{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-statement-new-policy-us-cuban-relations", "Langevin Statement on New Policy for U.S.-Cuban Relations", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Jim Langevin", "L000559", "langevin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Langevin Statement on New Policy for U.S.-Cuban Relations           \t\t  \n          \t\t  \n           \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t \t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDec 17, 2014\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIssues: International Human Rights\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n\t\t  \n               \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n          \n  \n    \n    \n    Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama\u2019s announcement regarding relations with Cuba:\n\u201cFirst and foremost, I am pleased to hear that Alan Gross has been freed after five years of imprisonment in Cuba. His release is long overdue, and my thoughts are with him and his family as they are reunited.\n\u201cToday\u2019s announcement by President Obama represents the largest shift in U.S. policy towards Cuba in more than 50 years. It has been clear for some time that our past policy of isolation was not accomplishing its objectives, and was instead impairing and constraining American policy options towards Cuba and throughout the Western Hemisphere. I am hopeful that the announced steps will serve to strengthen the channels of communication and cultivate a new level of engagement between our two nations. However, this cooperative spirit must extend to the larger challenges of addressing continued human rights violations and promoting the democratic reforms that will prove critical to a free and independent society for Cubans.\u201d", 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://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-statement-new-policy-us-cuban-relations"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7030243761837482, "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"}