Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) released the statement below following her recent trip to Cuba and President Obama’s announcement today of his planned trip to the island:

“I am thrilled that President Obama and the First Lady will make an historic visit to Cuba next month to meet with the Cuban people, particularly resourceful entrepreneurs and new business owners, who are taking advantage of the changing economy. His visit will encourage further economic and human rights changes on the island. I know he will be as inspired as I am by the Cuban people and the cuentapropistas who are building a more hopeful future for themselves and their families. We must work together to open up more opportunities for U.S. businesses and travelers to engage with Cuba, and the Cuban government must open up more opportunities for its people to benefit from that engagement.‎

“I returned from Cuba this week more committed than ever to pass bipartisan legislation in Congress to lift the embargo. U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN06) and I intend to continue to build the coalition necessary to pass our bill, H.R. 3238, the Cuba Trade Act, that will lift the embargo -- and do so this year. The embargo is a Cold War relic that impedes the Cuban people’s individual well-being and human rights, and the onerous restrictions that dictate to Americans where they can and cannot travel must be removed.

“Naysayers like Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are wrong. They are shackled to the status quo and a Cold War policy that has hurt the Cuban people and infringed on the constitutional rights of Americans.

“In 2009, when Obama surprisingly received the Nobel Peace Prize at the beginning of his term, he said ‘[W]e are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice. … In light of the Cultural Revolution's horrors, Nixon's meeting with Mao appeared inexcusable -- and yet it surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul's engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan's efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe. There's no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.’

“I am particularly proud of the role that the Tampa community has played over the years in pressing for change. Just as the Ybor City factory workers aided Cuban patriot Jose Marti in Cuba’s fight for independence more than 100 years ago, Tampa has led the way today for normalization to benefit families and neighbors and businesses on both sides of the Florida Straits.”

For years, the Tampa Bay community has pushed for engagement with Cuba by improving diplomatic relations and promoting economic reforms. U.S. Rep. Castor wrote to then President-Elect Obama about travel to Cuba, calling for him to lift the restrictions that limit family travel to the island nation. She also advocated for increasing travel through broadening general licenses and successfully pushed the Administration to designate Tampa International Airport as an entry/exit point for charter flights to the island nation. Multiple weekly charter flights now connect directly to Havana, Cuba, and have been a boost to Tampa Bay’s economy.

U.S. Rep. Castor visited Cuba in 2013, and upon her return she called for lifting the Cuba embargo and sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary Kerry outlining the changes, challenges, and opportunities she saw for modernizing relations with the island. In 2014, U.S. Rep. Castor brought Cuban Ambassador Jose Cabañas to Tampa to discuss greater engagement and economic reforms. In 2015, U.S. Rep. Castor hosted a well-attended Tampa/Cuba forum with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Tampa International Airport to educate the region’s families and businesses on the evolving landscape. In July, she attended the opening of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. and soon after filed bipartisan legislation to lift the Cuba embargo to end the status quo in Cuba and make real progress on human rights. To mark the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s historic announcement to restore U.S./Cuba relations, in December, U.S. Rep. Castor revived the House bipartisan Cuba Working Group to build broader support in Congress for greater engagement with Cuba. U.S. Rep. Castor returned to Cuba in February 2016 when she led a bipartisan Congressional delegation of seven members to survey progress and examine travel, trade, jobs, internet access, human rights and agriculture.

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