Washington—This afternoon, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) announced Michael A. Needham would serve as his next chief of staff:
“Mike brings a wealth of policy, political, and management experience that will greatly complement our office’s mission of serving the people of Florida and leading the effort to modernize the conservative movement in the 21st century. Mike understands and shares these goals, and I look forward to his contributions.”
Needham is the co-founder of Heritage Action for America, where he has been responsible for setting the strategy and vision of Heritage Action while ensuring it advances the mission of The Heritage Foundation.
Kay Coles James, president of The Heritage Foundation, released the following statement:
“Congress has long been the home of extraordinary staffers, so it’s no surprise one of the Senate’s champions of conservatism, Marco Rubio, would turn to our very own Mike Needham for his next Chief of Staff! We are excited for Mike and hope his new journey brings him back frequently to his many friends at Heritage.”
Heritage Action released the following statement from Chief Operating Officer Tim Chapman:
“Over the past several years, Mike has gained the reputation as a leading conservative thought leader. He has a unique ability to identify political and cultural trends across our nation and articulate the role conservative policies can play in solving our nation’s most pressing challenges.
“Senator Rubio has embarked on a similar course in the United States Senate. While Rubio’s gain will be Heritage Action’s loss, there is no doubt that this is an exciting time for the conservative movement committed to identifying conservative solutions to our nation’s 21st century challenges.”
Needham appeared regularly on television, including Fox News, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and CBS. Prior to his role at Heritage Action, Needham served in four different roles at The Heritage Foundation, including Chief of Staff, advisor to the President, and a director in The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies.