Mario Díaz-Balart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mario Díaz-Balart
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Constituency | 25th district (2003–2011) 21st district (2011–2013) 25th district (2013–2023) 26th district (2023–present) |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| In office November 7, 2000 – November 5, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | J. Alex Villalobos |
| Succeeded by | Redistricted |
| Constituency | 112th |
| In office November 8, 1988 – November 3, 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Javier Souto |
| Succeeded by | Redistricted |
| Constituency | 115th |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district |
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| In office November 3, 1992 – November 7, 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | J. Alex Villalobos |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart y Caballero
September 25, 1961 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1985–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (before 1985) |
| Spouse | Tia Diaz-Balart |
| Relations | Díaz-Balart family |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Lincoln Díaz-Balart (brother) José Díaz-Balart (brother) Mirta Díaz-Balart (aunt) Waldo Díaz-Balart (uncle) Fidel Ángel Castro Díaz-Balart (cousin) |
| Education | University of South Florida (BA) |
| Website | |
Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart y Caballero (born September 25, 1961) is an American politician. He serves as a U.S. Representative for Florida's 26th congressional district. A congressional district is an area of a state that a member of the United States House of Representatives is elected to represent.
Díaz-Balart is a member of the Republican Party. He was first elected to Congress in 2002. His district covers parts of northwestern Miami-Dade County, including the city of Hialeah, and a large part of the Everglades.
Since April 2021, Díaz-Balart has been the dean of Florida's congressional delegation. This means he is the longest-serving member of Congress from Florida.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Mario Díaz-Balart was born in 1961 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His parents, Rafael Díaz-Balart and Hilda Caballero Brunet, were from Cuba. His father was also a politician.
He comes from the well-known Díaz-Balart family. His aunt, Mirta Díaz-Balart, was the first wife of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. His uncle is the famous Cuban-Spanish painter Waldo Díaz-Balart.
Díaz-Balart has three brothers. His brother Lincoln Díaz-Balart also served in Congress for Florida. His brother José Díaz-Balart is a journalist, and his brother Rafael is a banker.
He studied political science at the University of South Florida. In 1985, he started working in politics as an assistant to Miami Mayor Xavier Suárez. That same year, he switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.
Career in Florida's Government
Before becoming a U.S. Congressman, Díaz-Balart served in Florida's state government. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1988.
In 1992, he was elected to the Florida Senate. He served there until 2000, when he returned to the Florida House for two more years.
U.S. House of Representatives
Díaz-Balart has represented several different districts in Florida due to changes in district boundaries over the years. He has won every election since he first ran for Congress in 2002.
Elections
- 2002: Díaz-Balart first ran for Congress in the newly created 25th District and won with 64% of the vote.
- 2004 & 2006: He was reelected without anyone running against him in 2004. In 2006, he won again with 58% of the vote.
- 2008: He defeated his opponent, Joe García, with 53% of the vote.
- 2010: He ran for the 21st District seat, which his brother Lincoln was leaving. No one from another party ran against him, so he won automatically.
- 2012 & 2014: He was reelected to the 25th District without an opponent.
- 2016 & 2018: He won reelection against Democratic challengers, earning over 60% of the vote in both elections.
Committee Work
In Congress, members work on small groups called committees that focus on specific topics. For the 118th United States Congress, Díaz-Balart is on the Committee on Appropriations. This important committee decides how the U.S. government spends money.
He is the chairman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. This group handles funding for the U.S. State Department and foreign aid.
Caucus Memberships
A caucus is a group of members of Congress who share a common interest or background. Díaz-Balart is a member of several caucuses, including:
- The Congressional Hispanic Conference (which he chairs)
- The Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus
- The Republican Main Street Partnership
What are Díaz-Balart's Political Views?
Díaz-Balart is a Republican and often votes with his party. He is a founding member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, a group for Hispanic Republican members of Congress.
LGBT Rights
Díaz-Balart's position on LGBT rights has changed over time. In 2019, he was one of eight Republicans who voted for the Equality Act. This bill aimed to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
However, in 2021, he voted against an updated version of the bill. He said it did not do enough to protect the religious freedom of people who disagree with some LGBT rights. In 2022, he first voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects same-sex marriage in federal law, but later voted against its final passage.
Health Care
In 2017, Díaz-Balart voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often called Obamacare) and replace it with the American Health Care Act of 2017.
Donald Trump
Díaz-Balart supported many of President Donald Trump's actions. He voted against a request to see Trump's tax returns and supported Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.
In 2020, after the presidential election, Díaz-Balart was one of 126 Republicans who supported a lawsuit that challenged the election results. The Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear the case.
Foreign Policy
Díaz-Balart has strong opinions on foreign policy, especially regarding Cuba and Latin America.
Cuba
Díaz-Balart is a firm opponent of the Cuban government. He supports the Cuban embargo, which limits trade between the U.S. and Cuba. He believes the embargo prevents the Cuban government from getting money that could be used to harm its people. He disagreed with President Barack Obama's decision to improve relations with Cuba.
Colombia
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has accused Díaz-Balart of being part of a plan to remove him from power. Díaz-Balart has met with several of Petro's political opponents from Colombia.
Immigration
Díaz-Balart has been very involved in discussions about immigration reform. He has worked with both Democrats and Republicans to try to find a solution for undocumented immigrants. In 2017, he supported President Trump's temporary ban on people entering the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries. He said it was needed to improve security checks.
Personal Life
Díaz-Balart and his wife, Tia, live in Miami. They have one son.
In March 2020, he became the first member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19. After he recovered, he offered to donate his blood plasma for research to help others fight the virus. Díaz-Balart is Roman Catholic.
Images for kids
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Díaz-Balart official portrait
See also
In Spanish: Mario Díaz-Balart para niños
