{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2031", "First Russia, then Iran, now Cuba: One More Very Bad Deal Brokered by the Obama Administration", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement regarding the President\u2019s announcement to change U.S. policy with Cuba and lift economic embargos.  \u00a0  \u201cWe rejoice that Alan Gross\u2019 wrongful imprisonment by the brutal Castro regime has finally come to an end, and that he will be able to spend the holidays with his loved ones. But make no mistake, although we are glad Alan is now free, the agreement the Obama Administration has entered into with the Castro regime has done nothing to resolve the underlying problem. Indeed, it has made it worse.   \u00a0  \u201cFidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama.\u00a0 But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union.\u00a0 Their government can continue to detain individuals like Alan Gross indefinitely without process\u2014as the many political prisoners still languishing in the Castros\u2019 prisons can attest.\u00a0 They retain their close, long-standing ties with hostile nations, notably Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.\u00a0 They will continue their support for terrorist organizations from FARC to Hezbollah and Hamas.  \u00a0  \u201cThe President spoke today about a new era for relations between American and the Cuban people, but these circumstances do not bode well for either.\u00a0 We have seen how previous Obama administration attempts at rapprochement with rogue regimes like Russia and Iran have worked out, with our influence diminished and our enemies emboldened.\u00a0 Now they are revisiting this same disastrous policy with the Castros, blind to the fact that they are being played by brutal dictators whose only goal is maintaining power.\u00a0 And if history be our guide, the Castros will exploit that power to undermine America and oppress the Cuban people. First Russia, then Iran, now Cuba \u2013 this is one more very, very bad deal brokered by the Obama Administration.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2031"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4852876774966717, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}