© 2024 90.7 WMFE. All Rights Reserved.
90.7 Orlando • 89.5 Ocala
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Obama's Cuba Policy Could Strain Relationship with Congress

old_havana_cuba
A street scene at the Old Havana (La Habana Vieja). Photo: Jialiang Gao

President Obama’s announcement Wednesday of a new approach to U.S. Cuba relations could put a strain on the President’s relationship with Congress.

Obama is hoping to repair political ties with Cuba that were severed in 1961. He is calling on Secretary of State John Kerry to start discussions with Cuba and reestablish an embassy in Havana.

But he still needs congressional support, says University of Central Florida Political Science lecturer Paul Vasquez. “If [support is] much more strong against this I can imagine confirmation’s being held up, money being held up and people trying to obstruct this in Congress - especially when Republicans take control of both houses," says Vasquez.

The President's plan includes lifting economic sanctions on low-cost U.S. building materials and relaxing current banking sanctions.

Vasquez says the news may come as a surprise, but it’s not unprecedented. “There are countries out there that we don’t consider to be our best buddies but we have normal relations with. In the grand scheme of things there was a sense at some point it would happen, but in the short-run I don’t think anyone expected it to happen," says Vasquez.

The President's announcement followed the release of U.S. contractor Alan Gross from a Cuban prison.

Brendan Byrne is WMFE's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the WMFE newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing WMFE's internship program.

Byrne also hosts WMFE's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration.