’s see the GOP secure the border for change.
- Let’s see the GOP enforce current immigration law for a change!
-Let’s hear the GOP reject all their sweetheart deals from the lobbyists that own them.
-Let’s see the GOP prove they are all about America and not a bunch of hypocritical elitist that violate their oath of office everyday.
- Honesty and Integrity in Government….WHAT A CONCEPT!!
Americans are either politically inclined, and join or create a political party, or they don’t care for politics and are basically uninvolved in the political process. So this call for Americans to be “Americans” means different things to different Americans.
What we can all do–no matter what party we belong to or don’t belong to, or wish existed, is to begin valuing real debate, and acquire the maturity to engage in it. This means all name calling, like Rino Rubio, and comrad Obama etc, must stop. Only when we all act like real adults can we start really changing things.
As an AMERICAN, I believe in “The American’s Creed”.
For those that may be confused by what it means to be an AMERICAN….I hope this will help you.
Please pay special attention to the fact that no where in the American’s Creed does it divide Americans into various factions….Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Green Party, Latinos, Hispanics, Russians, Germans, Italians, Africans, French,Europeans,Jewish, Christians, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
The American’s Creed
by William Tyler Page
I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
–Written 1917, accepted by the United States
House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.
Copied from http://www.ushistory.org/documents/creed.htm
One has to know what the Party Platforms say in order to know what the candidates believe. Democrats and Libertarians do not promote people who are in opposition to their platforms. The Republican Party (since Bob Dole) allows leadership to adhere to opposing philosophies (Like Ron Paul, Rand Paul, John McCain… who may adhere to some of its philosophies, but mostly they are not really into the platform)
However, Marco Rubio is right in line with the platform (with which I happen to agree, and which is right in line with the US Constitution). Among my many Cuban American friends, I have never known people who were more American and more patriotic. I have always felt that these would be the people who would be able to turn America around, because they’ve lived through a tyrannical takeover and they know what to look for. What Constitutional rights has Marco Rubio ever trashed? None!
I don’t know you, but as I said, I would be very surprised if you weren’t a Ron/Rand Paul person. If this is the case, these are the people who are actually RINO’s. They are not the constitutionalists they claim to be.
Sandi,
I will try to explain this to you one more time….I AM AN AMERICAN….NOT A REPUBLICAN…NOT A LIBERTARIAN…NOT A GREEN PARTY….NOT A DEMOCRAT….I AM AN AMERICAN. I OWN MY VOTE.
RINO mean Republican In Name Only. I am an AMERICAN – NOT A REPUBLICAN. Thus, I cannot be a RINO. Rubio is a liberal progressive aka RINO.
RINO Rubio supports AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS!
RINO Rubio PROMOTES ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO OUR COUNTRY BY SAYING IT IS OKAY TO BREAK OUR LAWS!
RINO Rubio As the Speaker of the Florida House LATINO MARCO RUBIO BLOCKED EVERY IMMIGRATION BILL!
RINO Rubio promoted wasting billions of tax dollars on Florida High Speed Rail the Floridians voted against.
RINO Rubio Refuses to “Remember the Alamo” while his promotes Cinco De Mayo that KILLED AMERICANS……CALL HIS OFFICE AND ASK THEM….THEY DON’T BELIEVE THERE WERE ANY AMERICANS AT THE ALAMO!
I know….don’t confuse you with the facts…but the facts are Marco Rubio is a Pro-Latino – Anti-American – Liberal Progressive RINO. His actions prove this fact…but then again….don’t let the facts get in the way!
BTW….I use to be a member of the REC. I know what the so-called “GOP Platform” is. WHAT A JOKE! WHAT A BUNCH IF HYPOCRITS!!
GOP actions speak louder than words. The actions of today’s GOP RINO Establishment proves they are 95% hypocrites.
“Rubio is right in line with the GOP…HMMMM….GOP supports Amnesty? Is that what you are saying?
FAIR disagrees with that statement
http://www.fairus.org/tellrubiono?source=tellrubiono&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FAIR%20Alerts&utm_content=Rubio+Petition
Since taking office in 2010, Florida Senator Marco Rubio has made an about-face on his once steadfast opposition to amnesty. In fact, prior to being elected, Senator Rubio campaigned on the proposition that an, “Earned path to citizenship is basically code for amnesty,” and criticized the 1986 amnesty law.
Now—barely two years after taking office—Senator Rubio is articulating his support for a plan to grant amnesty to the estimated 11-12 million illegal aliens in the country. Promoting this amnesty plan on the Senate floor and on media outlets all over the U.S., Senator Rubio is now saying that Congress must find “a way to accommodate” illegal aliens and is touting a plan that would allow them “the access to make their status at this moment legal.”
Now we need your help to ensure that he puts the interests of Americans first. Sign the petition below to let Senator Rubio’s office know that this flip-flop from his once steadfast opposition to amnesty is unacceptable, and that hard-working, taxpaying Americans deserve better than another amnesty and more failed promises of immigration enforcement!
