Rep. Barbara Lee: ‘It is past time for a change’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, Democrat from California, has established a reputation for principled and independent stands. First elected in 1998, Rep. Lee has been unafraid to take on the tough issues and speak her mind. As a social worker by profession, being an advocate for people dealing with the federal bureaucracy has been a priority.
Over the years she has aggressively represented the needs of the underserved and vulnerable people in her district and throughout the U.S., vigorously advocating for a wide range of social and economic concerns.
Rep. Lee was among the few members of Congress that flew with Secretary of State John Kerry to raise the flag over the U.S. embassy in Havana on Aug. 14. She was gracious enough to answer this group of questions regarding the Cuba issue.
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Manuel Gomez: You have supported the change in policy towards Cuba? Why?
Barbara Lee: After more than five decades of failed policy toward our Cuban neighbors, it is past time for a change. The travel ban and embargo have failed. The American people deserve the right to travel to Cuba and American companies should be able to access Cuban markets. It’s past time to normalize relations with Cuba and I applaud President Obama’s bold leadership in working to end these failed policies.
MG: Do you support a full elimination of the embargo by Congress (i.e., both the Torricelli and Helms Burton Acts)? Would you place any conditions on Cuba before eliminating those pieces of existing legislation?
BL: I have long called for the failed embargo to be lifted and I am proud to cosponsor of The Free Trade with Cuba Act (H.R. 403) to lift the failed embargo. I am also a proud co-sponsor of the bipartisan Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act to lift the restrictive travel ban that prevents Americans from freely traveling to Cuba.
MG: Do you think the President’s change in policy is reversible? Why or why not?
BL: President Obama is boldly working to re-shape more than 50 years of failed policy toward Cuba. It’s time for Congress to join him and make these changes permanent.
MG: What do you think should be done with the Cuba democracy programs that now exist under AID and other agencies? Continue them? Discontinue them? Change their nature? Why?
BL: I have long been critical of clandestine democracy promotion programs and it’s past time to end them. These covert and counterproductive programs ultimately undermine our goal of building a more cooperative relationship with the Cuban government and people. Now that we have re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba, it is imperative that we use this dialogue to address areas of mutual concern for the American and Cuban people.
MG: Cuba reportedly has several pharmaceutical products that could help to save or improve the lives of Americans (e.g., Meningitis and Hepatitis vaccines, Heberprot-P for diabetic ulcers, and others). Would you support executive action that would explicitly permit such medications to be tested and sold in the U.S.? Or do you think that legislative action is also necessary to facilitate the testing and potential commercialization of such medications?
BL: I have personally seen many of Cuba’s medical breakthroughs firsthand. It’s time for American patients and American doctors to have access to these highly effective treatments. Where appropriate, the President should act to ensure the best possible treatment options for all Americans, especially given the resistance and obstructionism of some Members of Congress that want to preserve more than 50 years of failed policy.
MG: The Cuban government has repeatedly stated that they wish to have a relationship among equals, and that they do not intend to change their political, economic and social system. What is your opinion of that? Can there be peaceful coexistence with Cuba even if there are profound differences in our systems of government and even our values, or is the U.S., in your opinion, obligated to try to change the political and economic system in Cuba? If so, why and how?
BL: More than 50 years of failed policies have shown that our current approach to Cuba does not work. The future of the U.S. and Cuba is intertwined. We can and will find a path forward through respectful diplomacy and mutual respect.
