Ted Deutch: Human Rights Should be 'Front and Center' in Cuban Policy

Even as President Barack Obama calls for new outreach with Cuba, a Florida Democrat on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said Cuba has a long way to go and that Congress will look closely at whatever the White House offers.

While I am overjoyed that Alan Gross and 53 additional political prisoners have finally been freed by the Cuban government, this regime does not deserve any humanitarian awards for releasing individuals who should never have been imprisoned in the first place, said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., on Wednesday. The Cuban regime continues to brutally imprison political dissidents, block access to the Internet and the free flow of information, and deny the people of Cuba free and fair elections. As Congress reviews the presidents proposals in the weeks and months ahead, I will do everything I can to make sure these critical human rights issues remain front and center in this debate.