Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Encyclopedia
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party.
She is currently the most senior Republican woman
in the U.S. House
, and was the first Republican woman elected to the House of Representatives from Florida. She is chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, effective 2011.
, Cuba
, one of two children born to Enrique Ros
and his wife, Amanda Adato. She received her Bachelor of Arts
in education
and her Master of Arts
in educational leadership from Florida International University
. She attended the University of Miami
where she earned a Ph.D
in higher education
.
Ros-Lehtinen was an educator and the owner/operator of a private school in Miami-Dade County. She was elected to the Florida House of Representatives
in 1982, where she met State Representative Dexter Lehtinen
(D-Miami). They married in 1985, after Dexter switched parties. They both served in the State House until 1986. That year, they were both elected to the Florida Senate
, where he was elected to District 40 and she was elected in District 34. In 1988, Dexter resigned his seat to become U.S. Attorney of South Florida. In 1989, Illeana resigned her seat to become a U.S. Representative.
died on May 30, 1989, there was a special election scheduled for August 29, 1989. State Senator Ros-Lehtinen defeated Democrat Gerald Richman 53%-47%. She became the first Cuban American
and the first Hispanic
woman elected to the United States Congress
. In 1990, she won re-election to a full term with 60% of the vote. In total, she has been elected to ten full terms, never winning with less than 58%.
's surge policy in Iraq
, a supporter of Israel
and supports continued sanctions against Cuba
. She also supported the de facto
government in Honduras, headed by Roberto Micheletti
, that emerged after the military coup
against President Manuel Zelaya
. She has said of the decision to invade Iraq: "Whether or not there is a direct link to the World Trade Center does not mean that Iraq is not meritorious of shedding blood. The common link is that they hate America."
Among Ros-Lehtinen's other conservative views include votes against the estate tax
, voted in favor of Bush's tax cuts, for fuel efficiency standards on autos, drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
, support of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, votes in favor of making the Patriot Act permanent, support of the Military Commissions Act
, votes against funding for stem cell research, and votes against SCHIP. She is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Ros-Lehtinen generally portrays a pro-military stance. However, during the 2011 Libyan uprising, she expressed support of the Libyan opposition; on February 26, 2011, she released a press release which stated, "stronger penalties must be imposed in order to hold the regime accountable for its heinous crimes, and to prevent further violence against the Libyan people". But on March 20, 2011, the day after the NATO strikes to enforce the no-fly-zone began, she expressed a different view in a press release: "I am concerned that the President has yet to clearly define for the American people what vital United States security interests he believes are currently at stake in Libya."
The congresswoman has also been a forerunner in cutting U.S. aid to foreign lands, including the State Department, The Peace Corps, the Asia Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the East-West Center. She also advocates cutting funding to Lebanese Armed Forces and the West Bank and Gaza.
Gay rights
Ros-Lehtinen sides with the Democrats
on many issues of gay rights. Her district includes large LGBT
populations in South Beach
in Miami Beach and in the Florida Keys
. She is currently one of two Republican members of the LGBT Equality Caucus, of which she is a founding member and a vice-chairperson. Although she is not a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act
, she supports anti-hate crime
laws, anti-discrimination bills, believes gay
s and lesbian
s should be allowed to serve openly in the armed forces, is a sponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act
, and voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment
. Ros-Lehtinen was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
. In September 2011, Ros-Lehtinen became the first Republican member of the U.S. Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act
, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
.
She has also opposed Florida’s constitutional ban against same-sex marriage. Earlier in 2011, Ros-Lehtinen “signed on to a letter to IRS Commissioner Schulman requesting that the IRS provide clear guidance for LGBT taxpayers. The letter asks the IRS to ensure that tax law is being applied fairly to all individuals.”
Passport processing delays
Ros-Lehtinen recently pressured the State Department
to accelerate its processing of passports, something that had hindered American citizens' travel during the crucial summer travel season. Calling the delay "outrageous, incomprehensible, unconscionable" at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she is chairwoman, Ros-Lehtinen brought the pressure of committee Republicans to bear on the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs
and spur them to action.
