Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
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Photos: Rubio Visits Barrier Islands Post-Hurricane Helene
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...
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...
Senate Unanimously Approves Rubio, King Bill To Provide Independent Check On Targeting Decisions
Washington, D.C. – Yesterday evening, the Senate unanimously approved legislation authored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Angus King (I-ME) as part of the Fiscal Year 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act. The Rubio-King provision is based on legislation introduced in May 2013 as S.1035, the Targeted Strike Oversight Reform Act. The final provision was moved to the classified annex. Rubio and King requested that an unclassified summary of the provision be made available to the public.
The Rubio-King provision requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to complete an independent assessment of the available intelligence supporting any determination by the Administration that an identified U.S. person is engaged in acts of international terrorism against the United States and meets the government’s criteria for approving the use of targeted lethal action. This legislation will require an independent assessment of the nomination of a U.S. person for lethal strike to be completed within fifteen days. It also requires the DNI to immediately notify Congress in writing of the results of the assessment, and the identity of the U.S. person.
“In passing this legislation, we are adding an additional layer of review to any consideration for lethal strike of a U.S. person who has joined enemy forces overseas. While in no way do we limit the commander-in-chief’s ability to conduct war, we are safeguarding that the executive branch fully considers any targeted lethal strike of a U.S. citizen by convening a special panel outside the chain of command to consider each case,” said Rubio. “In doing so, we are ensuring that even those U.S. citizens who betray their country and join enemy forces at war with the United States receive an extra level of scrutiny.”
“The President must have the ability to protect the American people from attacks, but as a country founded on the principle of the rule-of-law and dedicated to due-process, it’s contrary to our core values that the Executive Branch can appoint itself judge, jury, and executioner,” said King. “By adding an independent layer of accountability in the decision-making process when considering lethal action against a U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism, the King-Rubio provision takes a critical step in the right direction. Bipartisan solutions, like this, are vital to protecting our nation and securing the irrefutable constitutional rights that we expect as Americans.”