Florida rep mario diaz balart biography

Mario Diaz-Balart, 63, is running for his 12th term as U.S. Representative for District

Diaz-Balart was born in Fort Lauderdale to Rafael and Hilda Diaz-Balart and is the youngest of four brothers (Rafael, Lincoln, and Jose). His aunt, Mirta Díaz-Balart, was the first wife of Cuban president Fidel Castro. Her son, and his cousin, was Fidel Ángel "Fidelito" Castro Díaz-Balart. His uncle is the Cuban-Spanish painter Waldo Díaz-Balart.

Diaz-Balart studied political science at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Diaz-Balart currently resides in Miami with his wife, Tia, and son, Cristian Rafael.

A longtime politician, Diaz-Balart has represented District 26 since , and prior to that served the Florida Legislature in both the House and Senate chambers. He was administrative assistant to the mayor of Miami His family also has been in politics: his brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, served in the Florida House from , served in the Florida Senate from and was elected to the U.S. House, District 21 in ; his father, Rafael L. Diaz-Balart, was Majority Leader of the Cuban House of Representatives.

Now, a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, which funds the U.S. government, Diaz-Balart also is chairman of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Subcommittee, and serves on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) and Defense subcommittees.

Diaz-Balart says he is a man who gets things done and that's why he should be reelected.

About Congressional District 26

District 26 includes Hialeah west through the Everglades, Everglades City, Lely Resort, Golden Gate, Immokolee and Ave Maria.

How much has Diaz-Balart raised so far?

According to federal campaign financing documents, Mario Diaz-Balart has raised $ million as of Sept.

Compensation for most senators, representatives, delegates, and the resident commissionerfrom Puerto Rico is $,

Who is Diaz-Balart running against?

Diaz-Balart of Miami won the primary election against three Republican candidates in August. He defeated Richard Evans of Ave Maria and Johnny Fratto of Naples by a huge margin, taking % of the votes in the district, according to final results.

Democrat Joey Atkins of Miami is the congressman's opponent in the Nov. 5 general election. The top vote-getter will win a two-year term.

Here are incumbent Diaz-Balart's answers to our questions:

What specifically do you take credit for as getting done during your 11 terms ― whether in your district or nationally?

I am proud of my track record of cutting wasteful spending while consistently delivering for my district by securing federal funds that support our values, including our brave men and women in uniform, law enforcement, veterans, small businesses and our most vulnerable populations.

As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities, I am proud of my State and Foreign Operations bills for fiscal years and which uphold key U.S. values. For example, my State and Foreign Operations bills include some of the strongest pro-life provisions, ensuring that no taxpayer funds are spent to promote or perform overseas State and Foreign Operations bill for fiscal year ― which is now law ― resulted in the biggest year-to-year cut in funding out of all bills when compared to spending levels, achieving a 6% cut, the largest cut in recent memory. This year’s proposed legislation is 19% below the President’s budget request and 11% below the ongoing border crisis due to President Biden’s disastrous open-border policies, I am the proud author and sponsor of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, which is the strongest border security bill in history. H.R. 2 enhances our broken immigration system by providing real solutions to secure the border, strengthen our national security, restore the rule of law, and protect Americans and innocent minors. It passed the House over a year ago and has been sitting on Senator Schumer’s desk since then.

What are the top three issues in District 26 that you, as a U.S. representative, will address and how?

I have consistently prioritized safeguarding American taxpayer dollars while protecting U.S. national security interests and the safety of the American people. My focus has been on supporting our community by combatting inflation by eliminating wasteful spending and federal overreach, supporting our heroes in the U.S. Armed Forces and law enforcement, addressing the border crisis with legislation like H.R. 2 (“Secure the Border Act”), and countering adversaries such as Communist China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and Cuba.

Some recent accomplishments and ongoing priorities for Collier County have included securing $9 million for the Veteran’s Community Center project in Golden Gate. Alongside securing these funds, I have also actively advocated for the Veteran Nursing Home and Adult Day Care Center through strong letters of support to the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Last month, I had the honor of participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Everglades City for the new wastewater treatment facility. I am particularly proud to have secured over $ million for the rehabilitation of the Everglades City Wastewater Treatment Plant, as well as for the rehabilitation of several lift stations in Chokoloskee, Carnestown, and Copeland. This was a crucial priority following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Ian in our state, especially in Everglades City and its neighboring areas. These hurricanes exacerbated the condition of the decades-old plant, risking wastewater to spill into federal and state-protected areas such as the Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

As the Member of Congress representing a significant portion of the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve, it is just as important for me to protect these cherished lands for future generations. For these reasons, I take great pride in my work on Everglades restoration efforts and in preventing federal overreach in our parks. With nine million Floridians depending on the Everglades for their drinking water, I have consistently led efforts alongside the Florida Congressional Delegation to ensure federal dollars come back to restore our nation’s unique ecosystem. The Everglades restoration infrastructure provides the ability to manage water effectively and makes Florida’s environment, economy, and communities more resilient to the extreme conditions of drought. A restored Everglades supports economic resilience, ecological resilience and resilience to severe weather events and drought.

