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José Antonio Garcia Jr. (born October 12, 1963), known as Joe Garcia, is an American attorney and politician. Garcia represented in the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
from 2013 to 2015. A
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
, Garcia represented most of western Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys in Congress. Garcia previously served as
executive director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...
of the
Cuban American National Foundation The Cuban American National Foundation is a foundation with the aim of assisting members of the Cuban community in Miami, Florida. Background and founding The Cuban National American Foundation was founded at a time when Republican American polit ...
and in the
Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-re ...
. In 2021, Garcia became a registered lobbyist on behalf of the government of
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
.


Early life and education

José Antonio Garcia, Jr. was born in Miami Beach, Florida to José Garcia, Sr. and his wife, Carmen. His parents fled
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
after the
Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in co ...
occurred and Fidel Castro's Communist regime took power. Garcia graduated in 1982 from
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, all-male, preparatory school run by the Antilles Province of the Society of Jesus in Tamiami, Page 1anPage 2/ref> unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, operated by the Society of J ...
, where he participated in the Close Up Washington civic education program. Garcia attended
Miami-Dade Community College Miami Dade College (Miami Dade, MDC or Dade) is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida College ...
before earning his
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree in
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
and public affairs from the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...
in 1987. While at university, Garcia was elected president of the student government. He earned his J.D. from the
University of Miami School of Law The University of Miami School of Law (Miami Law or UM Law) is the law school of the University of Miami, a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. Founded in 1926, the University of Miami School of Law is the oldest law school i ...
in 1991.


Early career

Garcia served on the
Florida Public Service Commission The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, and water and wastewater utilities. The FPSC facilitates competitive markets in the telecommunications industry, has authority over intercarrier disputes ...
as chairman. While on the FPSC, he chaired the
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is the national association representing the state public service commissioners who regulate essential utility services, including energy, telecommunications, and water. NARUC me ...
and was second vice chair of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Garcia was later appointed to the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and was a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Garcia served on the board of the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD) and on the board of directors of Regis House, a
drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...
treatment and prevention center for
inner-city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists someti ...
youth in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. He is a member of the board of directors of the Cuban American National Foundation, and a past president. He has served as director of the
New Democrat Network The New Democrat Network is an American think tank that promotes centrist candidates for the Democratic Party. NDN is a 501(c)(4) membership organization that functions in conjunction with its two subsidiary organizations, the NDN Political Fun ...
Hispanic Strategy Center, and chairman of the Democratic Party of Miami-Dade County. In 1993 Garcia ran for the Miami-Dade County Commission for District 11, making the run-off against
Miguel Diaz de la Portilla --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael (given name), Michael. It may refer to: Places *Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands ...
in a close race Diaz de la Portilla beat Garcia 51%-48%. In 2009, Garcia joined the Obama administration in a Senate-confirmed position as director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact in the
United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...
. During his tenure at the energy department, Garcia was appointed by President Obama to the Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status.Representative Joe Garcia's official website
, garcia.house.gov; accessed November 17, 2014.


U.S. House of Representatives


Elections


2008

Garcia announced on February 7, 2008, his candidacy for the U.S. Congress in . Garcia's campaign raised over $1.8 million but incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman
Mario Díaz-Balart Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart Caballero (; born September 25, 1961) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 25th congressional district. A Republican, he was elected in 2002, and his district includes much of so ...
defeated Garcia 53%-47%. This 6% lost is easily the closest that a Democrat has come to defeating one of the Díaz-Balart brothers in a Congressional election.


2010

In April 2010, Garcia announced his candidacy for the 25th district again, after U.S. Congressman
Mario Díaz-Balart Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart Caballero (; born September 25, 1961) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 25th congressional district. A Republican, he was elected in 2002, and his district includes much of so ...
announced he would run for reelection in the 21st District being vacated by his brother,
Lincoln Díaz-Balart Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart (born Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart y Caballero; August 13, 1954) is a Cuban-American attorney and politician. He was the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previousl ...
. In his campaign announcement, Garcia stated he would focus on job creation, funding education and health care as his top priorities. Garcia defeated Luis Meurice in the Democratic primary, 76%-24%. In the general election, Garcia faced State Representative
David Rivera David Mauricio Rivera (born September 16, 1965) is an American Republican politician from Florida. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for one term, representing parts of South Florida from 2011 to 2013. Rivera was arrested on D ...
, Tea Party activist Jose 'Roly' Arrojo, and Florida Whig Party nominee Craig Porter. Rivera defeated Garcia, 52%-43%, or a 9.5-point margin.


2012

In 2012, Garcia announced he would seek a rematch against Rivera in what was now the 26th district. The district had been pushed well to the east and south, losing its share of
Collier County Collier County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 375,752; an increase of 16.9% since the 2010 United States Census. Its county seat is East Naples, where the county offices were moved from Ev ...
and picking up all of
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
, including the Keys. The race was widely expected to be much closer than in previous cycles. Not only was it more evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans than its predecessor, but Rivera's campaign was hobbled by numerous scandals. In addition to several state probes, Rivera was the target of a federal investigation into allegations he tried to sabotage the Democratic primary in the 26th by secretly funding an unknown candidate, Justin Lamar Sternad, in hopes of avoiding a rematch against García. Several vendors whom Sternad employed in his campaign told the '' Miami Herald'' that Rivera had funded Sternad's campaign. Sternad himself subsequently told the FBI that Rivera had funded his campaign. Sternad's campaign manager, Ana Alliegro, was a close friend of Rivera. According to Sternad she served as the go-between. Garcia won the rematch, defeating Rivera 54%–43%. He was the first Cuban-American Democrat to represent Florida in Congress, and remains the only one as of 2022. In May 2013, Garcia's chief-of-staff and top political strategist went to jail after being implicated in a sophisticated scheme to manipulate the previous year’s primary elections by submitting hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests.


2014

García ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He faced Republican nominee
Carlos Curbelo Carlos Luis Curbelo (born March 1, 1980) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 26th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. In 2018, he was narrowly defeated for re-election by Democrat Debbie Mucarse ...
in the general election on November 4, 2014. According to a ''Washington Post'' article in December 2012, Garcia was one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in 2014. He was a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program, designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2014 election. Nonetheless, Garcia lost to the Republican nominee
Carlos Curbelo Carlos Luis Curbelo (born March 1, 1980) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 26th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. In 2018, he was narrowly defeated for re-election by Democrat Debbie Mucarse ...
.


2016

Garcia ran again to reclaim his seat but was defeated by Curbelo.


Committee assignments

*
Committee on the Judiciary Committee on the Judiciary may mean: * United States House Committee on the Judiciary * United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standi ...
** Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Border Security **
Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust is a subcommittee within the United States House Committee on the Judiciary, House Committee on the Judiciary. The Subcommittee's equivalent in ...
* Committee on Natural Resources ** Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources ** Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs ** Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation


Political positions

Garcia was sworn into his first two-year term on January 3, 2013. Despite the urging of several political and media organizations as well as prominent leaders, Garcia refused to disclose any of his stances for the 2012 Political Courage Test.


Abortion

Garcia supports abortion rights and has voted against legislation that would prohibit organizations that perform abortions from receiving federal funds.


Cuba

Garcia joined other Cuban lawmakers in submitting a letter to the State Department calling for Cuba to remain a designated state-sponsor of terrorism. And in a Sept. 19 letter, he joined with the other three Cuban-American House members by raising concerns over the regime's involvement in selling art at a Houston art fair.Cuban-American lawmakers press White House to keep Cuba on terror list
thehill.com; accessed November 15, 2014.
Garcia endorses the political construct that the U.S. continue to allow Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba to visit family, and that other Americans to go there for "purposeful travel", such as educational tours and religious missions.Joe Garcia brings a different Cuban-American view to Congress
Sun Sentinel; accessed November 15, 2014.
Garcia supported the application of a Havana-based research institute to get a license from the
U.S. Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
to test and market a diabetes treatment in the United States. Critics claim the license could weaken the embargo and could eventually lead to giving Cuba access to American markets without political reform.Rep. Garcia's push for Cuba drug trial tests support for embargo
MiamiHerald.com, October 7, 2013; accessed November 15, 2014.


Gay marriage

García supports same-sex marriage. He was one of 172 congresspeople who signed a memorandum sent to the Supreme Court to repeal the
Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...
.


Health care

Garcia opposes repealing the 2010
Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
.


Privacy

Garcia voted against the Amash Amendment, which would have prohibited the collection of records by the
National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collect ...
under the Patriot Act.


Economy

Garcia voted for the Farm Bill, a $1 trillion bill expanding crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and creating new subsidies for rice and peanut growers, but which made cuts to the food stamp program by an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.


Energy

García supports developing renewable and alternative sources of energy. He opposes offshore drilling, and opposes any offshore energy production, hoping to develop energy industries on shore.


Immigration reform

Garcia is the chief sponsor in the House of Representatives of a comprehensive immigration reform plan which is similar to legislation that has passed the United States Senate. If enacted, the plan would create a pathway to legalized permanent residency for millions of undocumented aliens living and working in the United States.


Flood insurance

In January 2014, Garcia proposed legislation that would halt flood insurance rate hikes for five years. His efforts stem from previous legislation that once in place would hit 268,000 Floridians with rate increases of between 20 and 400 percent.Garcia offers up proposal as Congress continues to grapple with flood insurance
"Naked Politics", miamiherald.typepad.com; accessed November 15, 2014.
The ''Miami Herald'' reported that the bill would apply to all "property owners covered by the National Florida Insurance Program, and provides the greatest relief to those hardest hit—including an estimated 47,000 in Miami-Dade County."


Controversy


2010 candidate funding

On September 9, 2013, the ''Miami Herald'' reported the funding of a shill candidate during Garcia's 2010 campaign. His campaign reportedly secretly funded Jose 'Roly' Arrojo, as a third party Republican primary candidate, in an effort to siphon votes from the other Republican candidate,
David Rivera David Mauricio Rivera (born September 16, 1965) is an American Republican politician from Florida. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for one term, representing parts of South Florida from 2011 to 2013. Rivera was arrested on D ...
. Arrojo had spent thousands of dollars on mailers and a $10,440 qualifying fee without having ever filed the necessary paperwork with the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
. Vendors employed in the Arrojo campaign told the '' Miami Herald'' that Garcia had funded Arrojo's campaign and that they were cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation. He was sentenced to two years probation with eight months of home confinement and a $1,000 fine.


2012 Absentee ballot scheme

In February 2013, the ''Miami Herald'' began reporting about "high-tech" hackers who had managed to make fraudulent ballot requests for the August 2012 primary election. On July 7, 2012, the first of more than 2,500 absentee ballot requests began streaming in from voters who had not requested a ballot. The ''Miami Herald'' investigation into hundreds of fraudulent ballot requests prompted Prosecutors to reopen the case. It was discovered that the fake ballot requests originated from masked Internet Protocol addresses in Miami. The investigation would conclude that Congressman Garcia’s staff had been behind the hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests. Of the three staff members involved, Jefferey Garcia (no relation), had served as campaign manager to the Congressman during his 2010 bid for the District 26 seat, and later as his chief of staff. Jefferey Garcia pled guilty, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail for orchestrating the fraudulent ballot scheme.


Lobbying on behalf of the Ethiopian government

In 2021, Garcia became a lobbyist on behalf of the government of
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
as part of Mercury Public Affairs, a lobbying firm owned by
Omnicom Group Omnicom Group Inc. is an American global media, marketing and corporate communications holding company, headquartered in New York City. Omnicom's branded networks and specialty firms provide services in four disciplines: advertising, customer re ...
. Garcia was hired to lobby through the American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC), which has been endorsed by Ethiopian ambassador
Fitsum Arega Fitsum Arega Gebrekidan ( am, ፍፁም አረጋ ገብረኪዳን) is an Ethiopian diplomat who is the current Ethiopian Ambassador to Canada. He was the Director General of the Ethiopian Investment Commission and the Chief of Staff of the Pr ...
. A copy of Garcia's contract stated that the firm will provide “government relations and media relations consulting and management services” on behalf of Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed Ali ( om, Abiyi Ahmed Alii; am, አብይ አሕመድ ዐሊ; born 15 August 1976) is an Ethiopian politician who has been the 4th prime minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia since 2 April 2018. He won the 2019 ...
’s government. Ahmed has been accused of abetting
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...
in the
Tigray region The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray ...
, and Garcia has reportedly lobbied alongside former Senator
David Vitter David Bruce Vitter (born May 3, 1961) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and politician who served as United States Senator for Louisiana from 2005 to 2017. A Republican, Vitter served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 to 1999. ...
on congressional legislation in response to the War in Tigray.


See also

*
List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress This is a list of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress, Hispanic and Latino Americans who have served in the United States Congress. Persons included are identified as having a lineage from Spain or Latin America, a definiti ...


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia, Joe 1963 births Living people American politicians of Cuban descent Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida Florida lawyers Politicians from Miami University of Miami alumni University of Miami School of Law alumni 21st-century American politicians