United Nations
On 23 November 2010, Ros-Lehtinen called on the Obama administration to "announce publicly, right now, that we will stay away from Durban III
, deny it US taxpayer dollars, and oppose all measures that seek to facilitate it. And we should encourage other responsible nations to do the same."
Darfur
Ros-Lehtinen joined Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
(D-Maryland
) on a Congressional delegation to the United Nations
in order to encourage international support for an end to the genocide in Darfur. In addition, when Ros-Lehtinen returned from a trip to Darfur in April 2007 where she visited Sudan
ese refugee camps, she strongly encouraged the United States and the international community to find a solution to this humanitarian crisis.
Miami River
During her tenure in Congress, Ros-Lehtinen has been successful in championing the clean-up of the 5.5 miles (8.9 km)-long Miami River
. In July 2007, she signed a mock check for $20.5 million, much of it federal funds in addition to state and local money, in order to resume the dredging of the Miami River.
Aquarius dive
Ros-Lehtinen participated in a scuba dive down to the underwater Aquarius
Habitat, where she joined in a live underwater broadcast shown directly to 3rd through 6th graders at an Islamorada
Montessori School on how to preserve coral reefs in the Florida Keys.
WRDA
Ros-Lehtinen voted for the Water Resources Development Act
. This bill will provide for extensive environmental development and restoration projects. It also provides assistance for South Florida's coral reefs and the Miami River.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Ros-Lehtinen is opposing US support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
and the Palestinian Authority. She describes herself as a "strong supporter of Israel" and regards the U.S. relationship with Israel as "critical to the national security interests of both nations".
As of 2010, she is the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. After comments by State Department over Israeli settlements, she demanded that the Obama administration halt its "condemnations" of "an indispensable ally and friend of the United States."
In September 2011 she introduced a bill to cut off US funding to any UN organization that recognises Palestinian statehood.
Cuba
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen plays a prominent role in the Cuban-American lobby
, which aims to put pressure on the Cuban government and encourage political change on the island. She is a member of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus
. She is the daughter of Enrique Ros
, a Florida-based Cuban business man and anti-Fidel Castro
activist. Ros-Lehtinen also advances strongly held views on Cuba, and has lobbied against ending the United States embargo
against that country. In 2004 she formed the Cuba Democracy Group aimed at curtailing U.S. agriculture exports and preventing U.S. banks from doing business with the Cuban government.
Ros-Lehtinen has defended former fugitive Velentin Hernández, convicted of murdering Luciano Nieves, a fellow Cuban exile
who supported negotiations with the Cuban government, In the 1980s Ros-Lehtinen lobbied for the release and pardon of Cuban exile Orlando Bosch
, who had been convicted of terrorist acts and has also been accused of involvement in the 1976 bombing of Cubana Flight 455
, which killed 73 people, helping organize an "Orlando Bosch day" to gain support for his release. Ros-Lehtinen played a prominent role in the failed attempt by relatives of Elian Gonzalez
to gain custody of six-year-old from the Castro regime, describing Cuba as "that system of godless communism
". She also attempted to block Jimmy Carter
's visit to the island in 2002.
Ros-Lehtinen stirred controversy by calling for the assassination of Cuban Leader Fidel Castro
. She appears in the British documentary 638 Ways to Kill Castro
, saying: "I welcome the opportunity of having anyone assassinate Fidel Castro and any leader who is oppressing the people." After a 28-second clip began circulating on the Internet, she claimed the filmmakers spliced clips together to get the sound bite. Twenty-four hours after the controversy erupted, director Dollan Cannell sent unedited tapes of his interview with Ros-Lehtinen to reporters. The uncut version contradicted Ros-Lehtinen's response and showed that she had twice welcomed an attempt on Castro's life. Though she attempted to distance herself from her denial, filmmaker Cannell requested an apology, which has not been forthcoming.
2008 "Bailout"
Ros-Lehtinen voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
in its initial September 29, 2008 vote, which failed, but voted in favor of the revised bill in its October 3, 2008 vote, which passed.
