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Y lawmakers believe Trump’s partial rollback of relations with na will hurt businesses and put agricultural imports at risk
hington» President Donald Trump’s decieverse some Obama-era Cuba policies landa thud among many congressional Republio say the new approach surrenders a potenucrative market for American goods and to competitors. anti-Castro conservatives hailed Trump’s rollback of President Barack Obama’s denumber of other GOP lawmakers, particularfarm states, criticized the change as misguidsolationist. They urged him to ease barriers vana that will boost trade and create jobs in untries. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said Trump’s shift is an just a missed opportunity for rural Americh would benefit from greater access to agricultural import market. d Trump’s policy may put U.S. national secusk as strategic competitors move to fill the the uncoupling could create. her U.S. disengagement opens up opportunicountries like Iran, Russia, North Korea and o gain influence on an island 90 miles off our Crawford said. eff Flake, R-Ariz., a frequent critic of Trump the 2016 presidential campaign, said in a nt that any policy change “that diminishes ty of Americans to travel freely to Cuba is he best interests of the United States or the people.” has been among the most outspoken lawopposed to rolling back Obama’s outreach to He’s warned that returning to a “get tough” urts everyday Cubans whose livelihoods are ngly rooted in travel and tourism. statement, Flake called for the Senate’s GOP hip to allow a vote on his legislation that he uld eliminate “archaic restrictions” on travel that “do not exist for travel by Americans to er country in the world.” Flake’s bill has 54 sors, including nine Republicans. Among e Sens. John Boozman of Arkansas, Mike Wyoming and Jerry Moran of Kansas. g a speech Friday in Miami, Trump poris updated policy as the fulfillment of a camromise to reverse Obama’s diplomatic rapment with Cuba after decades of estrangerump’s approach is aimed at halting the flow ash to the country’s military while maintainomatic relations. U.S. airlines and cruise ould still be allowed to service the island. ew moves will burden the U.S. government e complicated task of policing U.S. travel to make sure there are no transactions with the -linked conglomerate that runs much of the conomy. stricting individual U.S. travel to Cuba, the icy also risks cutting off a major source of inr Cuba’s private business sector, which the “State of the Union” 7 a.m. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Jay Sekulow, a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team. “This Week” 8 a.m. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Douglas Lute, former U.S. ambassador to NATO. KMGHChannel “Meet the Press” Rubio and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine; Sekulow. “Fox News Sunday” 8 a.m. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Rep. Rodney David, R-Ill.; Sekulow. KDVR-Channel 31, Fox “Face the Nation”
Sanders, Rubio; Sekulow. policy is intended to support.
Under the expected changes, the U.S. will ban American financial transactions with the dozens of enterprises run by the military-linked corporation GAESA, which operates dozens of hotels, tour buses, restaurants and other facilities.
Among those with Trump as he announced the policy in Little Havana were Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, both Florida Republicans strongly opposed to Obama’s outreach.
Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said Trump’s new Cuba policy “will hurt the United States economically, making it harder for our nation’s farmers to access new markets and cutting the knees out from under our travel and manufacturing industries.”
Emmer, who’s been one of Trump’s most enthusiastic backers on Capitol Hill, echoed Crawford’s criticism, saying Trump’s Cuba directive appears to be in violation of his promise to keep the American homeland safe.
Emmer, Crawford and five other House Republicans have warned that rolling back U.S. Cuba policy could threaten new bilateral agreements with Havana to combat human trafficking, illicit drugs and cyber crimes.
Moran said in a statement that “putting America first means exporting what we produce to countries across the globe.”
He said he remains focused on finding ways to “increase trade with Cuba rather than cut off relationships that have the potential to create new jobs, bring in revenue and boost our national economy.”
Moran backs legislation to restore trade with Cuba in addition to supporting Flake’s legislation.
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said Trump’s policy moves the U.S. backward.
“It would be more effective to continue an open line of communication and working relationship with a government in need of democratic assistance, instead of shutting them out,” Boozman said. “Through this approach, we not only trade goods, but ideas.”