Reply from Representative Greg Steube

Dear Dan, 

 Thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding the United States relationship with Cuba. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me on this important matter. 

 I have cosponsored H.R. 287, the Fighting Oppression Until the Reign of Castro Ends (FORCE) Act. If enacted, this bill would prohibit the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until Cuba satisfies certain conditions. Specifically, the bill requires Cuba to release all its political prisoners and transition away from the Castro regime to a system that guarantees the rights of the Cuban people to express themselves politically and hold free and fair elections. These are the same requirements that must be met for the Cuban Embargo to be lifted. This bill has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, of which I am a member, where I am hopeful it will be considered soon. 

 Moving forward, I encourage you to stay connected to my office through my e- newsletter at https://steube.house.gov/ to receive regular updates from Washington, D.C. and by joining me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thank you again for your message and please do not hesitate to contact me with any future questions or comments. I also encourage you to visit my website for additional COVID-19 resources as we continue to deal with this pandemic. You can reach me by replying to this message or calling our Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-5792 or our Florida offices at 941-499-3214. 

 Sincerely, 

W. Gregory Steube Member of Congress

Lift the US Embargo of Cuba

2016 Book of Resolutions, #6060

Whereas, The United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church of Cuba share a long history of joint ministry and service and a common mission; and

Whereas, we, United Methodists, join the international community in celebrating the dialogue and negotiation process between Cuba and the United States that led to the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the reopening of the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC in July, 2015, and the reopening of the US Embassy in La Habana in August, 2015; and,

Whereas, The United Methodist Church has spoken through Resolutions approved by the 2004, 2008, and 2012 General Conferences stating that “from its Christian and humanitarian perspective, inspired by the love of God and historic Methodist commitment to peace and social justice, ... hereby petitions the President and the Congress of the United States to lift its economic embargo against Cuba and any other regulations, practices or measures enforcing the embargo law” (p. 770, Resolution #6059, 2012 Book of Resolutions); and,
Whereas, the economic embargo has for over fifty-five years created unnecessary suffering and many hardships on the people of Cuba while preventing US citizens from traveling freely to Cuba in the exercise of their constitutional rights and curtailing the ability of churches to provide missional support freely to its sisters and brothers on the island; and

Whereas, the long-standing embargo has provided the Cuban government with a ready-made argument of external aggression to justify its lack of respect for the human and civil rights of dissidents at home; and

Whereas, the General Assembly of the United Nations has voted almost unanimously year after year to condemn the US Economic Embargo of Cuba; and

Whereas, many religious organizations and churches, like the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL), the Caribbean Council of Churches, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church, the American Baptist churches, and most recently by Pope Francis himself, among others, have also passed resolutions and spoken asking for the end of the embargo against Cuba;

Therefore, be it resolved, that the General Conference of The United Methodist Church commends President Barack Obama for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the partial easing of travel restrictions; and,
Be it further resolved, that the General Conference of The United Methodist Church requests the US Congress to officially lift the economic embargo against Cuba, which as noted above, has been asked for many years by a great number of religious organizations and the United Nations, and most recently by the President of the United States.

ADOPTED 2016

See Social Principles, 165A, D.