Top Republican pledges to maintain Cuba
trade embargo
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[October 19, 2016]
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Republican
in the U.S. Congress dimmed hopes that lawmakers might end the embargo
on Cuba after President Barack Obama leaves office, saying on Tuesday he
intends to keep the trade restrictions in place.
"As the past two years of normalizing relations have only emboldened the
regime at the expense of the Cuban people, I fully intend to maintain
our embargo on Cuba," U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan
said in a statement.
The Obama administration has been easing restrictions on dealings with
Cuba since the surprise announcement in 2014 by Obama and Cuban
President Raul Castro that the long-time foes would move toward more
normal relations.
On Friday, the White House announced new measures to further ease trade,
travel and financial restrictions, including allowing American travelers
to bring home more of the country's coveted cigars and rum.
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But the half-century-long embargo can only be lifted fully by Congress,
which is controlled by Ryan's Republicans. While some join most of
Obama's fellow Democrats in backing the new policies, party leaders have
opposed legislation to ease restrictions.
Some lawmakers had hoped attitudes in Congress might soften after Obama
leaves office in January, even if Democrats do not win majorities in the
House and Senate, especially with Americans accustomed to two years of
freer travel and business.
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![](../images/101816pics/news_z41.jpg)
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) speaks during his weekly news
conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 22, 2016.
REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
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Cuban relations often come to the fore during U.S. election campaigns.
Pro-embargo Cuban-Americans are an important Republican voting bloc in
Florida, which often has close congressional races and is one of the
swing states that can decide presidential elections.
Ryan termed Obama's actions "efforts to appease the oppressive
regime" in Cuba. He said they would strengthen its government and
endanger U.S. companies' intellectual property rights.
Backers of Obama's policy say half a century of restrictions on
trade and travel have not ended Cuban communism, and are not worth
denying U.S. citizens freedom of travel and U.S. companies the
chance to do business there.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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