Cuba

Members of Congress Urge Biden to Lift Sanctions on Cuba

Eighteen members of Congress sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list

Photo by Spencer Everett on Unsplash

On Wednesday, members of Congress led by Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-12), Jim McGovern (MA-2), Gregory Meeks (NY-5), and Joaquin Castro (TX-20) joined 14 of their colleagues in writing a letter to President Joe Biden urging immediate sanctions relief for the Cuban people amid blackouts and an escalating energy crisis exacerbated by Hurricane Rafael’s impact.

“The situation is not only causing immense suffering for the Cuban people but also poses serious risks to U.S. national security interests,” the lawmakers wrote. “If left unaddressed, the crisis will almost certainly fuel increased migration, strain U.S. border management systems, and fully destabilize the already-strained Caribbean region.”

The lawmakers are requesting President Biden remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, expedite humanitarian aid and technical assistance, issue safe harbor letters to address overcompliance with sanctions, suspend impending aid, and facilitate energy infrastructure repair and modernization. The letter lists five key actions they would like to…