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
We had a little situation here earlier in the year that wasn't pleasant and wasn't right,
But he hasn't been a visible leader, so he hasn't necessarily secured the Latino vote yet,
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.
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.
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.
It is proper that the federal government help alleviate short-term disruptions and price spikes such as those brought about by Hurricane Katrina.
There will have to be some hard decisions made about what programs can be cut or scaled back and how we keep a leash on other government spending while we deal with this recovery,
It's shortsighted not to view the education of a future generation of Americans as a priority for all Americans.
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.
This administration is dedicated to serving the homeless ... and HUD is proud to be leading that effort,
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.
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.