Mel Martinez
Junior Senator from Florida
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2005 Serving with Bill Nelson
Preceded by	Bob Graham
Succeeded by	Incumbent (2011)
Born	October 23, 1946 (1946-10-23) (age 60) Sagua La Grande, Cuba
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Kitty Martinez
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholic

Melquíades Rafael "Mel" Martínez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-American, who is currently the junior United States Senator from Florida and the General Chairman of the Republican Party. Previously, Martinez served as the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush. Martinez is Catholic. Mel Martinez, United States Senator from Florida. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other people named Bill Nelson, see Bill Nelson (disambiguation). ... Daniel Robert Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American politician. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cuba. ... Sagua La Grande, also known as Villa del Undoso, is a city located on the north coast of the province of Villa Clara in central Cuba. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... A lawyer, according to Blacks Law Dictionary, is a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, concerned with The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

Martinez resigned his cabinet post on December 12, 2003 to run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Bob Graham. Martinez secured the Republican nomination and narrowly defeated the Democratic nominee, Betty Castor. His election made him the first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Furthermore, he and Ken Salazar are the first Hispanic U.S. Senators since 1977. They were joined by Bob Menendez in January 2006. Cabinet meeting on May 16, 2001. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Daniel Robert Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American politician. ... Betty Castor (born Elizabeth Bowe in Glassboro, New Jersey on May 11, 1941) is an American politician and educator who has served as Florida Education Commissioner and President of the University of South Florida. ... Kenneth Lee Salazar (born March 2, 1955) is an American politician, rancher, and environmentalist from the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Robert Bob Menendez (born January 1, 1954) is a Democratic Senator from New Jersey. ...

Biography

Martinez was born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, to Gladys V. Ruiz and Melquiades C. Martinez.^[1] He came to the United States in 1962 as part of a Roman Catholic humanitarian effort called Operation Peter Pan, which brought into the U.S. more than 14,000 children. Catholic charitable groups provided Martinez a temporary home at two youth facilities. At the time Martinez was alone and spoke virtually no English. He subsequently lived with two foster families, and in 1966 was reunited with his family in Orlando. Sagua La Grande, also known as Villa del Undoso, is a city located on the north coast of the province of Villa Clara in central Cuba. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope · Peter Waldo Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman... Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ... Operation Peter Pan (Operación Pedro Pan), which took place between 1960 and 1962, was an operation coordinated by the United States government, the Roman Catholic Church and Cuban dissidents in which over 14,000 children were saved from Communist tyranny in Cuba. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Foster care is a system by which a certified, stand-in parent(s) cares for minor children or young people who have been removed from their biological parents or other custodial adults by state authority. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in Orange County and the state of Florida. ...

Martinez received his Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law in 1973. During his 25 years of law practice in Orlando, he was involved in various civic organizations. He served as Vice-President of the Board of Catholic Charities of the Orlando Diocese. Doctor of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Juris Doctor (abbreviated J.D. or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a professional degree in law offered by universities in a number of countries. ... The domed DAlemberte Rotunda, at the corner of Jefferson St. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Catholic Charities is a worldwide charitable organization whose aim is to reduce poverty, support families, and empower communities. ...

Senator Mel Martinez chats with U.S. President George W. Bush in the Center Hall of the White House during celebration of the Cinco de Mayo. The official portrait of former First Lady Betty Ford can be seen on the wall.

In 1994, Martinez ran for Lieutenant Governor of Florida. He teamed up with former Family Research Council President Ken Connor, who was the gubernatorial candidate. The Connor/Martinez ticket was defeated in the Republican primary, finishing fifth with 83,945 votes, or 9.31% of the vote. Image File history File links MARTINEZWH.jpg‎ http://www. ... Image File history File links MARTINEZWH.jpg‎ http://www. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... A typical Cinco de Mayo Baile folklórico celebration in Gardena, California Cinco de Mayo (The Fifth of May in Spanish) is a national holiday in Mexico which is also widely celebrated in the United States. ... Betty Fords official White House portrait, painted in 1977 by Felix de Cossio Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Warren Ford (born April 8, 1918) is the widow of former United States President Gerald R. Ford and was the First Lady from 1974 to 1977. ... The Family Research Council (FRC) is a Christian conservative non-profit lobbying organization, formed in the United States by James Dobson in 1981 and incorporated 1983. ...

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 previously 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. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, often abbreviated HUD, is a Cabinet department of the United States government. ... Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The Orlando Utilities Commission, commonly abbreviated OUC by locals, is the main source of power for the Greater Orlando area. ...

