{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rubio.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=22FC8240-8F7C-4EA5-8118-54C3639C20CC", "Rubio Announces Legislative Staff Additions", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "FL", "Marco Rubio", "R000595", "www.rubio.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Miami, FL \u2013 U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today announced a promotion within his legislative staff, as well as three new additions.\r\nLauren Reamy, a member of Rubio\u2019s staff since 2015, has been promoted to deputy legislative director. In addition, Ansley Rhyne joins the office as legislative assistant for health and education, Samantha Roberts as general counsel, and Robert \u201cBobby\u201d Zarate as a senior foreign policy advisor.\r\n\u201cLauren\u2019s promotion and the addition of these new members to our team will help us serve our constituents as we continue to pursue an ambitious and impactful legislative agenda in my second term,\u201d said Rubio. \u201cI\u2019m excited about getting our second term started, and what these professionals will bring to the table as we work on national security issues, repealing and replacing ObamaCare, nominating qualified individuals to the federal bench and the many unique Florida issues that have a federal dimension to them, including our constituent service program.\r\n\u201cThese individuals will join an existing legislative team that\u2019s coming off our most successful Congress yet, when we passed more bills into law than our first four years,\u201d added Rubio. \u201cWith Republicans in control of the White House, Senate and House, I\u2019m hopeful we will be able to get even more things done that help move our state and nation forward.\u201d\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nBACKGROUND ON TODAY\u2019S STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS\r\nLauren Reamy \u2013 Deputy Legislative Director: Reamy is being promoted to deputy legislative director. Since 2015, she has served as Rubio\u2019s professional staff member on the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard as well as advising on energy, environment, agriculture, and trade issues. Prior to that, she was director of government affairs at the Motion Picture Association of America, managing a portfolio that included international trade and economic issues. Earlier in her career, she served six years as a professional staff member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, serving under former Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA), and former Ranking Members Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Reamy is a 2004 graduate from the University of Florida and a native of Davie, Florida.\r\nAnsley Rhyne \u2013 Legislative Assistant (Health and Education): Rhyne previously worked for U.S. Senator Dan Coats (R-IN) on the Joint Economic Committee where she handled health care, the senator\u2019s appropriations work and \u201cWaste of the Week\u201d initiative.\u00a0 Rhyne began her career on Capitol Hill with Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA) and later served as legislative director for Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC). While there, she worked closely with Rubio\u2019s office to successfully pass Rubio\u2019s Hezbollah sanctions legislation into law. Rhyne is from Savannah, Georgia and is a graduate of the University of Georgia.\r\nSamantha Roberts \u2013 General Counsel:\u00a0For the past six years, Roberts has worked for U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), primarily handling homeland security, judiciary and aviation issues.\u00a0In addition, Roberts led Ayotte\u2019s efforts to combat the growing opioid abuse crisis confronting that state and the entire nation.\u00a0She is a native of Farmington, New Mexico and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Tulsa College of Law.\u00a0\r\nRobert \u201cBobby\u201d Zarate \u2013 Senior Foreign Policy Advisor:\u00a0Zarate will serve as Rubio's senior foreign policy advisor, joining Jamie Fly, who continues in his role as Rubio\u2019s Counselor for Foreign and National Security Affairs. Zarate previously served as national security advisor to U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), overseeing efforts on the Menendez-Kirk-Lieberman Iran sanctions laws, persuading Congress to appropriate and authorize full funding for IRON DOME and other U.S.-Israel missile defense programs, and to advance the bipartisan Combating BDS Act of 2016.\u00a0Prior to the Senate, he served as policy director of the Foreign Policy Initiative (2011-2014), legislative assistant for foreign affairs to U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska (2009-2011), legislative fellow on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade (2009), and research fellow at the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center (2006-2009).\u00a0 Bobby earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Chicago.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.rubio.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=22FC8240-8F7C-4EA5-8118-54C3639C20CC"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8251748513430357, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}