Carlos Antonio Gimenez proudly represents the people of Florida’s 26th congressional district, encompassing all of Monroe County and the southwest portion of Miami-Dade County.
First elected to Congress in 2020, he serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Homeland Security committee, and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. He is also a part of the Freedom Force Caucus.
Carlos is a husband, father, grandfather, and a public servant who has dedicated his life to serving the Miami-Dade community. Born in 1954, Carlos immigrated to the United States in 1960 following the Cuban Revolution, settling in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami. His family’s experience helped shape his servant’s heart and his dedication to this community, understanding the importance of protecting individuals’ freedom to pursue their potential.
America’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy. The only way to keep pushing the ingenuity and the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people is by lowering our taxes, reforming our legal system to stop undue liability for businesses, cutting unnecessary and burdensome regulations, and fostering an unparalleled, world-class business climate.
I know we can do it in America because we have done it in Florida. Florida has shown that we can continue to grow our economy by following these principles, all while generating more revenue in the state. As Mayor of Miami-Dade County I implemented fiscally conservative measures to balance our budget, save property taxpayers $1.9 billion and grow Miami-Dade’s job market.
With these experiences, I understand firsthand the importance of keeping our corporate tax rate low. I oppose any efforts to increase it above 21%. I also oppose increasing tax rates on corporations and small businesses as a means of paying for new spending and oppose the implementation of an annual wealth tax.
I support policies to incentivize American companies to bring back their businesses and factories to the United States from adversaries like China.
Our communities in South Florida and all across the nation are blessed with rich natural resources that must be developed in a way that is environmentally conscious and sustainable for future generations. I support an all-of-the-above approach to domestic energy production with a focus on research, and deployment of new, clean energy technologies that ensures all Americans have access to affordable and reliable energy sources.
I oppose offshore drilling, especially off the coast of Florida. We must continue to work towards innovation and development of next generation energy sources. I am a strong supporter of free market solutions that protect our environment and innovate our economy to make renewable and clean energy as affordable as, and ultimately cheaper than, traditional energy sources for American families.
As Mayor of Miami-Dade County, I put an emphasis on installing more solar panels, improving our public transportation and making our streets more bike- and pedestrian-friendly to get more cars off the street. I will continue to advocate for policies that invest in sustainable infrastructure and encourages more use of public transportation.
America’s immigrants are an incredibly important part of South Florida’s soul. They play a crucial part in our region’s economy and have influenced virtually every aspect of our lives. The reality is that the lives of most people in South Florida, and our entire country have been shaped by immigration. That diversity and sense of community must be respected in a way that secures our borders for national security purposes, maintains fairness for all Americans in employment opportunities and access to government resources, and protects core American values.
I support allowing undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows and be placed on a path to legal status so that they can receive their work authorization, get a driver’s license, and send their children to school.
Amnesty is unfair. I do not support blanket amnesty that gives undocumented immigrants citizenship. Any individual who wants to receive American citizenship and all the benefits that come with it should do it the lawful way, starting in their country of origin, and within the allocated quota system.
Border security is paramount and must be done in parallel with immigration reform. I support policies that put more resources into curbing illegal border crossings and keeping illicit drugs and criminal activities off our streets. Border patrol and law enforcement officials must have the tools they need to enforce law and order in our communities. I oppose local government officials stopping law enforcement officials from enforcing federal laws. Sanctuary cities have no place in our country.
I oppose efforts to reduce current immigration levels. I am supportive of an increase for employment-based visa programs such as H-1B as long as it doesn’t take away from Americans. It is vital that employers are able to fully staff their businesses and deliver results for the American people.
Individuals who came to the United States at a young age with no say and no choice in their arrival to our country, who have studied and worked hard to get ahead, and have been an integral part of our communities, should not be forced to go back to a land they barely know. I also support the continuation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.
I also support policies to extend Deferred Enforced Departure to Venezuelans who reside in the United States. For them to be returned to Venezuela would be to subject them to even more brutal treatment, condemning them to a life of persecution, stripped from their most basic freedom, and fearing for their life.
As a growing tech hub, housing some of the most important entry points in America, and a booming agriculture industry, trade is incredibly important to South Florida. I support establishing new partnerships around the world to expand markets for our producers, as long as our trade agreements are both free and fair, protecting American producers from unfair trade practices.
We also cannot allow adversaries like China to manipulate our trade agreements to undercut American firms. I support taking bold measures to address anti-competitive behaviors in global trade. We must give establish an equal playing field in the global market for U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and workers.
China is our most aggressive adversary in the world. They actively engage in reckless global economic policies that undermine America’s national security interests and creates leverage against countries we count as critical partners and allies.
China poses a multitude of grave threats to our world, ranging from their gross abuse of human rights, their advocacy for censorship, and their global propaganda threatening democratic institutions that govern legitimate governments. I support a rebalancing of American foreign policy that meets these threats, reassures our partners and allies of America’s leadership, and decouples America and our allies from China in 5 key areas: national security, economy/energy, competitiveness, ideology, and technology.
As Mayor of Miami-Dade County, I saw how state-owned Chinese companies maneuvered to bid on contracts for pieces of infrastructure important to our communities and our nation.
I strongly support initiatives to incentivize bringing American companies back to our country from China, specifically in industries related to national security and public health such as pharmaceutical supply chains and the manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE).