Eighty House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden on Tuesday calling for him to reverse President Trump’s “cruel” sanctions on Cuba and move towards normalization with the country.
According to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters, the lawmakers urged Biden to sign an executive order “without delay” to lift restrictions on travel and remittances. “With the stroke of a pen, you can assist struggling Cuban families and promote a more constructive approach,” the letter said.
The letter was led by Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Steve Cohen (D-TN).
The Obama administration took steps to normalize relations with Havana but never fully lifted the decades-old trade embargo, so the moves were easily reversed by President Trump. One of Trump’s last moves was redesignating Cuba as a state sponsor of terror, something the letter called to reverse.
The letter said President Biden should “reverse the recent politicized decision by the departing Trump Administration to add Cuba back to the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.”
While on the campaign trail, President Biden said he would again move towards normalization with Cuba. But the new administration doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to change this policy. A White House official told Reuters that Cuba was not “currently among Biden’s top priorities.”