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Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's Retirement Is a Loss for Bipartisanship

By Juan S. Gonzalez

She is a staunch conservative, but open to dialogue – to the benefit of U.S.-Latin America relations.

Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Miami) struck fear into the hearts of Democrats and career diplomats alike during her 2011-2013 tenure as Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. A tough questioner, she championed hardline conservative views with the aplomb of a 30-year House veteran. But she is also one of those increasingly rare creatures – an elected official with a vocation for bipartisanship and the confidence to work with the other side of the aisle to advance a common cause.

This is particularly true, in her case, when that cause is the U.S....

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

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