Child marriage
Ros-Lehtinen played a key role in preventing the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2010 from being passed into law. Even though the bill had unanimously passed the Senate with bipartisan support, she persuaded enough Republicans in the House to vote against the bill so that it did not receive the required two-thirds majority.
Scientology
Ros-Lehtinen has been an ardent supporter of the Church of Scientology
. She has been described as "[one] of the church's best friends currently serving in Congress," and was "honored at a 2004 Celebrity Centre gala" with famous Scientologists such as John Travolta
and Kelly Preston
.
Obama "prank" calls
Following the 2008 elections, then President-elect Barack Obama
rang Ros-Lehtinen to congratulate her on her re-election. She hung up on him, believing that it was a prank call
from a radio station. She did the same to Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel
when he rang to confirm the original call was genuine, and only accepted the call after Congressman Howard Berman
managed to speak to her.
, a funder of Israeli settlement
s in the West Bank
and East Jerusalem
. The lobby group J Street
has called on Ros-Lehtinen to return campaign contributions from Moskowitz, saying he "actively undermines the two-state solution and the foreign policy of the United States by funding illegal settlements in the occupied territories". American Council on World Jewry president Jack Rosen has "great concern" about this demand.
, on June 9, 1984, while she was serving in the Florida Legislature
. They have two children, Rodrigo Lehtinen
(born Amanda Michelle) and Patricia Marie. She is also the step-mother to Katherine and Douglas Lehtinen.
Project Vote Smart
lists Ros-Lehtinen as Episcopalian
. Ros-Lehtinen's maternal grandparents were Sephardic
Jews from Turkey
who had been active in Cuba's Jewish community. Her mother later converted to Catholicism
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party.
She is currently the most senior Republican woman
Women in the United States House of Representatives
Since the beginning of the 20th century, a number of women have served in the United States House of Representatives. The first woman to be elected to the United States Congress was Jeanette Rankin, a Republican from Montana elected in 1917. 229 women have served in total as of 2009...
in the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, and was the first Republican woman elected to the House of Representatives from Florida. She is chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, effective 2011.
Early life, education, and early career
Ros-Lehtinen was born in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, one of two children born to Enrique Ros
Enrique Ros
Enrique Ros is a Miami based Cuban-American businessman and activist opposed to Cuban president Fidel Castro. He is the author of Revolucion de 1933 en Cuba and other books....
and his wife, Amanda Adato. She received her Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and her Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in educational leadership from Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
. She attended the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
where she earned a Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
.
Ros-Lehtinen was an educator and the owner/operator of a private school in Miami-Dade County. She was elected to the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
in 1982, where she met State Representative Dexter Lehtinen
Dexter Lehtinen
Dexter Wayne Lehtinen is an American attorney, former politician, interim U.S. Attorney for south Florida and a law professor. He is the husband of U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He is of Finnish ancestry....
(D-Miami). They married in 1985, after Dexter switched parties. They both served in the State House until 1986. That year, they were both elected to the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
, where he was elected to District 40 and she was elected in District 34. In 1988, Dexter resigned his seat to become U.S. Attorney of South Florida. In 1989, Illeana resigned her seat to become a U.S. Representative.
Elections
After incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman Claude PepperClaude Pepper
Claude Denson Pepper was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for left-liberalism and the elderly. In foreign policy he shifted from pro-Soviet in the 1940s to anti-Communist in the 1950s...
died on May 30, 1989, there was a special election scheduled for August 29, 1989. State Senator Ros-Lehtinen defeated Democrat Gerald Richman 53%-47%. She became the first Cuban American
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
and the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
woman elected to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. In 1990, she won re-election to a full term with 60% of the vote. In total, she has been elected to ten full terms, never winning with less than 58%.
Tenure
Ros-Lehtinen is considered conservative on foreign, economic, and other social policy. Ros-Lehtinen is a supporter of President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's surge policy in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, a supporter of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and supports continued sanctions against Cuba
United States embargo against Cuba
The United States embargo against Cuba is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo partially imposed on Cuba in October 1960...
