{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://rush.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/rush-statement-on-us-cuba-diplomatic-relations", "Rush Statement on U.S.-Cuba Diplomatic Relations", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bobby Rush", "R000515", "rush.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "CHICAGO \u2014 U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) released the following statement pursuant to the announcement that the United States will resume normalized diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba:\n\u201cI applaud President Obama for his decision to begin the process of restoring full diplomatic relations with Cuba. This process has been a long time coming and I look forward to its successful completion.\n\u201cSince my most recent official visit to Cuba in April 2009, I have seen the vibrancy of the Cuban people and, by lifting this embargo, the United States will be in a better position to ensure their human rights are protected.\n\u201cBeginning in the 112th Congress, I have introduced legislation to normalize our relations with Cuba. As we prepare to convene the 114th Congress I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues to ensure that whatever legislative changes are necessary can be accomplished.\n\u201cI would also like to note the significance of the State Department review of Cuba\u2019s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. It has long been my belief that this designation should be removed and I applaud the President for helping bring this to fruition.\n\u201cEnsuring the maintenance of human rights in Cuba, as in the rest of the world, is of the utmost importance to me and, as I said before, the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba will not only simplify the maintenance of these standards on a bilateral basis but will allow us to work with our international partners to expand them.\n\u201cOnce again, I congratulate President Obama and the American and Cuban peoples on the blossoming of a new, stronger, relationship.\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://rush.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/rush-statement-on-us-cuba-diplomatic-relations"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.536571817472577, "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"}