Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martínez, is an American lobbyist and former politician who served as United States Senator from Florida and served as chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party. Previously, Martínez served as the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush. Martínez is a Cuban-American and Roman Catholic. He announced he was resigning as...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth23 October 1946
CountryUnited States of America
Immigration is something that we got to get fixed,
I just didn't feel like I wanted to be part of a process that I didn't have any control over whatsoever.
But he hasn't been a visible leader, so he hasn't necessarily secured the Latino vote yet,
I don't want to get people's hopes up. It's not going to be a dollar-for-dollar thing, ... it will help farmers recover and put people back to work.
I don't want to come to Washington to be just another vote. I want to lead on issues that are important.
The next couple of days are not going to be easy, not that the last couple of days have been easy. There is no way of making what occurred go away overnight.
It is proper that the federal government help alleviate short-term disruptions and price spikes such as those brought about by Hurricane Katrina.
It's a terrible thing to suggest this was a lark, ... It was a great thing to do, and it was done at modest prices.
Not having been born in this country, but then moving on to citizenship, I understand the plight of immigrants. I understand what this has been about. I also understand about the rule of law, and I respect that.
The damage to Florida's agriculture beyond citrus is tremendous, ... This is on the order of what Katrina and New Orleans have looked at, what is being done for them. . . . Florida should be no less.
The main health care issue for Latinos is ... just being able to see a doctor,
I will always vote on the side of freedom and our right to keep and bear arms.
It's a mix of experiences that I think keeps me in touch with the common man. I'm not someone who's forgotten where he comes from.
It's shortsighted not to view the education of a future generation of Americans as a priority for all Americans.