U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) introduced legislation on Thursday that would require Cuba to resolve all unsettled and unpaid legal claims with the United States before any trade or travel restrictions between the two nations are removed.
Estimates indicate that nearly $8 billion in outstanding claims from American citizens and businesses exist for properties and monies seized illegally by the Castros. Although current law would require that all of these claims be addressed before lifting the embargo, the Obama administration has not mentioned the claims during the recent negotiations with Cuba.
Rooney’s legislation, titled the Cuba Normalization Accountability Act, would reiterate this requirement, mandating that 100 percent of these claims be settled before the United States eases trade and travel restrictions with Cuba.
“Insisting that the Castros pay back Americans for property they stole should be non-negotiable in any talks to normalize relations with Cuba,” Rooney said. “It’s bad enough that, if the President gets his way, American trade and travel dollars will be used to prop up the Castro regime and repress the Cuban people. The least we can do is make sure those profits aren’t earned on property stolen from American citizens and businesses and never settled.”
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and David Vitter (R-LA) have introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
“If we don’t demand they resolve outstanding legal claims, how can we expect the Castros to respect the rights of Americans traveling or doing business in Cuba in the future,” Rooney asked.