Rubio skips foreign policy hearing as he announces reelection

Marco Rubio missed a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday morning — at the same time he was announcing plans to run for reelection.

The first-term Republican senator, who was pilloried during his presidential run for his record of missed votes and hearings, skipped a closed hearing on security for sales of military equipment to other nations, according to attendees from both parties.


While it's not unusual for a senator to miss hearings, Rubio's timing played directly into the Democratic narrative that he has neglected his job. In a series of interviews and statements Wednesday morning, Rubio announced his plans to seek a second term, after insisting for months he would retire from the Senate.

Sadie Weiner, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement that it's "unbelievable" that Rubio had "the audacity to skip a Foreign Relations Committee hearing while simultaneously announcing he would go back on his word and run for reelection."

Rubio's office had no comment.

Democrats immediately circulated opposition research on Wednesday showing Rubio has missed the bulk of his committee hearings in addition to the votes he missed while running for president. That's likely to be a theme of the Senate campaign against him: Rep. Patrick Murphy of Florida, who is favored by establishment Democrats, said Wednesday that Rubio had "abandoned Florida."

