On Wednesday morning, American Alan Gross was released from a five year imprisonment in Cuba in exchange for the release of 3 Cuban spies convicted in the United States. In response to the release, Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) spoke out strongly against the prisoner swap.
Despite the bipartisan disapproval surrounding President Obama’s actions, during her NewsNation MSNBC host Tamron Hall repeatedly brought on liberal guests to slam Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s comments without acknowledging the Democratic opposition to the prisoner exchange.
During her broadcast, Hall spoke to Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and scolded Senator Rubio for daring to object to the prisoner swap but repeatedly failed to mention that Democratic Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) expressed similar skepticism:
Already as you well know, some of your colleagues across the aisle have already criticized this, Senator Rubio, Senator Lindsey Graham as well saying that this is a bad idea, what we've seen here. And the notion of normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba, some of them already vowing to block any effort here. What do you say to those words already coming out as Mr. Gross has only been on the ground now a few minutes?
Earlier in the show, Hall spoke with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and noted how “already, you have Senator Marco Rubio just the last hour appearing. Of course, his family fled in the '50s, saying he is not in favor of this process.” DeLauro insisted that Rubio's comments were "just woefully overstated. You recall that it was Senator Rubio who was responsible for shutting our government down costing American taxpayers $4 billion."
While Tamron Hall couldn’t be bothered to inform her audience that a bipartisan coalition of senators expressed skepticism over the swap, in the previous hour, MSNBC’s Jose Diaz-Balart noted how the debate over the Cuban embargo crosses party lines:
It's both Democrats and Republicans that are some united in their support of the embargo. Some united in their opposition to the embargo. Republicans and Democrats, House members and Senate members. A perfect point is Senator Menendez and Senator Leahy.
Diaz-Balart went on to read Democratic Senator Bob Menendez’ harsh criticism of President Obama's actions:
And just within the last hour, this from the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the Senate. This is New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez among the things he says in his comments, his statement: “President Obama’s actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government. There is no equivalence between an international aid worker and convicted spies who where found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage against our nation...
Trading Mr. Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent. It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips. I fear that today’s actions will put at risk thousands of Americans that work overseas to support civil society, advocate for access to information, provide humanitarian services, and promote democratic reforms.” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey releasing that statement just moments ago.”
See relevant transcripts below.
MSNBC’s NewsNation
December 17, 2014
TAMRON HALL: Well already, you have Senator Marco Rubio just the last hour appearing. Of course, his family fled in the '50s, saying he is not in favor of this process. Let me play what Senator Rubio had to say.
MARCO RUBIO: I'm not in favor of the process by which his release was acquired because I do think it sets a very dangerous precedent. It puts a price on every American abroad. Governments now know that if they can take an American hostage they can get very significant concessions from the United States. It's ironic that a week after we impose sanctions on human rights violators in Venezuela we are lifting sanctions on the government that has taught the Venezuelans how to commit these human rights violations. It’s absurd.
HALL: Now Eugene [Robinson] despite the fact that Cuba is saying that he was released on humanitarian grounds, a senior administration official tells NBC News that Gross was reported to be in poor health. You know the great divide that exists whenever the conversation of Cuba and the U.S. policy is discussed particularly in Mr. Rubio's home state of Florida.
EUGENE ROBINSON: Yeah, it's a huge issue in Florida. And very divisive and you’re going to hear I think, some pretty sharp rhetoric on both sides of the issue. It is important to remember that from all reports, and I was just checking, you know, a blog by one of Cuba's leading dissidents who wrote of Mr. Gross' declining health. By all accounts, it was time to make a move. And I think that not only did the United States recognize that fact for obvious humanitarian reasons trying to get a citizen home.
But I frankly believe the government of Raul Castro saw that it’s potential leverage in any sort of discussions, you know, was in failing health and if this was a time for them to move, too. And so we don't know the full story yet. We haven’t heard the president speak, but you know, let’s keep an eye on what the Cuban government now agrees to do. I think this is potentially really significant.
---TAMRON HALL: Senator Marco Rubio just within the last hour said that this release sets a very dangerous precedent. He said “it puts a price on every American abroad. The government now knows that if they can take an American hostage, they can get very significant concessions from the United States.” Your reaction to Senator Rubio's words there?
