Ileana Ros-Lehtinen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida |
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| In office August 29, 1989 – January 3, 2019 |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Berman |
| Succeeded by | Ed Royce |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 34th district |
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| In office November 4, 1986 – August 29, 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Gersten |
| Succeeded by | Lincoln Díaz-Balart |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 110th district |
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| In office November 2, 1982 – November 4, 1986 |
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| 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 Florida International University (BA, MA) University of Miami (EdD) |
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (born July 15, 1952) is an American politician and lobbyist. She represented Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2019. When she left office, she was the longest-serving U.S. Representative from Florida. She also led the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2013.
In 1989, Ros-Lehtinen made history. She became the first Cuban American person elected to the U.S. Congress. She was also the first Republican woman from Florida to be elected to the House. She gave the first Republican speech in Spanish after the State of the Union address in 2011.
In 2011, Ros-Lehtinen was the first Republican in Congress to support the Respect for Marriage Act. This act aimed to remove an older law about marriage. In 2012, she became the first Republican in the House to support same-sex marriage. She decided not to run for re-election in 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Ileana Ros y Adato was born in Havana, Cuba, on July 15, 1952. Her father, Enrique Ros, was a businessman. Her family moved to the United States when she was seven years old.
She studied at Florida International University, earning a bachelor's degree in education. She also earned a master's degree in educational leadership from the same university. Later, she received a doctorate in higher education from the University of Miami.
Political Career
Before entering politics, Ros-Lehtinen was an educator. She also owned and ran a private school in Miami-Dade County.
In 1982, she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. There, she met State Representative Dexter Lehtinen. They married in 1984. Both served in the Florida State House until 1986. That year, they were both elected to the Florida Senate. In 1989, Ros-Lehtinen resigned from the State Senate to become a U.S. Representative.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
After U.S. Congressman Claude Pepper passed away in 1989, a special election was held. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won this election. She became the first Cuban American elected to the United States Congress. She was also the first Republican woman elected from Florida. She was re-elected many times, serving a total of fourteen terms.
Ros-Lehtinen worked with other members of Congress to help people in need. She traveled to Darfur in 2007 to visit refugee camps. She urged the United States to find a solution to the humanitarian crisis there.
She was the Chairwoman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2013. During the 2011 Libyan civil war, she supported the Libyan opposition. She called for strong actions against the government to prevent violence. She also worked to reduce U.S. aid to some foreign countries and organizations.
Ros-Lehtinen also pushed the State Department to speed up passport processing. This helped American citizens travel more easily during busy times.
In 2014, she introduced a bill called the Venezuelan Human Rights and Democracy Protection Act. This bill aimed to put sanctions on Venezuela. It also aimed to support civil society groups in that country. Ros-Lehtinen said the bill was to "condemn the ongoing human rights abuses" in Venezuela.
Committee and Group Memberships
Ros-Lehtinen was a key member of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. She also belonged to several other groups in Congress, including:
- Congressional Vision Caucus (Co-chair)
- National Marine Sanctuary Caucus (Co-chair)
- LGBT Equality Caucus
- Climate Solutions Caucus
- Congressional Taiwan Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Conference
- United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- Afterschool Caucuses
- Problem Solvers Caucus
Political Views
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is known as a moderate Republican. She did not support Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.
Economic Issues
She supported policies that aimed to protect taxpayers. She voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
Foreign Policy
Ros-Lehtinen supported President George W. Bush's policies in Iraq. She is a strong supporter of Israel. She believes the relationship between the U.S. and Israel is very important. She also supported continued sanctions against Cuba. She supported President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Cuba
Ros-Lehtinen played a big role in the Cuban-American lobby. This group works to bring about political change in Cuba. She strongly opposed ending the United States embargo against Cuba. In 2004, she started the Cuba Democracy Group. This group aimed to limit U.S. trade with the Cuban government.
Immigration and Refugees
Ros-Lehtinen did not support President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order. This order temporarily limited immigration from certain countries. She believed that better screening methods could achieve safety goals without suspending visas.
LGBT Issues
Ros-Lehtinen has been a notable Republican who supports LGBT rights. In 2011, she was the first Republican in Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. In 2012, she became the first Republican in the House to support same-sex marriage.
After Congress
After leaving Congress, Ros-Lehtinen continued to be active in politics. She supported some Republican campaigns. She also started working for a lobbying firm called Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Lobbyists work to influence government decisions.
Personal Life
In 1984, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen married Dexter Lehtinen. They have two children, Rodrigo and Patricia Marie. She is also a step-mother to Katherine and Douglas Lehtinen.
Awards
Taiwan: Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon (2018).
See also
In Spanish: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen para niños
