Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her leadership on this issue, not just today, but for her whole tenure in Congress. As the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, I was grateful to see the return of Alan Gross to the United States last month after 5 years of unjust imprisonment in Cuba. The announcement over this past weekend that the Cubans freed 53 prisoners was also welcome news. Nevertheless, I have major concerns with the way this administration, the Obama administration, conducted negotiations and the way the decision was made to radically alter longstanding U.S. policy towards Cuba. The administration failed to consult Congress, failed to consult any Cuban dissidents or civil society in its decision to embark on its new course in Cuba. The administration says this decision will empower the Cuban people; yet softening U.S. policy without concrete Cuban reforms will only boost the Castro regime and government and facilitate the survival of the communist regime. We need to focus not on what is best for the Cuban Government, the Castro regime, we need to focus on what is best for the Cuban people. I ask you this: Will this deal mean more self-governance for the Cuban people? Will it mean more economic freedom for those who strive to innovate, those that are entrepreneurial within the Cuban society? Will they be able to start more businesses and have economic freedom?…”