REP. ROSA DELAURO: Well, I just my overall reaction is the following. Regarding Cuba, first of all, it’s great news. I applaud the president, Secretary Kerry, Ambassador Rice, and members of the Congress on both sides of the aisle. I was part of what was a Cuban working group for a number of years. It includes Democrats and Republicans about moving forward not backward which I believe Senator Rubio is. We are moving forward with an easing of the relationship with Cuba, which is good for Cuba, also good for the United States.
HALL: Already Well Senator Rubio is saying he plans to --
DELAURO: delegation -- Democrats and Republicans because I was chair of the agriculture subcommittee of the House of appropriations. Both Democrats and Republicans went there to talk about the economic advantages to the United States of easing and dealing with good relationships. I don't believe we will -- I think that was overstated by Senator Rubio and I think we have to look at how we move forward. This did not happen overnight. It's been years and years in the making and we have finally achieved a very positive role to the future.
HALL: What I would like to follow up though in this new remark we just received in from Senator Rubio. He says that he intends to use his role as incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Western Hemisphere Subcommittee to make every effort to block what he again calls “this dangerous and desperate attempt by the president to burnish his legacy at the Cuban people's expense.”
He goes on to say “today’s announcement initiating a dramatic change in U.S. policy towards Cuba is just the latest in a long line of failed attempts by President Obama to appease rogue regimes at all costs.”
DELAURO: Once again, just woefully overstated. You recall that it was Senator Rubio who was responsible for shutting our government down costing American taxpayers $4 billion. I suspect that the Cuban public will be pleased because, in fact, three of their nationals are being returned. When I was in Cuba in May, a number of us met with women parliamentarians in Cuba. One of the Cuban nationals’ wife.
And I think the length of time they have been in prison -- we have been engaged with prisoner swaps in the past. This was a long time in coming. And I think Senator Rubio's remarks are so overstated. Just like he was overstated in shutting our government down and causing mayhem for the people of this country.
HALL: Thank you so much Congresswoman for your time. I would like to now bring in Andy Gomez, a senior adviser with the Federal Regulatory Law Practice and policy expert on Cuban-American relations. Thank you so much Andy for your time.
ANDY GOMEZ: My pleasure.
HALL: First, let me just get your initial reaction from Senator Rubio who’s already vowed to block any what he calls “dangerous and desperate attempts by the president to burnish his legacy at the Cuban people’s hands.” How does this work under the Helms-Burton law and Congress its role in the change of policy and the president's ability to do so?
GOMEZ: Well, I would expect for Senator Rubio, I'm listening to your conversations with others, to try to block this in the Senate and we'll have to wait to see how successful he can be. We have to remember though that the Helms-Burton Act is highly codified. What I mean by that, that there are parts of that act that the president can act on by executive order and other parts of the law that must be have the approval of Congress. So we'll have to wait and see how that plays out in the next couple of weeks and couple of months, to be very honest with you.
---TAMRON HALL: Already as you well know, some of your colleagues across the aisle have already criticized this, Senator Rubio, Senator Lindsey Graham as well saying that this is a bad idea, what we've seen here. And the notion of normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba, some of them already vowing to block any effort here. What do you say to those words already coming out as Mr. Gross has only been on the ground now a few minutes?
DICK DURBIN: America's foreign policy of embargoes and exclusion was designed 55 years ago to put an end to the Castros and communism in Cuba. 55 years later, the Castros and communism are still in Cuba. It's time for a new approach. I think if you throw up the doors to trade, travel, to the exchange of new ideas, we're going to see a positive change in Cuba.
MSNBC’s The Rundown With Jose Diaz-Balart
December 17, 2014JOSE DIAZ-BALART: And just within the last hour, this from the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the Senate. This is New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez among the things he says in his comments, his statement: “President Obama’s actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government. There is no equivalence between an international aid worker and convicted spies who where found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage against our nation...
Trading Mr. Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent. It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips. I fear that today’s actions will put at risk thousands of Americans that work overseas to support civil society, advocate for access to information, provide humanitarian services, and promote democratic reforms.” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey releasing that statement just moments ago.
