Dear Friend– American Alan Gross - imprisoned by the Castro regime in Cuba for 5 years - was released this week in exchange for three Cuban spies held by the U.S. government. Alan Gross was unjustly imprisoned by the Castro dictatorship and his return is long overdue. I am happy for him and his family. I am dismayed that, in exchange for the release of Gross, the Obama administration agreed to release imprisoned Cuban spies who conspired to kill Americans, as such an action legitimizes the Castro regimes coercive tactics. This prisoner swap sends a signal to rogue regimes and actors that taking an American hostage can be leveraged into scoring policy concessions. This makes America less safe and emboldens the dictatorship in Cuba. Reports suggest that the Obama administration will also unilaterally relax sanctions on Cuba, even though 11 million Cubans still chafe under Castros tyranny. The goal of U.S. policy should be to liberate these hostages from the oppressive Castro regime, not to reward the regime with relaxed sanctions. On Tuesday, President Obama signed the CRomnibus into law. As many of you know, I have been outspoken in my opposition to the passage of the CRomnibus. I recently joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business to discuss why I voted no on this misguided legislation. Please take a moment to watch the interview by clicking here. I am honored to announce that Chairman-elect of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Republicans, Congressman Jason Chaffetz, has named me Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security for the 114th Congress The federal governments core responsibility is to protect the security of our nation and the American people. Yet, from the release of terrorist detainees by the Defense Department to habitual failures of the Department of Homeland Security regarding border security, the bureaucracy has fallen short of what the American people expect. I am thankful to Chairman-elect Chaffetz for tapping me to lead this subcommittee, and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the committees members to hold our national security agencies accountable on behalf of the American people. this week in congress I pray that you have a merry Christmas! The holidays are wonderful time to take a moment and reflect on the many blessings that we share as Americans. While you are celebrating at home, please keep in mind the thousands of men and woman serving our nation abroad. We must never forget that it is their sacrifice that makes it possible for us to enjoy a free and peaceful holiday season. For more frequent updates on legislation and events, please follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you; please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, Port Orange, or St. Augustine office should you need any assistance. Sincerely, Congressman Ron DeSantis
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 20:37:19 +0000
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