--- title: Republican Debate: Marco Rubio Defends Missed Senate Votes description: He faulted media bias canonical: https://time.com/4091219/republican-debate-marco-rubio-senate/ author: Charlotte Alter article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-29T01:01:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:07.466Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here's How Marco Rubio Defended Missing Votes in the Senate og:description: He faulted media bias og:url: https://time.com/4091219/republican-debate-marco-rubio-senate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91ffdde81f895923/69886ea13c1639d4ed45a725/rubio-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3600 og:image:height: 2025 og:image:alt: Republican Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush (L) speaks as Marco Rubio looks on during the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, October 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's How Marco Rubio Defended Missing Votes in the Senate twitter:description: He faulted media bias twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91ffdde81f895923/69886ea13c1639d4ed45a725/rubio-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's How Marco Rubio Defended Missing Votes in the Senate > Sponsored content. 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It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=0cee2e29-9515-4c81-8599-f92abfe369a9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Oct 29, 2015 1:01 AM UTC  Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio during the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, Oct. 28, 2015 in Boulder, Colo. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio during the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, Oct. 28, 2015 in Boulder, Colo. Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Oct 29, 2015 1:01 AM UTC Florida Sen. Marco Rubio defended himself Wednesday against attacks that he’s missing too many votes in the Senate, dismissing local a newspaper editorial that called for his resignation as “evidence of the bias that exists in American media.” “Back in 2004, one of my predecessors in the Senate, by the name of Bob Graham, a Democrat, ran for President, missing over 30% of his votes,” Rubio said during [the third Republican presidential debate](http://time.com/4091222/republican-debate-cnbc/?xid=homepage). “I don’t recall them calling for his resignation.” “Later that year, in 2004, John Kerry ran for president, missing 60-70% of his votes,” he said. “The _Sun Sentinel_ endorsed him. In 2008, Barack Obama missed 60% or 70% of his votes, and the same newspaper endorsed him again. So this is another example of the double standard that exists in this country between the mainstream media and the conservative media.” That moment got a massive applause in the room. The [_Sun Sentinal_ editorial board](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/editorials/fl-editorial-rubio-bush-gs1028-20151027-story.html) called on Rubio to resign from the Senate this week because he’s missed more votes than any other Senator during his presidential campaign. The editorial board noted that two other candidates (Kentucky Republican Sen. Paul Ryan and Vermont Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders) have missed only 10 votes during their campaigns, but Rubio has missed 59, citing a tally from _Politico_. “Your job is to represent Floridians in the Senate,” the newspaper wrote, reminding readers that Rubio is paid $174,000 a year to represent Floridians in the Senate. “Either do your job, Sen. Rubio, or resign it.” ### Marco Rubio's Life in Pictures  Marco Rubio and his father outside his parents first home in Miami, Fla., 1972. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio in 6th grade. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio during the Southern Nevada youth football conference, Yesco Cavaliers in Las Vegas, Nev., 1982 Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  High school photograph of Marco Rubio from his 1989 yearbook. Courtesy South Miami Senior High School  South Miami Senior High yearbook photo of Marco Rubio in 1989. Courtesy South Miami Senior High School  From right Marco Rubio with his mother and sister Veronica during his graduation from the University of Miami law school in 1996\. Veronica graduated from Florida international university bachelor’s degree. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio with his wife, Jeanette and his parents on his wedding day on Oct. 17, 1998. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Jeanette Rubio and Marco Rubio holding their youngest child Amanda Rubio in 2000. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Then representative Marco Rubio talks with a colleague during House session in Tallahassee, Fla., on April 1, 2004\. At age 32, Rubio was one of the youngest legislators. Phil Coale—AP  Marco Rubio greets Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, on his way to being sworn in as the new speaker of the Florida House in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 21, 2006. Steve Cannon—AP  Vice President Joe Biden swears in Senator Marco Rubio to the U.S. Senate, as his wife, Jeanette Rubio looks on, in Washington, on Jan. 5, 2010 . Mary F. Calvert—MCT/Getty Images  Marco Rubio with his son, Anthony Rubio, father, Mario Rubio and daughter Amanda Rubio as he signs election documents officially qualifying him as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Miami, Fla., on April 27, 2010. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  From left, Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek greet each other before the start of their debate at the studios of WESH-TV in Winter Park, Fla., on Oct. 26, 2010. Joe Burbank—MCT/Getty Images  Then Florida Republican U.S. Senate nominee Marco Rubio celebrates with his family after winning the election in Coral Gables, Fla., on Nov. 2, 2010. Mike Stocker—MCT/Getty Images  Marco Rubio and his sons Anthony, 5, right, and Dominic, 3, make their way to a swearing in ceremony for the 112th Congress in the Old Senate Chamber in Washington on Jan. 5, 2011. Tom Williams—Roll Call/Getty Images  Senator Marco Rubio during a visit to the El Paso sector of the United States/Mexico border on Nov. 4, 2011. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Senator Marco Rubio greets fans and signs copies of his book "An American Son" at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Fla., on June 30, 2012. Aaron Davidson—Getty Images  Former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks with Senator Marco Rubio while flying from Pensacola to Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 27, 2012. Emmanuel Dunand—AFP/Getty Images  Senator Marco Rubio listens to a question alongside Senator John McCain, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Dick Durbin during a press conference on an agreement for principles on comprehensive immigration reform framework at the US Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 28, 2013. 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