MIAMI, Florida — Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence pledged to a room of Miami-Dade County Republicans Friday night that, in light of the Obama Administration’s new round of easing restrictions on Communist dictatorship Cuba, “When Donald Trump and I take to the White House, we will reverse Barack Obama’s executive order on Cuba.”
“America will stand for freedom on the world stage,” Pence said to Republicans at the Miami-Dade County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner.
He went on to say:
It’s extraordinary to think, news today that the Obama Administration just announced another round of easing restrictions on Cuba, a Communist dictatorship. Barack Obama and [former Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton would lift the embargo completely and normalize relations with Cuba, for nothing in return. With Hillary Clinton’s full support, as you all know in this community, President Obama has reopened our embassies in Havana and eased many of the restrictions by executive order.
Truth of the matter is, if they could open it up all the way with the wave of a hand, they would.
But let me make a promise to you. When Donald Trump and I take to the White House, we will reverse Barack Obama’s executive order on Cuba.
We will support the continuation of the embargo, until we see real political and religious freedom take hold in the nation once and for all.
Donald Trump and I know that for the world to be safe, for America to be safe, American needs to be strong. So tonight I want to pledge to you today. In addition to broad shouldered leadership that stands for you all over the world, when Donald Trump becomes President of the United States of America, we’re gonna work with a newly elected Sen. Marco Rubio and Congressman Trey Gowdy. We’re going to rebuild the American military, we’re gonna restore our stolen democracy, we’re gonna renew our alliances around the world, we’re gonna hunt down and destroy ISIS at the source and any terrorist organization that threatens our people.
In December 2014, President Obama issued an executive order to begin reversing a 50-year-old embargo on the Communist dictatorship. On Friday, Obama furthered that effort with a new “Presidential Policy Directive” that he declared would help make his effort to forge ties to the Cuban government “irreversible.”
A White House release stated, “Consistent with this approach, the Departments of Treasury and Commerce issued further regulatory changes today, building on the progress made over the last two years, to continue to facilitate more interaction between the Cuban and American people, including through travel and commercial opportunities, and more access to information.”
The order, which Obama used to circumvent Congress, allows “Cuban pharmaceutical companies to apply for U.S. regulatory approval,” according to Reuters. Though travel to the country is still somewhat restricted, Americans may now return home with Cuban rum and cigars for personal use. It also eliminates a 180-day waiting period for certain foreign vessels seeking to travel to U.S. ports after docking in Cuba.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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