{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397825", "U.S. Representative Kathy Castor Statement on Historic Change in U.S./Cuba Polic", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor announced strong support for historic changes in U.S. policy towards Cuba.  President Obama detailed the changes which include reestablishing diplomatic relations, expanding travel opportunities and support for the Cuban people. U.S. Rep. Castor has been working for years to encourage the changes announced by the President today.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Today, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor announced strong support for historic changes in U.S. policy towards Cuba.\u00a0 President Obama detailed the changes which include reestablishing diplomatic relations, expanding travel opportunities and support for the Cuban people. U.S. Rep. Castor has been working for years to encourage the changes announced by the President today.\n\u201cTampa Bay area families and businesses played an\u00a0important role in the normalization of relations with Cuba announced today. \u00a0For years, I have advocated engaging, modernizing diplomatic relations and promoting economic reforms in Cuba, especially after traveling there on a\u00a0fact-finding mission in 2013. \u00a0President Obama has again answered the calls for change from this community. \u00a0Thanks to the President, the State of Florida and the Tampa Bay area can seize\u00a0the opportunity to lead on engagement and encourage human rights and economic reforms in Cuba,\u201d U.S. Rep. Castor said. \u201cAs Americans, we fought two wars with Germany, experienced a terrible conflict with Vietnam and have been able to move forward each time based on concerns for the people of those countries. It is long past time that we do the same for the people of Cuba.\u201d\u00a0 \nIn 2013, upon her return from Cuba, U.S. Rep. Castor sent the following detailed letter to President Obama and Secretary Kerry outlining the changes, challenges, and opportunities she saw for modernizing relations with the island (see letter). \u00a0The President\u2019s announcement addresses all of what Castor advocated for in her letter. \u00a0Earlier this year, Castor brought the Cuban Ambassador Jose Caba\u00f1as to Tampa to discuss greater engagement and economic reforms. \u00a0Castor also met with and encouraged the new U.S. Ambassador to Cuba,\u00a0Jeffrey DeLaurentis,\u00a0this summer to modernize relations.\u00a0\n\u201cCuban-Americans and our entire community already have benefited from travel and remittances \u2013 changes\u00a0 that have enabled families to visit and support their relatives on the island,\u201d U.S. Rep. Castor said.\u00a0 \u201cSmall businesses, the tourism industry and Tampa International Airport also have seen a boost in jobs and\u00a0economic opportunities and are poised to take further advantage of broadening travel and trade to the island nation.\u201d\u00a0 \nU.S. Rep. Castor has been working with the Obama administration since he was elected to modernize relations with the island, writing to then President-Elect Obama about travel to Cuba, calling for him to lift the restrictions that limit family travel to the island nation.\u00a0\u00a0 She also advocated for increasing travel \u00a0through broadening general licenses and successfully pushed the Administration to\u00a0designate Tampa International Airport as an entry/exit point for charter flights to the island nation.\u00a0 \n\u201cToday is truly an historic day in U.S./Cuban relations,\u201d U.S. Rep. Castor continued.\u00a0 \u201cSo much of what we have been hoping for and working on for families and the U.S. are included in this announcement.\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": ["http://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397825"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.5976129323244095, "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"}