Mario's Claims About "Bringing Down the Bacon" Don't Match Reality

Greatly Exaggerates Ability to Deliver for Florida

For Immediate Release: April 11, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Months ahead of Election Day, Republican U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) is continuing to exaggerate reality when it comes to delivering results for South Florida.

Diaz-Balart launched into a tirade last night on Fox News: "I actually get results - not just open and empty promises, but I deliver results, whether it is lowering taxes, bringing back the bacon, bringing down the bacon from Washington and making sure that Floridians get our fair share of the money we send up to D.C." [Fox News Channel, 4/10/2008, 6:37 pm]

But the record plainly proves that Mario isn't telling the truth. In reality, he is ranked dead last among Florida members of Congress in securing federal funds for his district. He delivered only $5 million in the federal 2008 budget to his district according to www.taxpayer.net.

And he's not interested in improving his poor standing or helping the people of Florida as they wade through this Republican recession. Just this week he attacked the Chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, slamming the popular and influential legislator an "extremist" who supports a "radical left-wing agenda." [Miami Herald, 4/8/08]

Credit Democratic challenger Joe Garcia for understanding that in these uncertain times, federal money can help put Florida back on track. "My job in Congress will be to represent Florida's 25th congressional district - the most poorly federally funded district in Florida - on revitalizing our economy, bringing better jobs to our community, improving education for our children and providing tax relief for middle-class families," Garcia said.

Diaz-Balart is sure to be heavily scrutinized as Garcia's challenge continues to make national headlines. There's growing potential for Democrats to take all three South Florida Congressional seats currently held by Cuban-American Republicans.

"Already at this early juncture, Mario Diaz-Balart is proving that he will do and say anything in order to coerce Floridians into reelecting him. But the numbers don't lie: he's a deadbeat in Congress - dead last among Florida's congressional delegation," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Alejandro Miyar said.

Despite being in the majority until 2007, Diaz-Balart's job performance has been weak since the day he set foot in Washington. Congress.org ranks him 379th out of 435 members. He's been a rubber stamp for Bush Republicans through failure after failure, reminiscent of his career in the Florida Legislature where his singular achievement was drawing a Congressional district for himself.