Rep. Robert Wexler was born in Queens, NY and moved to Florida with his family at the age of 10.  He attended a Florida public high school and went on to graduate from the University of Florida and then ultimately The George Washington University Law School.  He served as a Florida State Senator from 1991-1997 while also practicing law.  He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996.

Rep. Wexler is known nationally for being a strong advocate for Israel’s security and defense, as well as his incisive critiques of the war in Iraq and opposition to that endeavor.  He has become a leading public voice on this issue, arguing that “this misguided decision by President Bush is one of the most tragic and costly foreign policy blunders in the history of the United States.”

But Iraq isn’t the only conflict-ridden Middle Eastern country towards which Rep. Wexler has passionately turned his attention.  He has also made building ironclad ties between the United States and Israel a central part of his career, traveling with numerous delegations from all levels of government to build connections with it.  In Washington, he has taken a leading role on both Jewish and Middle East issues, serving on the Congressional Task Force Against Anti-Semitism and as a senior member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Europe.  In 1998, he was the only House Member to attend the signing of the Wye River Agreement.  A self-described “strong supporter of U.S. engagement in the region as a means of finding a lasting and sustainable peace,” he favors direct American engagement with both Iran and Syria.

Recently, Rep. Wexler, in the debate regarding H Con Res. 362, unequivocally called for direct American engagement with Iran, challenging the leaders in Congress and Washington to recognize the need for the United States to utilize aggressive and strong diplomacy in dealing with that country.  He has also been an active proponent of strong sanctions towards Iran to ensure that diplomacy works.  His call for direct engagement played an important role in slowing consideration of the pending congressional resolution H Con Res. 362.

It is this type of leadership and courage that has provided Rep. Wexler with the opportunity to be a television and print surrogate on Jewish and Israel-related matters for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.  His arguments for Obama say as much or more about his own positions as they do the Senator’s, when he stated: “…like the vast majority of the American Jewish community, Sen. Obama believes that a comprehensive settlement - Israel and a peaceful Palestinian state living side-by-side - is the best way to ensure Israel’s security and guarantee that Israel will remain a Jewish state.”

JStreetPAC was thrilled to endorse and work with this impressive leader in Congress, a passionate spokesman with a record of action.

Learn more about and support other JStreetPAC endorsed candidates here.