Last month, the Senate voted by 51 to 47, almost entirely along party lines, to block a similar Cuba war powers resolution. At the time, Republicans argued that there were no active US hostilities against Cuba, so the resolution was unnecessary.
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Rubio addresses Cubans
Trump has increased pressure on Cuba by imposing a fuel blockade that has triggered sustained power outages and dealt fresh blows to the island’s already struggling economy.
“The last thing that our country needs right now is a regime change war in Cuba based on imaginary threats to the homeland that would devastate the Cuban people and generate a man-made migration crisis,” Kaine said in a statement.
Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered what he called a “new relationship“ to the Cuban people, blaming the island’s leadership for their “unimaginable hardships,“ Axios reported.
“President (Donald) Trump is offering a new path between the US and Cuba. But it must be directly with you, the Cuban people, not with GAESA,” Rubio said in a Spanish-language video message addressed to the Cuban people, referring to business conglomerate established under former Cuban leader Castro.
This marks the first time Rubio — the son of Cuban immigrant parents — has spoken directly to the Cuban people in his role as secretary of state.
The Trump administration is offering “$100 million in food and medicine for you, the people,” he said, though he insisted it must be distributed through the “Catholic Church or other trusted charitable groups. Not stolen by GAESA to sell in one of their stores.”
