Why Marco Rubio voted against the fiscal cliff deal
The GOP's superstar senator, a potential 2016 contender, was one of only eight senators to oppose the bipartisan package
The Senate on Tuesday voted 89-8 to pass a bill extending the Bush tax cuts for all but the wealthiest Americans. The legislation was hailed by leaders of both parties as a bipartisan effort to prevent across-the-board tax hikes, and represented the first time in 20 years that the GOP has agreed to allow tax rates on anyone to rise. But five Republicans were not on board, most conspicuously Sen. Marco Rubio, the rising star from Florida who is widely seen as a potential candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. "Rapid economic growth and job creation will be made more difficult under the deal reached here in Washington," Rubio said in a statement, arguing that layoffs would ensue from raising taxes on the wealthy and small businesses.
If there is a common Achilles Heel for senators aspiring to become president, it is their voting record. Democratic and Republican primaries can be purist affairs, and compromises on core ideological beliefs do not play well with base voters. Hillary Clinton's vote to authorize the Iraq War, for example, doomed her campaign against Barack Obama. Indeed, Rubio, who like Obama was a celebrity before setting foot on Capitol Hill, may be wise to follow Obama's example, making his tenure in the Senate as short, sweet, and fingerprint-free as possible.
It appears that the Republican leadership agrees. Party unity was essential on the fiscal cliff vote, since a large defection could have alarmed GOP members and scuttled the deal. However, a few senators were allowed to keep their anti-tax position immaculate, and it's no coincidence that Rubio was one of them. He is one of the party's greatest hopes, and it would be a shame to see his 2016 candidacy go down in flames in the primary over a single vote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some conservative commentators are disappointed in Rubio's no vote. "Apparently, his advisers have convinced him that irresponsibility is the road to the White House," says Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post. "It is not the first time that he has chosen to play to the right-wing peanut gallery, showing a troublesome timidity in the face of future primary votes." However, others disagree, underlining the perils of going against party orthodoxy. "Like TARP in 2008, this vote will separate the conservatives from the Republicans," says Erick Erickson at Red State.
With that kind of pressure, it wouldn't be surprising if the Republican leadership allowed Rubio to vote anyway he liked over the next four years, creating a one-man bubble to protect their star from the contamination of Washington deal-making. On the flip side, it will be interesting to see in the coming months how much freedom Rubio is given to reach a deal on immigration reform. The Cuban-American is expected to spearhead the party's approach to the issue as it tries to make gains with Latino voters, but it's an area that could get him into trouble with the base.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will North Korea take advantage of Israel-Hamas conflict?
Today's Big Question Pyongyang's ties with Russia are 'growing and dangerous' amid reports it sent weapons to Gaza
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published