. She also supported the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
government in Honduras, headed by Roberto Micheletti
Roberto Micheletti
Roberto Micheletti Baín is a former de facto president of Honduras who served as a result of the 2009 coup d'état. The Honduran military was ordered by the Supreme Court to forcefully detain President Manuel Zelaya once the Court stated he was violating the Honduran constitution; Zelaya was exiled...
, that emerged after the military coup
2009 Honduran coup d'état
The 2009 Honduran coup d'état, part of the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis, occurred when the Honduran Army ousted President Manuel Zelaya and sent him into exile on June 28, 2009. It was prompted by his attempts to schedule a non binding poll on holding a referendum about convening a...
against President Manuel Zelaya
Manuel Zelaya
José Manuel Zelaya Rosales is a politician who was President of Honduras from January 27, 2006 until June 28, 2009. The eldest son of a wealthy businessman, he inherited his father's nickname "Mel," and, before entering politics, was involved in his family's logging and timber businesses.Elected...
. She has said of the decision to invade Iraq: "Whether or not there is a direct link to the World Trade Center does not mean that Iraq is not meritorious of shedding blood. The common link is that they hate America."
Among Ros-Lehtinen's other conservative views include votes against the estate tax
Estate tax in the United States
The estate tax in the United States is a tax imposed on the transfer of the "taxable estate" of a deceased person, whether such property is transferred via a will, according to the state laws of intestacy or otherwise made as an incident of the death of the owner, such as a transfer of property...
, voted in favor of Bush's tax cuts, for fuel efficiency standards on autos, drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic Refuge drilling controversy
The question of whether to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve has been an ongoing political controversy in the United States since 1997...
, support of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, votes in favor of making the Patriot Act permanent, support of the Military Commissions Act
Military Commissions Act
There are multiple uses of Military Commissions Act:* Military Commissions Act of 2006, passed October 17, 2006* Military Commissions Act of 2009, passed October 9, 2009...
, votes against funding for stem cell research, and votes against SCHIP. She is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Ros-Lehtinen generally portrays a pro-military stance. However, during the 2011 Libyan uprising, she expressed support of the Libyan opposition; on February 26, 2011, she released a press release which stated, "stronger penalties must be imposed in order to hold the regime accountable for its heinous crimes, and to prevent further violence against the Libyan people". But on March 20, 2011, the day after the NATO strikes to enforce the no-fly-zone began, she expressed a different view in a press release: "I am concerned that the President has yet to clearly define for the American people what vital United States security interests he believes are currently at stake in Libya."
The congresswoman has also been a forerunner in cutting U.S. aid to foreign lands, including the State Department, The Peace Corps, the Asia Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the East-West Center. She also advocates cutting funding to Lebanese Armed Forces and the West Bank and Gaza.
Gay rights
Ros-Lehtinen sides with the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
on many issues of gay rights. Her district includes large LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
populations in South Beach
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
in Miami Beach and in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
. She is currently one of two Republican members of the LGBT Equality Caucus, of which she is a founding member and a vice-chairperson. Although she is not a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act
Uniting American Families Act
The Uniting American Families Act is a U.S. bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner...
, she supports anti-hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
laws, anti-discrimination bills, believes gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
s and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s should be allowed to serve openly in the armed forces, is a sponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act
The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act or the DPBO Act is a piece of United States legislation that would allow LGBT federal employees to give their unrecognized same-sex spouses and partners health insurance, life insurance, government pensions, and other employment related...
, and voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
. Ros-Lehtinen was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark federal statute that establishes a legal process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy , which since 1993 prevented openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the United States Armed Forces.The Act did not immediately repeal the...
. In September 2011, Ros-Lehtinen became the first Republican member of the U.S. Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act
Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act, or RFMA , is a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and allow the U.S. federal government to provide benefits to couples in a same-sex marriage; the bill would not compel individual states to recognize same-sex...
, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
.