Senator Rubio needs to hear that his support of a “pathway to citizenship” is wrong for the following reasons:
Granting any legal status to illegal aliens unfairly rewards law-breaking.
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens will not “solve the problem once and for all.” We learned this after the 1986 amnesty. Instead, granting amnesty will do nothing but encourage more illegal immigration. Will Congress once again be calling amnesty the solution to illegal immigration in another 10 years?
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens is fundamentally unfair to individuals all over the world who are patiently waiting in line to come to the United States legally.
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens unfairly adds millions of legal workers to the domestic workforce when 22 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. Moreover, those workers that are hurt the most are often legal immigrants working in low-skill, low-wage jobs.
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens will not secure our borders, will not improve national security, will not end fraud in the immigration system, and will not fix the problem of visa overstays.
Here, here! Very well said.
[...] Senator Marco Rubio’s Response to the SOTU [...]
GO, MARCO RUBIO!
After turning off Obama’s speech 1/4 of the way through, I hooked up again for your speech. Now, you are presidential! You are strong, intelligent, knowledgable, patriotic, and fair. You are who we need in the oval office, not the lying, wimpy Obama, and, certainly not any more liberals. We need you to take back our country from the brink of financial ruin and international shame. We need you because you make sense and because we would feel safe with you at the helm. With you, Americans would know that we, and, our country, would be first on your agenda.
GO, MARCO RUBIO!
RINO Rubio Presidential? You have got to be joking?!?
Just like BO, Rubio is NOT eligible to be the President of the United States. Take some time to study the Constitution and then check the family tree of RINO Rubio. Rubio is NOT eligible to be the President of the United States. Additionally, he is a Cuban-Latino….NOT AN AMERICAN. Anti-American Rubio promotes the rights of non-Americans over Americans. Just look at what he did when he was the Speaker of the Florida House……RUBIO BLOCKED 11 IMMIGRATION BILLS….as a U.S. Senator…….RUBIO OPPOSED ARIZONA PROTECTING AMERICANS AGAINST THE ILLEGALS.
RINO RUBIO is a perfect candidate for today’s liberal progressive GOP that promotes the destruction of the U.S.A.
Beat it, crackpot Paul-bot. Yeah, Rand’s not bad but your boy Ron is a hypocrite and has looney foreign policy ideas. He was and is unelectable.
Rand Paul believe in our Constitution. RINO Rubio is a liberal progressive traitor….just like Mel Martinez.
Anyone that believes RINO Rubio is a “Conservative” must be drinking the “kool-aid” and is the real “crack-pot”. No one in their right mind believes RINO Rubio believes in our Constitution or puts Americans first before his Latino friends. Cuban/Latino Rubio will divide Americans more than BO has. Speak English if you want to unite people. We can never be united if we do not speak one common language.
Balogna… Rubio certainly is eligible. You are misinterpreting the Constitution, and anyone who has read it, knows that.
You must believe BO is Constitutionally eligible to be the President of the United States too?!?
You’re talking apples and oranges. Furthermore, you don’t need to “explain” anything to me. I got what you said the first time. The problem is no many how many times you say it, your statments show differently and I don’t believe you.
“your statments show differently and I don’t believe you” WHAT???
What does “your statments show differently” mean? LOL
You don’t have to believe me. Can you prove I am wrong? I did the research. I know…don’t confuse you with the facts. There are lots of kool-aid drinkers that refuse to believe BO is NOT eligible too.
It really is time for AMERICANS to stop burying their heads in the sand and STOP DRINKING THE POISONOUS KOOL-AID.
I really wish Rubio was not a RINO, but I refuse to bury my head in the sand and to ignore his amnesty plan, opposing AZ protecting Americans, his actions as Speaker of the Florida House, AND the fact that he is NOT eligible to be POTUS. Anyone that supports the GOP actions to promote an anti-American Latino for their next presidential candidate is helping to destroy the U.S.A. I have no doubt these same people rallied around Romney aka RomneyCare too!
The GOP is digging its own grave and taking many honest Americans that are in denial! Yes. I know….don’t confuse you or any kool-aid drinkers with the facts.
Dear Lord…please help protect us from ourselves….please??
Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in the gaps left by the Constitution. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are “citizens of the United States at birth:”
“Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year.”
FACT….Marco Rubio’s parents were Cubans – not Americans.
Marco Rubio is an American citizen, but not a “naturalized citizen” which is required to be the President of the United States.
I know….Never let the facts get in the way.
I know…don’t confuse you with the facts…
RINO Rubio is not eligible to be POTUS
http://giveusliberty1776.blogspot.com/2011/06/rubio-not-nbcnot-constitutionally.html …….
