McCaul, Salazar Work to Keep Cuban Regime on the State Sponsors of Terror List

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — joined Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) in introducing the Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends (FORCE) Act, legislation that would prevent the U.S. administration from normalizing relations with the Cuban dictatorship until liberty and democracy are restored to the Cuban people. They released the bill after the Biden administration moved to rescind Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

“Removing Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list will only embolden the country’s brutal communist regime as it seeks to destabilize the globe and undermine democracy. President Biden should know better. Under his watch, the Castro regime has brutally repressed and starved its own people, sent its citizens to help Putin’s army destroy Ukraine, and hosted a Beijing spy base, from which the CCP can surveil Americans and expand its malign influence,” said Chairman Emeritus McCaul. “I’m proud to join this legislation to reverse President Biden’s shameful appeasement strategy and put the Castro Regime — and the bad actors it supports around the world — back on notice.”

“It is clear that with President Biden’s betrayal of the Cuban community on the island and in exile, the need to keep the regime on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List until freedom is restored is more necessary than ever,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “I am proud to reintroduce the FORCE Act to ensure no other President can unilaterally violate our nation’s established policies in such a grotesque manner.”

Background:

The FORCE Act prevents the president from removing Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List until they meet the requirements of Section 205 of the LIBERTAD Act (P.L. 104-114). Section 205 of the LIBERTAD Act requires Cuba to comply with the following conditions:

• Release all political prisoners and allow for investigations of Cuban prisons by appropriate international human rights organizations.
• Transition away from the Castro regime to a system that guarantees the rights of the Cuban people to express themselves freely.
• Commit to holding free and fair elections.

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