She has also opposed Florida’s constitutional ban against same-sex marriage. Earlier in 2011, Ros-Lehtinen “signed on to a letter to IRS Commissioner Schulman requesting that the IRS provide clear guidance for LGBT taxpayers. The letter asks the IRS to ensure that tax law is being applied fairly to all individuals.”
Passport processing delays
Ros-Lehtinen recently pressured the State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
to accelerate its processing of passports, something that had hindered American citizens' travel during the crucial summer travel season. Calling the delay "outrageous, incomprehensible, unconscionable" at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she is chairwoman, Ros-Lehtinen brought the pressure of committee Republicans to bear on the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs
Bureau of Consular Affairs
The Bureau of Consular Affairs is a bureau of the United States Department of State within that department's management office. The mission of the Bureau is to administer laws, formulate regulations and implement policies relating to the broad range of consular services and immigration. , the...
and spur them to action.
United Nations
On 23 November 2010, Ros-Lehtinen called on the Obama administration to "announce publicly, right now, that we will stay away from Durban III
Durban III
Durban III is an informal name for a high-level United Nations General Assembly meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action that was held in New York City on 22 September 2011...
, deny it US taxpayer dollars, and oppose all measures that seek to facilitate it. And we should encourage other responsible nations to do the same."
Darfur
Ros-Lehtinen joined Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D-Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
) on a Congressional delegation to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in order to encourage international support for an end to the genocide in Darfur. In addition, when Ros-Lehtinen returned from a trip to Darfur in April 2007 where she visited Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese refugee camps, she strongly encouraged the United States and the international community to find a solution to this humanitarian crisis.
Miami River
During her tenure in Congress, Ros-Lehtinen has been successful in championing the clean-up of the 5.5 miles (8.9 km)-long Miami River
Miami River (Florida)
The Miami River is a river in the United States state of Florida that drains out of the Everglades and runs through the Downtown and the city of Miami. The long river flows from the terminus of the Miami Canal at Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay...
. In July 2007, she signed a mock check for $20.5 million, much of it federal funds in addition to state and local money, in order to resume the dredging of the Miami River.
Aquarius dive
Ros-Lehtinen participated in a scuba dive down to the underwater Aquarius
Aquarius (laboratory)
The NOAA Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, adjacent to Conch Reef. It is one of the few underwater research facilities in the world dedicated to science...
Habitat, where she joined in a live underwater broadcast shown directly to 3rd through 6th graders at an Islamorada
Islamorada, Florida
Islamorada, a "Village of Islands," is an incorporated village in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located on the islands of Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key and Plantation Key in the Florida Keys....
Montessori School on how to preserve coral reefs in the Florida Keys.
WRDA
Ros-Lehtinen voted for the Water Resources Development Act
Water Resources Development Act
Water Resources Development Act , is a reference to public laws enacted by Congress to deal with various aspects of water resources: environmental, structural, navigational, flood protection, hydrology, etc....
. This bill will provide for extensive environmental development and restoration projects. It also provides assistance for South Florida's coral reefs and the Miami River.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Ros-Lehtinen is opposing US support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza...
and the Palestinian Authority. She describes herself as a "strong supporter of Israel" and regards the U.S. relationship with Israel as "critical to the national security interests of both nations".
As of 2010, she is the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. After comments by State Department over Israeli settlements, she demanded that the Obama administration halt its "condemnations" of "an indispensable ally and friend of the United States."
In September 2011 she introduced a bill to cut off US funding to any UN organization that recognises Palestinian statehood.
Cuba
Cuban-American lobby
The Cuban-American lobby describes those various groups of Cuban exiles in the United States and their descendants who have historically influenced the United States' policy toward Cuba...
, which aims to put pressure on the Cuban government and encourage political change on the island. She is a member of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus
Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus
The Cuba Democracy Caucus is a bicameral and bi-partisan congressional group that was created in 2004 with the stated purpose of "promoting discussion and proactive policies designed to hasten Cuba's transition towards a free and democratic society."...
