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Sen. MeI R. Martinez
Ranking member, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
While still a boy, Sen. Mel Martinez was forced to flee Cuba without his parents for the United States. It was an ordeal that, he says, has given him "a more caring heart" for the most vulnerable populations, including the elderly.
"It's just something that's pretty much ingrained in my being, undoubtedly as part of the harsh experience I endured as a young person," notes the only Cuban and sole immigrant in the Senate.
As the new ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, he recently has sponsored key legislation affecting older adults. Among the more controversial measures is the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act, which would invalidate preadmission arbitration agreements between providers and residents.
While nursing homes staunchly oppose this bill, Martinez, a Republican, stands just as firmly behind it. He does not believe families should...