Ileana Ros-Lehtinen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida |
|
| In office August 29, 1989 – January 3, 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Claude Pepper |
| Succeeded by | Donna Shalala |
| Constituency | 18th district (1989–2013) 27th district (2013–2019) |
| Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Howard Berman |
| Succeeded by | Ed Royce |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 34th district |
|
| In office November 4, 1986 – August 29, 1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Joe Gersten |
| Succeeded by | Lincoln Díaz-Balart |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 110th district |
|
| In office November 2, 1982 – November 4, 1986 |
|
| Preceded by | Roberta Fox Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | Lincoln Díaz-Balart |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ileana Carmen Ros y Adato
July 15, 1952 Havana, Republic of Cuba |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Dexter Lehtinen
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 2, including Rodrigo Lehtinen |
| Parents | Enrique Ros Amanda Adato |
| Education | Miami Dade College (AA) Florida International University (BA, MA) University of Miami (EdD) |
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (born July 15, 1952) is an American politician from Miami, Florida. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2019, representing Florida. By the time she retired, she was the most senior member of the House from Florida.
Ros-Lehtinen was a trailblazer in many ways. In 1989, she became the first Cuban American to be elected to the U.S. Congress. She was also the first woman from the Republican party to be elected to the House from Florida. She also gave the first Republican response to the President's State of the Union address in Spanish in 2011.
On April 30, 2017, Ros-Lehtinen announced she would not run for re-election in 2018 and retired from Congress the next year.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ileana Ros y Adato was born in Havana, Cuba. Her parents were Enrique Ros and Amanda Adato. When Ileana was seven years old, her family moved to the United States.
She grew up in Florida and went to Southwest Miami Senior High School. She earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Florida International University. Later, she earned a doctorate degree in education from the University of Miami.
Ros-Lehtinen's mother's family had a unique history. Her maternal grandparents were Sephardic Jews from the Ottoman Empire who moved to Cuba. Her mother later converted to Catholicism to marry her father. Ros-Lehtinen was raised Catholic and is now an Episcopalian.
Political Career
Before entering national politics, Ros-Lehtinen was a teacher and owned a private school in Miami-Dade County. Her political career began in 1982 when she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. There, she met another state representative, Dexter Lehtinen. They got married in 1984.
In 1986, both she and her husband were elected to the Florida Senate. She served there until 1989, when she decided to run for the U.S. Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1989, Congressman Claude Pepper passed away, which meant a special election was held to fill his seat. Ros-Lehtinen won the election, becoming the first Cuban American in Congress. She was re-elected fourteen times, always with strong support from voters.
During her time in Congress, Ros-Lehtinen was involved in many important issues. She was the Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011 to 2013. This committee deals with the United States' relationships with other countries.
She worked to bring attention to humanitarian crises around the world. For example, she traveled to Darfur in 2007 to visit refugee camps and urged the U.S. and other countries to help find a solution to the conflict there.
Ros-Lehtinen was also known for working with members of both political parties. An organization called The Lugar Center ranked her as one of the most bipartisan (meaning willing to work with the opposing party) members of Congress.
Committee and Caucus Work
- Committee on Foreign Affairs: She was the leader (Chair) of this important committee from 2011 to 2013.
- Caucuses: A caucus is a group of members of Congress who share a common interest. Ros-Lehtinen was a member of many caucuses, including:
- LGBT Equality Caucus
- Climate Solutions Caucus
- Congressional Taiwan Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Conference
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- Problem Solvers Caucus
Key Political Views
Ros-Lehtinen was known as a moderate Republican, meaning her views were often in the middle and she was willing to compromise.
Foreign Policy
Ros-Lehtinen had strong opinions on foreign policy. She was a firm supporter of Israel and believed the relationship between the U.S. and Israel was very important for both countries' safety. She also supported the U.S. embargo against Cuba, which limits trade with the island nation. She was a key member of the Cuban-American lobby, a group that works to influence U.S. policy toward Cuba.
In 2014, she introduced a bill to support human rights in Venezuela. The bill was meant to put pressure on government officials who were involved in the mistreatment of protestors.
Support for LGBT Rights
Ros-Lehtinen became a leading Republican supporter of LGBT rights. She was a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus in Congress. In 2010, she was one of only fifteen Republicans who voted to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", a policy that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the military.
In 2011, she was the first Republican in Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. A year later, in 2012, she became the first Republican in the House to announce her full support for same-sex marriage.
Her support for LGBT rights was personal. Her son, Rodrigo, is a transgender man and an activist for LGBT rights. Ros-Lehtinen has spoken about the importance of families loving and supporting their children unconditionally.
Life After Congress
Since leaving Congress in 2019, Ros-Lehtinen has worked as a senior advisor for a lobbying firm. Lobbyists are people who are hired to speak to lawmakers and influence their decisions. She has also stayed involved in politics by supporting other candidates.
Personal Life
Ros-Lehtinen married Dexter Lehtinen in 1984. They have two children, Rodrigo and Patricia Marie. She is also a step-mother to her husband's two children from a previous marriage, Katherine and Douglas.
Awards
Taiwan In 2018, she received the Order of Propitious Clouds, a high honor from the government of Taiwan for her support.
See also
In Spanish: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen para niños
