Marco Rubio in CNBC 2015 GOP primary debate


On Budget & Economy: We borrow from countries that dislike us

Watching this broadcast are millions that are living paycheck to paycheck. They are working as hard as they ever have. We have a world that's out of control and a President that is weakening our military and making our foreign policy unstable and unreliable. They say there is no bipartisanship in Washington. We have a $19 trillion bipartisan debt, and it continues to grow as we borrow money from countries that do not like us to pay for government we cannot afford.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Education: Why did we stop doing vocational education in America?

Why did we stop doing vocational education in America, people that can work with their hands; people you can train to do this work while they're still in high school so they can graduate ready to go work? What's happening is some of these tech companies are taking centers to Canada because they can get people to go over there instead of here. The ideal scenario is to train Americans to do the work so we don't have to rely on people from abroad.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Government Reform: Mainstream media is a SuperPAC for Democrats

Donald TRUMP: SuperPACs are a disaster. They're a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them.

RUBIO: The Democrats have the ultimate SuperPAC. It's called the mainstream media. For example, last week, Hillary Clinton admitted she had sent e-mails to her family saying, "Hey, this attack at Benghazi was caused by Al Qaida-like elements." It was the week she got exposed as a liar, but she has her super PAC helping her out, the American mainstream media.

Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Immigration: Bar any company abusing H1 visas from future visas

Q: You support dramatically increasing immigration visas called H1B, for workers with special skills. But Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) says the tech industry uses this program to undercut hiring and wages for highly qualified Americans. Why is he wrong?

RUBIO: If a company gets caught doing that, they should never be able to use the program again. But we also need to add reforms, not just increase the numbers. For example, before you hire anyone from abroad, you should have to advertise that job for 180 days. You also have to prove that you're not undercutting that you would pay [an American] by bringing in cheap labor.

Q: It sounds like you think Sen. Sessions is wrong to believe there is abuse in that program?

RUBIO: Well, I believe that there are abuses; those companies should be permanently barred from ever using the program again and we should put strict standards in place to ensure that they're not being abused, like the prevailing wage requirement and like the advertising requirement.

Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Immigration: Change from family-based system to skills-based

Today, we have a legal immigration system for permanent residency that is largely based on whether you have a relative living here. That's the way my parents came legally in 1956.

But in 2015, we have a very different economy. Our legal immigration system from now on has to be merit-based. It has to be based on what skills you have, what you can contribute economically, & most important of all, on whether or not you're coming here to become an American, not just live in America, but be an American.

Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Principles & Values: FactCheck: Senate attendance comparable to other candidates

Marco Rubio, defending himself against accusations he's been overly absent from the Senate as he runs for president, cited previous lawmakers running for president who also missed votes while out on the campaign trail. Comparisons for the three former Democratic senators that Rubio cited:But unlike those men, Rubio has said he's finished with his Senate career, whether he wins the presidency or not. That fact has led to calls for his resignation now, including from Jeb Bush, a Florida resident. Ultimately, however, Rubio's defense that uses historic data is true.
Source: CBS4indy.com FactCheck on GOP 2015 CNBC debate Oct 28, 2015

On Principles & Values: I miss same amount of Senate votes as Obama and McCain did

Q: You're skipping more votes than any senator to run for President; why not do some Senate work and run in 2020?

RUBIO: That's exactly what the Republican establishment said, too, "Why don't you wait in line?" In 2004, John Kerry ran for President, missing close to 60% to 70% of his votes. In 2008, Barack Obama missed 60% or 70% percent of his votes.

BUSH: I'm a constituent of the Senator, and I expected that he would do constituent service, which means that he shows up to work. But, Marco, you signed up for a 6-year term, and you should be showing up to work. You can campaign [and work in the Senate], or just resign and let someone else take the job. The people of Florida are looking for a senator that will fight for them each and every day.

Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Principles & Values: The American Dream is the universal dream of a better life

My parents in this country were able to give me the chance to do all the things they never did. We call that the American Dream, although, it's built on the universal dream of a better life. The fact that it's happened for so many people here throughout our history, that's what makes us special. Now for millions of Americans, it's slipping away. That's why I'm running for president. Because we can't just save the American Dream, we can expand it to reach more people.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Social Security: No benefits changes for my mom and others of her generation

Q: How to reform Social Security and Medicare?

PAUL: The [eligibility] age will have to gradually rise. It's the only way you fix Medicare, the only way you fix Social Security. You will also have to means-test the benefits.

CHRISTIE: We're living longer. We have to increase the retirement age to reflect that blessing.

CARSON: The plan gives people the option of opting out of Medicare.

RUBIO: We are talking about reforms for future generations. Q Nothing has to change for current beneficiaries. My mother is on Medicare and Social Security. I'm against anything that's bad for my mother. We're talking about reform for people like me who are years away from retirement and have a way to plan for these changes. It's not too much to ask of our generation after everything our parents and our grandparents did for us.

Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

On Tax Reform: My tax reform gives more to lower earners, percentage-wise

The largest after- tax gains is for the people at the lower end of the tax spectrum under my plan. In addition to a general personal exemption, we are increasing the per-child tax credit for working families. We are lowering taxes on small business. Under my plan, no business, big or small, will pay more than 25 percent flat rate on their business income. That is a dramatic tax decrease for hard-working people who run their own businesses.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate Oct 28, 2015

The above quotations are from CNBC Two-Tier 2015 GOP primary debate
Your Money/Your Vote
First Tier: Ten candidates by polls
Second Tier: Four other Republicans
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018