Melquiades Martinez

Melquiades Rafael "Mel" Martinez, a Republican, represented Florida in the U.S. Senate from 2004 to September 10, 2009. Martinez served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush.

Retirement
Sen. Mel Martinez has announced he will not seek reelection in 2010.[

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

"Terri Schiavo talking points memo"
On April 6, 2005, Martinez accepted the resignation of his legal counsel, Brian Darling. Darling was responsible for writing and circulating a talking points memo that outlined a strategy for the Republicans to use the Terri Schiavo case as "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's core supporters and could be used against Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat from Florida, who is up for reelection in 2006. 

Martinez immediately denied all knowledge of Darling's involvement in the situation, noting that he himself had inadvertently passed a copy of the memo to Democratic Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, believing that it was nothing more than an outline of the Republican proposal. Martinez asserted that the memo "was intended to be a working draft," stating that Darling "doesn't really know how I got it."

The Schiavo memo is the third recent incident in which Martinez accepted broad responsibility while laying blame upon a staffer for the underlying deed. During the Republican primary, a staffer was blamed for a passage in a campaign flyer painting his opponent Bill McCollum as a servant of the "radical homosexual lobby". Shortly thereafter another staffer was blamed for labelling federal agents involved in the Elián González affair as "armed thugs." (St Pete Times: New gaffe, old Martinez defense).

Illegal campaign contributions
In September 2006, Justice Department officials charged William Scott Deloach, the former chief financial officer of PBS&J, a Florida-based engineering firm, with funneling $10,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Martinez's 2004 Senate campaign. Deloach made the contributions through the names of six ficticious individuals. In August 2006, PBS&J were awarded a FEMA contract worth up to $250 million. 

Criticism for stance on illegal immigration
Martinez was criticized by some for his support for a "guest-worker" for illegal immigrants. An online site, GoHomeMel.com, stated "Now that George W. Bush has seen fit to put 'Amnesty Mel' in charge of the RNC, I suppose he thinks a part time Senator for our state is all that is needed. You know, because the full time head of the RNC did such a bang-up job last time." The site advocated changes to U.S. policy regarding immigration such as :


 * Building a wall across the U.S. border with Mexico, and then using the National Guard and the Minutemen to stop the flow of immigrants across it.
 * Fining companies $50,000 for hiring illegal immigrants (first offense) and $500,000 for each additional offense.

Finance campaign irregularities
In April 2007, the Federal Election Commission discovered "irregularities" in general chairman of the Republican National Committee 2004 senatorial campaign. According to the audit the campaign, "accepted contributions exceeding limits by a total of $313,235; failed to properly report funds raised by joint committees, as well as $162,014 raised in the days before the primary and general elections; and didn't do enough to collect information on donors' occupations and employers."

Biography
Martinez was born October 23, 1946 in Sagua La Grande, Cuba. He came to the United States in 1962 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, a humanitarian program that helped Cuban children escape communist Cuba. He subsequently lived in two youth facilities and with two foster families until he was reunited with his family in Orlando, Florida in 1966.

Martinez graduated from the Florida State University College of Law in 1973. He practiced law for 25 years in Orlando. Before becoming Secretary of HUD, Martinez was the elected Chairman of Orange County, Florida, and served on the Governor's Growth Management Study Commission. He had also served as President of the Orlando Utilities Commission, on the board of directors of a community bank, and as Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority. Martinez was co-chair of George W. Bush's 2000 campaign and a leading fundraiser.

Martinez resigned his cabinet post on December 12, 2003 to run for an open U.S. Senate seat in Florida being vacated by retiring Democrat Bob Graham. Martinez' election made him the first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. He was endorsed early by many prominent Republican groups, and publicly supported by key national Republican figures such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. His Cuban background and his popularity in the battleground Orlando, Florida region both contributed to his appeal to the statewide GOP in Florida.

After a close and nasty primary against Bill McCollum, Martinez defeated his Democratic opponent, Betty Castor, in a very close general election.

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * Senate Special Committee on Aging
 * Senate Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
 * Subcommittee on Seapower
 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
 * Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance - Ranking Member

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * Senate Special Committee on Aging
 * Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation
 * Subcommittee on Securities and Investment
 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Subcommittee on Water and Power
 * Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
 * Subcommittee on African Affairs - Chair
 * Subcommittee on International Economic Policy Export and Trade Promotion
 * Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs

More Background Data

 * See how you compare to Mel Martinez

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Florida Senate Campaign Questions for Mel Martinez

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Pensacola Beach Blog

Articles

 * James B. Goodno House Of Cards: What exactly did Mel Martinez accomplish at HUD – and will it be enough to get him elected to the U.S. Senate? National Housing Institute May/June 2004.
 * Mike Allen Counsel to GOP Senator Wrote Memo On Schiavo, Martinez Aide Who Cited Upside For Party Resigns Washington Post, April 7, 2005; Page A01.
 * Libby Copeland Risky Political Waters: Mel Martinez Wants His Party to Navigate the Tricky Passage of Immigration Law Washington Post, April 8, 2006; Page C01.
 * Paul Kiel, "Ney Admits to Lobbying Florida Senator," TPM Muckraker, September 15, 2006. re Sen. Bob Ney (R-OH)
 * Matthew Murray, "Plea Deal Appears Likely in Illegal Reimbursement Case," Roll Call, September 19, 2006.
 * Liz Sidoti, "Fla. Senator Mel Martinez to Chair RNC," Associated Press (Washington Post), November 13, 2006.
 * "CNN: Bush picks Florida Republican to head RNC," The Raw Story, November 13, 2006.
 * James Crabtree, "Bush's Hispanic panic. Mel Martinez's appointment as RNC chair is a bid to reclaim the Latino vote," comment is free.../Guardian Unlimited (UK), November 13, 2006.
 * John Aravosis, "Anti-gay Senator, with ties to Mark Foley, to head up Republican party," AMERICAblog, November 13, 2006. re Mark Foley page scandal and the Republican National Committee
 * "HRC on selection of Mel Martinez as RNC chairman," PageOneQ, November 13, 2006.
 * "Senator In Schiavo Conflict To Head RNC," Channel3000/WISCTV.com, November 13, 2006.
 * "Martinez Means More Of The Same From Bush Republicans," Newswire Services (American Chronicle), November 13, 2006.
 * Jim VandeHei, "Bush Announces Sen. Martinez Next RNC Chairman," Washington Post, November 14, 2006.
 * Allahpundit, "Report: RNC members sandbagged by Martinez pick," Hot Air Blog, November 14, 2006.
 * Tabassum Zakaria, "Republican Party's Martinez: won't be 'attack dog'," Reuters, November 14, 2006.
 * Peter Wallsten and Nicole Gaouette, "Conservatives wary of choice to lead RNC. Martinez should appeal to Latinos, but may lose support on immigration," Los Angeles Times (Seattle Times), November 15, 2006.
 * Kenneth P. Vogel, "RNC Chairman accused of finance irregularities," Politico, April 23, 2007.