South Florida Congressional Republicans Oppose Cuts to the Office of Cuba Broadcasting

Three Republicans in the Florida congressional delegation–U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar–issued the following statement on Wednesday regarding announced plans by the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s (USAGM) and the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to further cut funding for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.

“We are outraged that the Biden administration is working to impose further cuts to the Office of Cuba Broadcasting at a time when the Cuban people are struggling for freedom, and political prisoners languish in prison. In fact, while the Biden administration and Democratic majority continue pressing for unprecedented and irresponsible increases in government spending nearly across-the-board, they are also recommending draconian layoffs and cuts for an already diminished broadcasting agency that supports the Cuban people in their right to independent, outside information.

“These egregiously misplaced priorities are appalling. The Biden administration and Democratic majority should be finding more ways and greater resources to support the Cuban people in their democratic aspirations, rather than seeking ways to crush an effective and pro-freedom agency tasked with providing reliable information to the Cuban people. The Biden administration and Democratic majority are so blinded by their far-left, progressive ideology that they cannot bring themselves to support the basic rights of the Cuban people. Instead, they repeatedly choose to align themselves with the Cuban people’s Communist oppressors.”