Serving as co-chairman of George W. Bush's 2000 presidential election campaign in Florida, Martinez was a leading fundraiser. He was one of the 25 electors from Florida, who voted for George W. Bush in the 2000 election. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

Martinez and his wife Kitty have three children (Lauren, John and Andrew) and two grandchildren. He is the brother of Rafael E. Martinez. Rafael E. Martinez was the 2003 United States candidate to serve on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the human rights arm of the Organization of American States. ...

Education

Martinez attended Bishop Moore High School in Orlando on scholarship. After graduation, he attended Florida State University for both undergrad and graduate studies, and is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law. The domed DAlemberte Rotunda, at the corner of Jefferson St. ...

He is a Knight of Malta. The Knights Hospitaller (also known as Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Cavaliers of Malta, and the Order of St. ...

U.S. Senate election, 2004

In November 2004, Martinez was the Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate election to replace retiring Democrat Bob Graham. Much of Martinez's support came from Washington: 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. But Internet magazine Salon reported that Martinez wanted to run for governor in 2006, though the GOP convinced him to run for Senate two years earlier instead. Results -- light red represents Republican holds, dark red Republican pickups, light blue Democratic holds, dark blue Democratic pickups. ... Daniel Robert Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American politician. ... William Harrison Bill Frist, Sr. ... Salon. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Primary

Martinez's nomination by the Republican Party was far from certain. He was seriously challenged by former Congressman Bill McCollum. McCollum criticized Martinez's background as a plaintiff's attorney, and many Republicans initially feared that Martinez's nomination would destroy the GOP's ability to criticize Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards' background. Martinez was also said to be soft on tort reform, a major Republican issue in the 2004 race. Ira William Bill McCollum, Jr. ... Johnny Reid John Edwards [1] (born June 10, 1953), is an American politician who was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004 and a one-term U.S. Senator from North Carolina. ... Tort reform is the phrase used by its advocates who claim it is a change in the legal system to reduce litigations alleged adverse effects on the economy. ...

After a McCollum surge in the final weeks leading up to the primary, Martinez fought back in the last week of the race, sending a mass mailing that called McCollum "the new darling of homosexual extremists," pointing out that McCollum had sponsored hate crimes legislation while a member of the House of Representatives.^{[citation needed]} Former U.S. Senator Connie Mack appeared with McCollum at a press conference and blasted Martinez for his anti-gay attacks. The St. Petersburg Times even took the extraordinary step of revoking their endorsement of Martinez in the Republican primary. However, the rhetoric caused Martinez's support to rise dramatically in socially conservative areas of Florida, most notably in the Florida Panhandle, which had previously been firmly in the McCollum camp. Connie Mack III Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy III (born October 29, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), known as Connie Mack for short, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1989 and of the United States Senate from 1989 to 2001, all from Florida. ... Logo of the St. ... The Florida Panhandle is the region of the state of Florida which includes the westernmost 16 counties in the state. ...

In the Republican primary on August 31, Martinez won a decisive victory over McCollum (45 to 31 percent with 99% of precincts reporting). Shortly afterward, he spoke alongside President Bush at the 2004 Republican National Convention on September 2. The election to determine which two candidates would be allowed to run for Bob Grahams soon-to-be vacant U.S. Senate seat was held on August 31, 2004. ... is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 Republican National Convention Logo President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney accepted their partys nomination to run for second terms. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

General election

Martinez defeated his Democratic opponent, Betty Castor, in a very close election that was preceded by numerous negative television ads from both campaigns. Martinez's margin of victory was small enough that a winner was not declared until Castor conceded the day after the election. Betty Castor (born Elizabeth Bowe in Glassboro, New Jersey on May 11, 1941) is an American politician and educator who has served as Florida Education Commissioner and President of the University of South Florida. ...

President Bush won in Florida by 52%-47%, but Martinez only won 49%-48%, with a margin of about 70,000 votes. Martinez did much worse than Bush in the Tampa area, such as in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and in smaller counties such as Liberty and Lafayette. The only counties that Martinez won that Bush did not were Orange and Miami-Dade. Hillsborough County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ... Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. ... County slogan: Delivering Excellence Every Day Location of county in the state of Florida County Seat Miami, Florida Area  - Total  - Water 6,297 km² (2,431 mi²) 1,257 km² (485 mi²) 19. ...

Campaign reporting violations

In August 2006, the Martinez campaign acknowledged that the 2004 campaign had been under review by the Federal Election Commission for more than a year. Following the 2004 election, Martinez originally reported that his $12-million campaign had about $115,000 in debt, according to FEC documents. But the latest revision of that figure shows the original tally was off by about a half-million dollars: his campaign instead owed $685,000 in election expenses. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency created in 1975 by Congress to administer and enforce campaign finance legislation in the United States. ...