A natural born Citizen of the United States is one born in the United States to two U.S. Citizens who were Citizens of the United States either by birth or naturalization at the time of the birth of the child. A natural born Citizen of the United States is a child born with sole allegiance to the United States, a person born without Citizenship in any other country other than the USA at the time of their birth. A natural born Citizen has no foreign influence or claim on them by another country at the time of their birth under U.S. law and the Law of Nations. That is why the founders and framers chose the legal term of art “natural born Citizen” for the eligibility clause for the singular most powerful office in our form of government, the President and Commander in Chief of our military. They did not wish command of our military forces to ever devolve to a person born with dual allegiances.
Rand Paul’s response to the SOTU…..http://www.rollcall.com/news/text_of_rand_pauls_tea_party_response_to_sotu-222389-1.html?pg=1
Let’s be honest….Rand Paul is tooooo conservative for the GOP RINO Establishment. The GOP RINO Club is pushing for the anti-American Cuban-Latino boy instead of core American – Constitutional values. That is why the GOP is history!
BEWARE…Thanks to the GOP RINO Club….the current House is 60% Liberal Progressives and in 2014 it will become 85% Liberal Progressives.
Problem with DC…Nothing but Democrats and Republicans – NOT AMERICANS!
Rand Paul is right…….Time for a Balanced Budget Amendment and Term Limits!
[...] Go to this link for full text…http://shark-tank.net/2013/02/12/senator-marco-rubios-response-to-the-sotu/ [...]
Per Business Week
“Rand Paul Made Marco Rubio Look Establishment”
By Peter Coy on February 13, 2013
“Sen. Rand Paul’s fiery denunciation of Beltway business as usual showed why the mainstream of the Republican Party has such a hard time dealing with the Tea Party. People like Rand Paul and his father, former Rep. Ron Paul, make other Republicans look like go-along, get-along career politicians.”
When will the Shark Tank report the facts about RINO Rubio vs. Constitutionalist Rand Paul?
I wish these Ron & Rand Paul people would wake up and realize that neither of these are Constitutionalists as they claim to be. I’m tired of being deceived and while I an agree with these two a few things, I know that the rest of their views are not Constitutionalist opinions.
I wish those die-hard GOPers that are nothing more than a bunch of “sheeple” to a political establishment would stop drinking the kool-aid.
As an AMERICAN, I own my vote. I will never again be associated with a political establishment. I am an AMERICAN that believes in being an independent individual – not a sheeple to the whims of any corrupt political party establishment. I OWN MY VOTE AND WILL NEVER EVER AGAIN SURRENDER IT TO ANY POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT.
President George Washington’s Farewell Address….
–Warns against the party system– “It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration….agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one….against another….it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption…thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”
I see we’ve got some clueless conservatives here. If Rubio had come out tearing O a new one from the get go, it woulda been called disrespectful and extreme. He was courteous and then took Obama’s house of cards down, piece by piece. We in the GOP, Tea Party, etc. need to learn that you can trash the left with style and not get angry. Our hero, Reagan, rarely got flustered but he sure as hell ripped the Dems at every opportunity. Let the left be vicious and strident. We do need to stick to our principles but remain cause, not go effect.
I really wish those who have a “slobbering love affair” with Mr. Latino RINO Rubio would look in the mirror and see that they are just as clueless as those who have a “slobbering love affair” with BO. BO is there not because of his character, ethics or integrity. He is there because of the color of his skin and he has a nice smile.
The GOPer’s slobbering love affair with Marco Rubio is not because of ethics, integrity or his actions as the Speaker of the Florida House – the majority of Rubio fans are totally clueless as to what Rubio did in Tallahassee. The slobbering love affair with Rubio is very similar to the slobberling love affair with BO. Rubio is a “Latino” with a nice smile. Rubio is pro-Latino and anti-American. He speaks Spanish instead of teaching English. Rubio promotes division of the American people by dividing AMERICANS into factions – Latino Hispanics vs Americans. His loyalty is to the Latino community – NOT AMERICA OR AMERICANS. Check his Florida House Record – he blocked every immigration bill that came before him. Did you know that Rubio trashes the Americans that were killed at the Alamo while he celebrates Cinco De Mayo? Rubio is loyal to Latinos – NOT AMERICANS!!!!!!
RINO Rubio is the perfect candidate for a GOP party that has completely lost its way. GOPers will sell-out AMERICA AND AMERICANS and surrender to the ILLEGALS AND THE ANTI-AMERICAN HISPANICS.
The GOP Establishment – just like the Dems reject being AMERICANS IN AMERICA! They are void of any love of country. The GOP will sell-out any AMERICAN for their love of money and power….just look at actions from the GOPers in both Houses of Congress!! HOW MUCH MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED THAT THE GOP IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE DEMS??????? STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID.
Rubio mentioned that he only recently finished paying off his own student loans — totaling over $100,000
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/12/rubio-delivers-gop-response-government-is-not-the-solution-economic-growth-is/#ixzz2KqBj2NpG
President George Washington talks about being an American and warns us about political parties and factions……..
The following was copied from President George Washington’s Farewell Address. http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/farewell/
10 Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of american, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles.
17 All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests.
18 However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion.