Washington, D.C.--- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement in response to President Obama's easing of Cuba restrictions for Cuban Americans families:Â
"President Obama has made the right call to remove restrictions that have only set back the cause of a democratic Cuba by preventing Cuban Americans from visiting their family members and providing financial support to families remaining on the island. These changes are both compassionate and responsive to reality. Granting Cuban Americans the right to send financial aid to their relatives will make those relatives less dependent on the Castro regime. I have long advocated for this step and am glad that we finally have a pragmatic Administration that is willing to change policies that have failed the Cuban people for half a century. Smart, humane polices such as the ones adopted by the Obama Administration today can change the dynamic on the ground in Cuba and help promote a democratic transition in that country."