The FEC has sent Martinez at least 20 letters asking to clarify his 2004 campaign reports. His campaign has spent about $300,000 in accounting and attorney's fees since the 2004 election (see [1]).

The organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which monitors political corruption, filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in August 2006 that charged Martinez with having illegally accepted more than $60,000 from the Bacardi beverage company in the campaign. Bacardi violated the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations, CREW alleges, by soliciting contributions from a list of the corporation’s vendors for these campaigns, and by using corporate funds to pay for food and beverages at campaign events held in the company’s corporate headquarters on May 11, 2004. An amended complaint by CREW in October 2006 alleged similar behavior by Bacardi for Democratic Senator Bill Nelson's 2006 re-election campaign. [2] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a Washington, DC-based advocacy organization which professes to fight corruption by U.S. government officials. ... The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an agency created to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1975 (FECA), the statute that regulates the financing of federal elections in the United States. ... The Bacardi logo The Cathedral Of Rum at the Distillery in Puerto Rico near San Juan. ... The Federal Election Campaign Act is an American law passed in 1971 to increase disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns and amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. ... For other people named Bill Nelson, see Bill Nelson (disambiguation). ...

Staffing controversies

On April 6, 2005, Martinez accepted the resignation of his legal counsel, Brian Darling (see [3]), who was responsible for writing and circulating the Schiavo memo. Nelson was re-elected with 61 percent of the vote, the largest margin by a Republican candidate in the state in many years. is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brian Darling (born in Andover, Massachusetts, 1965) was the legal counsel to Republican Senator Mel Martinez of Florida who was forced to resign when he admitted he was the author of the Schiavo memo. ... During the Terri Schiavo controversy in March 2005, a talking points memo on the controversy was written by Brian Darling, the legal counsel to Republican Senator Mel Martinez of Florida [1]. The memo suggested the Schiavo case offered “a great political issue” that would appeal to the party...

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." Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Thomas Richard Tom Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is a Democratic Senator from Iowa, serving in his fourth senate term. ... Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  Ranked 26th  - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 199 miles (320 km)  - % water 0. ...

The Schiavo memo is the third 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" (see [4]). Ira William Bill McCollum, Jr. ... Elián González (born December 6, 1993) was at the center of a heated custody and immigration battle in 2000 involving the Cuban and United States governments, his father, his Miami and Cuban relatives, and the Cuban American community of Miami. ...

In spite of Martinez's vocal objections to homosexual issues such as gay marriage, he employed two gay men in his 2004 Senate campaign [5]. One of them, Kirk Fordham, would become a figure in the Mark Foley scandal. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kirk Fordham (born April 4, 1967 in Rochester, New York) has served on the staff of various U.S. Republican Party politicians. ... Mark Adam Foley (born September 8, 1954) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida. ...

Republican National Committee

In November 2006, Martinez was named general chairman of the Republican Party for the 2007–2008 election cycle (Mike Duncan will handle the day-to-day operations). Some felt the choice was made in part due to the dip in support for Republicans among Latino voters in the 2006 midterm elections. [6] Some conservatives objected to Martinez's selection, citing his positions on immigration and their general lack of enthusiasm for his performance as senator. The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Mike Duncan is the current chairman of the Republican National Committee. ...

Positions

• Abortion: Morally opposed to abortion even in case of rape or incest [7]. He supports education to reduce abortions, and supports the promotion of alternatives such as adoption. His position on the legality of abortion is unclear, but he has indicated that he would not vote for prosecuting involved parties even in the event of a reversal of Roe v. Wade. In a debate moderated by Tim Russert, Martinez stated the following:

"The bottom line is I don't plan on prosecuting anyone. When I go to the United States Senate, I'm going to be confirming judges who will go to the courts, and the courts will deal with the issue. This is not up for a vote by the United States Senate." Adding, "We're far from prosecuting people in this country over that issue" (see [8]). Holding Texas law making it a crime to assist a woman to get an abortion violated her due process rights. ... Timothy John Russert, Jr. ...