. She is the daughter of Enrique Ros
Enrique Ros
Enrique Ros is a Miami based Cuban-American businessman and activist opposed to Cuban president Fidel Castro. He is the author of Revolucion de 1933 en Cuba and other books....
, a Florida-based Cuban business man and anti-Fidel Castro
Opposition to Fidel Castro
The Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is "to replace the current regime with a more democratic form of government". According to Human Rights Watch, the Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political dissent....
activist. Ros-Lehtinen also advances strongly held views on Cuba, and has lobbied against ending the United States embargo
United States embargo against Cuba
The United States embargo against Cuba is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo partially imposed on Cuba in October 1960...
against that country. In 2004 she formed the Cuba Democracy Group aimed at curtailing U.S. agriculture exports and preventing U.S. banks from doing business with the Cuban government.
Ros-Lehtinen has defended former fugitive Velentin Hernández, convicted of murdering Luciano Nieves, a fellow Cuban exile
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
who supported negotiations with the Cuban government, In the 1980s Ros-Lehtinen lobbied for the release and pardon of Cuban exile Orlando Bosch
Orlando Bosch
Orlando Bosch Ávila was a Cuban exile militant, former Central Intelligence Agency-backed operative, and head of Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations, which the FBI has described as "an anti-Castro terrorist umbrella organization". Former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh called...
, who had been convicted of terrorist acts and has also been accused of involvement in the 1976 bombing of Cubana Flight 455
Cubana Flight 455
Cubana Flight 455 was a Cuban flight from Barbados to Jamaica that was brought down by a terrorist attack on October 6, 1976. All 78 people on board the Douglas DC-8 aircraft were killed in what was then the deadliest terrorist airline attack in the Western hemisphere...
, which killed 73 people, helping organize an "Orlando Bosch day" to gain support for his release. Ros-Lehtinen played a prominent role in the failed attempt by relatives of Elian Gonzalez
Elián González
The custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, González's father, Juan Miguel González Quintana, González's other relatives in Miami, Florida, and in Cuba, and Miami's...
to gain custody of six-year-old from the Castro regime, describing Cuba as "that system of godless communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
". She also attempted to block Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's visit to the island in 2002.
Ros-Lehtinen stirred controversy by calling for the assassination of Cuban Leader Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. She appears in the British documentary 638 Ways to Kill Castro
638 Ways to Kill Castro
638 Ways to Kill Castro is a Channel 4 documentary film, broadcast in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2006, which tells the story of some of the numerous attempts of the Central Intelligence Agency to kill Cuba's leader Fidel Castro.-Production:...
, saying: "I welcome the opportunity of having anyone assassinate Fidel Castro and any leader who is oppressing the people." After a 28-second clip began circulating on the Internet, she claimed the filmmakers spliced clips together to get the sound bite. Twenty-four hours after the controversy erupted, director Dollan Cannell sent unedited tapes of his interview with Ros-Lehtinen to reporters. The uncut version contradicted Ros-Lehtinen's response and showed that she had twice welcomed an attempt on Castro's life. Though she attempted to distance herself from her denial, filmmaker Cannell requested an apology, which has not been forthcoming.
2008 "Bailout"
Ros-Lehtinen voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
in its initial September 29, 2008 vote, which failed, but voted in favor of the revised bill in its October 3, 2008 vote, which passed.
Child marriage
Ros-Lehtinen played a key role in preventing the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2010 from being passed into law. Even though the bill had unanimously passed the Senate with bipartisan support, she persuaded enough Republicans in the House to vote against the bill so that it did not receive the required two-thirds majority.
Scientology
Ros-Lehtinen has been an ardent supporter of the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. She has been described as "[one] of the church's best friends currently serving in Congress," and was "honored at a 2004 Celebrity Centre gala" with famous Scientologists such as John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
and Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
.
