Following President Joe Biden’s (D) announcement stating that his administration would be providing $2 million taxpayer-funded dollars to the relief effort for the Cuban regime following Hurricane Ian, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) raised concerns granting any amount to the communists just 90 miles from the United States.
Along with the concern, Sen. Scott wrote a letter to the Acting Deputy Instructor of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Nicole Angarella, imploring “full compliance and accountability” due to this decision.
“For years, Senator Scott has been vocal in his opposition to the corrupt and oppressive Castro/Diaz-Canel regime in Cuba, and has fought the Biden administration’s appeasement of the island’s illegitimate, communist regime that continues to commit horrific crimes and abuses against its people,” according to the Scott press release. It would go on to mention Scott is requesting “complete oversight so that all funds are distributed exclusively to benefit the Cuban people.”
Republicans in the past have had concerns with sending money overseas to countries that we do not necessarily call our friends. Many with an (R) next to their name have completely rejected the Iran Nuclear Deal. President Donald Trump (R) pulled out of it during his time in office. Similarly, Scott’s main concerns are how the $2 million will be spent, and through whom will it be sent to.
“While the brave Cuban people continue to demand freedom and democracy, President Biden has shown that he is happy to ease sanctions on the regime and ignore the cries of “Patria y Vida” coming from Cubans both here in America, and on the island. That is why we must ensure these millions in American taxpayer dollars will not be used to prop up this savage, illegitimate communist Cuban regime and facilitate its continued repression. It is imperative that your office guarantees rules are followed with robust oversight and all funds be distributed exclusively to benefit the Cuban people,” writes Sen. Scott in the letter to Angarella.
At the end of the letter, Scott requests the lists of the non-governmental international organizations (NGO’s) in which the Biden administration will go through, alongside the dollar amount for each organization, and whether US officials will manage and oversee the distribution of these funds.
Scott concludes, “It is imperative that not one penny from the American taxpayer go toward benefiting the murderous Cuban Communist regime. I look forward to your response.”