• Economy: Supports free trade generally; supports tax cuts; advocates lowering regulation of employers and reducing liability insurance burdens.
• Education: Supports No Child Left Behind Act; advocates more standardized testing; supports school voucher programs; supports English-only education.
• Immigration: In his 2004 campaign, Martinez said "I oppose amnesty for illegal aliens. I support a plan that matches workers with needy employers without providing a path to citizenship. Immigration to this country must always be done through legal means" In 2006, he would craft a bill that would be referred to by much of his own party, as "amnesty".(see [9]). On June 28, 2007 he would later vote for an immigration bill he helped form with other Senate leaders that would allow many illegal immigrants to become citizens and provide stronger border security. The bill was defeated through being denied cloture on the Senate floor. With approximately 80% of his Republican base vehemently opposed to the bill, Martinez lamented in a speech later that day that the people of Florida were disappointed in the results of the vote.
• Environment: Supports funding state conservation preservation funding without raising taxes; supports opening up maximum amount of Forest Services federal land for hunting and shooting sports; supports "voluntary incentives" legislation to make it easier for private landowners to set aside land for hunting, shooting, and conservation purposes.
• Foreign policy
  • Cuba Critical of Cuba's human rights record; supports tightening travel and strengthening the economic and trade blockade against Cuba; supports U.S. government funding of persons in Cuba who are opposed to current Cuban government; opposes foreign aid to countries that oppose U.S. policies; Advocates closure of Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
  • Iraq: Supports the Bush Doctrine, but has asserted that the U.S. erred in hastily dismantling the Iraqi Army (see[10]).
  • Israel: Supports Israeli self-determination; supports close ties between U.S. and Israel
• Health care: Supports private Medicare and Social Security accounts for new workers; advocates more thorough investigations of Medicare fraud; supports reimportation of drugs from Canada [11].
• Homeland security: Opposes base closures in Florida; advocates maintaining "the strongest military in the world."
• Religion: Supports free exercise of religion; opposes "removing all public displays of religious devotion" from society.
• Same-sex marriage and gay rights: Supports an amendment to the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. In June 2006, he is quoted on the matter regarding not amending the Constitution, thus leaving each State to come up with its own laws, "It isn't good enough to say, 'Leave it up to the states.' ... If we leave it up to the states we will see the erosion of marriage that we've seen by activist courts, which we otherwise will not see if we protect the institution of marriage at the federal level". He opposes legislation that would protect employers from firing gays, and has declined to endorse anti hate crimes legislation.
• Second Amendment: Supports the right to bear arms.
• Welfare: Supports Republican-style welfare reforms encouraging personal responsibility; supports programs for job training and retraining.
• Indigent Housing: Supports providing housing for peoples of a needy situation: physically, mentally, as well as financially. When secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Senator Martinez played a large part in the construction of housing and continues to do so as a junior senator.

Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        A tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed on... President Bush signing the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act at Hamilton H.S. in Hamilton, Ohio. ... A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate by which parents are given the ability to pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice, rather than the public school (UK state school) to which they were assigned. ... A countrys foreign policy is a set of political goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. ... Detainees upon arrival at Camp X-Ray, January 2002 Guantánamo Bay detainment camp serves as a joint military prison and interrogation center under the leadership of Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), has occupied a portion of the United States Navys base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2002. ... The Bush Doctrine is name given to a set of guidelines first unveiled by United States President George W. Bush in a speech given on June 1, 2002. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... President Johnson signing the Medicare amendment. ... Social Security in the United States is a social insurance program funded through dedicated payroll taxes called FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act). ... For the NBC TV Movie starring Tom Skeritt, see Homeland Security (film). ...   CA, CT, MD, NY, NJ, OR, RI, VT, WA See also Civil union Registered partnership Domestic partnership Timeline of same-sex marriage Listings by country This box:      Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ...   CA, CT, MD, NY, NJ, OR, RI, VT, WA See also Civil union Registered partnership Domestic partnership Timeline of same-sex marriage Listings by country This box:      Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live... The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, prevents the federal government from infringing on the right of people to keep and bear firearms. ... Welfare is financial assistance paid by taxpayers to groups of people who are unable to support themselves, and determined to be able to function more effectively with financial assistance. ... A local authority tower block in Cwmbrân, South Wales Public housing or project homes is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. ...

Electoral History

This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... Betty Castor (born Elizabeth Bowe in Glassboro, New Jersey on May 11, 1941) is an American politician and educator who has served as Florida Education Commissioner and President of the University of South Florida. ...

Footnotes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mel Martinez

• United States Senator Mel Martinez official Senate site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Republican Party General Chairman Senator Mel Martinez
• Federal Election Commission — Mel Martinez campaign finance reports and data
• New York Times — Melquiades Rafael Martinez News collected news and commentary
• On the Issues — Mel Martinez issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Mel Martinez campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Senator Mel Martinez (FL) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Mel Martinez profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Mel Martinez voting record
• WhereIstheMoney Internet HotSeat — UnAnswered Questions for Mel Martinez
• Mel Martinez for US Senate official campaign site