Similarly, I have led and continue leading a concerted effort along with other members of the Florida Congressional Delegation to protect sacred and precious access to the Big Cypress National Preserve. We urged the Biden administration not to proceed with any proposed wilderness designation at Big Cypress National Preserve. Any proposed wilderness designation by Biden Administration officials would not only restrict the free movement of the native Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes, but it would supercharge the spread of invasive species, destroy local small businesses, and restrict wildfire response capabilities.

Looking nationally and internationally, sum up your position on the following:

Inflation

I’m proud to be a part of the Republican majority which has been committed to reducing wasteful spending that characterized the last Congress under the Democratic majority, which directly led to record inflation. My State and Foreign Operations enacted bill for fiscal year resulted in the biggest year-to-year cut out of all other spending bills, achieving a 6% reduction overall compared to levels. Notably, this is the largest cut in spending in recent memory.

Abortion ― why are politicians involved in this topic and should they be? Explain why either way:I am committed to protecting the sanctity of life and will always support efforts that protect life while being a voice for those without one. I am proud that my State and Foreign Operations funding bills for fiscal years and include strong pro-life provisions to ensure that no American taxpayer dollars are spent to promote or perform abortions overseas.

The war in Ukraine

I firmly believe that tyrants like Putin must be defeated. The feckless foreign policy of appeasement pursued by Biden and his Administration has only emboldened our enemies. Putin has weaponized energy, wrongfully detained American citizens such as Evan Gershkovich and U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and collaborated closely with the anti-American Cuban regime to recruit Cuban troops to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war. He is also one of the world’s worst human rights abusers, oppressing any voice of dissent. His aggression will not stop at Ukraine; last month, at the invitation of the Cuban regime, Russia performed naval exercises just 90 miles from our shores. The serious threat Putin poses to U.S. national security interests cannot be overstated.

Israel/Palestine

Hamas launched a heinous and unprovoked attack on Israel on Oct. 7 (), massacring innocent civilians and brutally taking Israeli and American hostages, many of whom remain in Hamas custody for over nine months now. This was the deadliest attack in Israel’s year history. It is Israel’s absolute right and duty to protect itself and its citizens from adversaries such as the terrorist State of Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah. I will continue to solidly stand with Israel as it confronts existential challenges like the dangerous, anti-American Iranian regime. I will stand by our democratic ally in Israel to stop the scourge of Hamas, whose ideology has now plagued our higher education institutions, NGOs, and even the halls of Congress.

Russia/Cuba and what if anything the U.S. should do about it?

The world has become more dangerous under President Biden. The growing alliance of Cuba and Russia underscores the disastrous consequences of Biden’s weak and reckless foreign policy of appeasement, putting U.S. national security interests and the safety of the American people at risk. Shamefully, his Administration has chosen to toss a lifeline to the repressive, anti-American Cuban dictatorship by unilaterally relaxing sanctions and allowing new access to U.S. financial markets, further jeopardizing our security. Meanwhile, the Cuban regime continues its malign activities with egregious human rights abuses, interfering in our democracy, and allowing adversaries like Russia to perform naval exercises just 90 miles from our shores, and even sending Cuban troops to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war. The Biden Administration must stop appeasing our adversaries and instead impose tough sanctions on the Cuban regime.

Border with Mexico

The ongoing chaos at our southern border and its nationwide effects, such as the rise in crime, are deeply disturbing. As your Representative in the U.S. Congress, I am committed to the prosperity and security of our nation, including protecting our border and the American people. I am proud to lead in this effort in the House as the main author and sponsor of H.R. 2, the “Secure the Border Act.” This legislation provides real solutions to restore order to the southern border, strengthen our national security, enhance our broken immigration system, support our CBP officers, and protect innocent minors, all while enforcing the rule of law. H.R. 2 passed on the House Floor on May 11, , and is awaiting a vote in the U.S. Senate.

More:Florida's Diaz-Balart, Donalds react to Trump conviction in New York trial

More:Diaz-Balart says he got funding for 3 Collier projects:1 in Naples, 2 in Everglades City

More:With help of state and federal money, Everglades City rebuilds, makes improvements