Washington–Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement:

"I am outraged that Donald Trump is designating Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism less than a week after he incited a domestic terror attack on the U.S. Capitol. The hypocrisy from President Trump and Secretary Pompeo is stunning but not surprising.

"For four years, the Trump Administration’s policy towards Cuba has been focused on hurting the Cuban people – from drastically reducing remittances in the middle of a pandemic to limiting the ability of Americans to travel to the island. Donald Trump – who as a businessman registered the Trump Organization’s trademark on the island in 2008 – has always seen Cuba as a political football with zero regard for the long-suffering Cuban people.

"It is essential that the State Sponsor of Terrorism list be used judiciously to maintain its seriousness and integrity and that a country is never added to the list unless it meets the legal standard. I urge President-elect Biden to add the reversal of today’s foreign policy failure to his long ‘to do’ list when he takes office."

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