Florida Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have joined Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) to introduce a bill that would stop the flow of money to the Communist Cuban regime.
With the Cut Profits to the Cuban Regime Act, the legislation would require the Department of State to publish a list of countries that contract with the Cuban regime for their medical missions program. As well, the legislation also asks for this to consider that a factor in their ranking in the State Department’s annual report regarding Trafficking in Persons.
In a statement, the lawmakers commented on why they support the Trump administration and its continued steps to hold the Cuban regime accountable for its human rights violations.
Senator Scott said that “Cuba is participating in the human trafficking of doctors, and now Cuba is using the coronavirus pandemic for profit at the expense of these hardworking physicians,” adding that “any country that requests medical assistance from Cuba is aiding their human trafficking efforts.” Echoing the former Florida Governor’s remarks, Senator Rubio added that Cuba is involved in the “exploitative practice of using Cuban doctors for their so-called medical missions, which is a form of modern-day human trafficking.”
Finally, Senator Cruz slammed the Cuban regime, detailing that “while these medical missions appear to be gestures made in goodwill, in reality, they are a tactic used by Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel to exert power and fill government coffers.”
Stating the necessity for this legislation, Cruz expressed that “this bill will shed light on who is contracting with the Cuban regime for its medical mission program, and I will send a strong warning that the United States will not turn a blind eye to the trafficking of Cuban doctors.”