Obama "prank" calls
Following the 2008 elections, then President-elect Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
rang Ros-Lehtinen to congratulate her on her re-election. She hung up on him, believing that it was a prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...
from a radio station. She did the same to Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
when he rang to confirm the original call was genuine, and only accepted the call after Congressman Howard Berman
Howard Berman
Howard Lawrence Berman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He earlier served in the California State Assembly from 1974 to 1982, and as the U.S...
managed to speak to her.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Foreign Affairs (Chairwoman)
Caucus membership
- Co-Chair, Congressional Vision Caucus
- Co-Chair, National Marine Sanctuary Caucus
- LGBT Caucus
- Congressional Taiwan CaucusCongressional Taiwan CaucusThe bipartisan Congressional Taiwan Caucus is the second largest in the United States Congress with 151 members. A total of 133 members are given in the list below. Those on it are updated with United States and Republic of China aka Taiwan issues but are free to vote independently.Its counterpart...
- Congressional Hispanic ConferenceCongressional Hispanic ConferenceThe Congressional Hispanic Conference is a Republican Party-controlled caucus in the United States Congress. The CHC was formed in 2003, with the stated goal of promoting policy outcomes of importance to Americans of Hispanic or Latino and Portuguese descent. These priorities included support of...
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
Notable staff members or interns
- Rene GarciaRene GarciaRene Garcia is a Florida State Senator representing District 40, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives and a former member of the City of Hialeah City Council...
, member of the Florida House of RepresentativesFlorida House of RepresentativesThe Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
and former intern - Enrique Pollack, host and founder of "Havana Rock," the Miami, Florida show on radio station WWFE 670 AM and former Congressional Aide
- Marco RubioMarco RubioMarco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
, United States Senator, former Speaker of the Florida House of RepresentativesFlorida House of RepresentativesThe Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
, and former intern - Mauricio J. TamargoMauricio J. TamargoMauricio J. Tamargo was the 14th Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. He was nominated by President George W. Bush in July 2001. His present term is set to expire in September 2009.Tamargo is the 2nd son and 3rd child of 8 children born to Jorge Tamargo and Martha del Portillo...
, was the 14th Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement CommissionForeign Claims Settlement CommissionThe Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States is a quasi-judicial, independent agency within the U.S. Department of Justice which adjudicates claims of U.S. nationals against foreign governments, either under specific jurisdiction conferred by Congress or pursuant to international...
and former Chief of Staff
Notable campaign contributors
A major individual campaign contributor to Ros-Lehtinen is Irving MoskowitzIrving Moskowitz
Irving I. Moskowitz is a Florida-based businessman who built a business running hospitals and legal gambling in California. He is the founder of the eponymous "Moskowitz Foundation" which was created "to help people in need regardless of race, creed, politics or religion"...
, a funder of Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
s in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
. The lobby group J Street
J Street
J Street is a nonprofit liberal advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008....
has called on Ros-Lehtinen to return campaign contributions from Moskowitz, saying he "actively undermines the two-state solution and the foreign policy of the United States by funding illegal settlements in the occupied territories". American Council on World Jewry president Jack Rosen has "great concern" about this demand.
Personal life
She married Florida State Representative Dexter LehtinenDexter Lehtinen
Dexter Wayne Lehtinen is an American attorney, former politician, interim U.S. Attorney for south Florida and a law professor. He is the husband of U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He is of Finnish ancestry....
, on June 9, 1984, while she was serving in the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
. They have two children, Rodrigo Lehtinen
Rodrigo Lehtinen
Rodrigo Lehtinen is a Cuban-American, transgender LGBT rights advocate and movie producer. Lehtinen is the eldest child of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Dexter Lehtinen and grandchild of Enrique Ros.Lehtinen is a graduate of Brown University and while attending there he was a member of Queer Alliance...
(born Amanda Michelle) and Patricia Marie. She is also the step-mother to Katherine and Douglas Lehtinen.
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
lists Ros-Lehtinen as Episcopalian
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
. Ros-Lehtinen's maternal grandparents were Sephardic
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
Jews from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
who had been active in Cuba's Jewish community. Her mother later converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
.
External links
- Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen official U.S. House site
- Re-Elect Ileana Ros-Lehtinen official campaign site