Upon the release of American contractor Alan Gross from Cuba on Wednesday, President Barack Obama announced that the two countries would restore diplomatic relations.
The New York Times reported that Obama spoke to Cuban leader Raul Castro by phone Tuesday for about one hour and decided to put aside the hostility between the nations in order to move forward.
“We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries,” Obama announced.
Critics on Capitol Hill, however, wasted no time slamming that announcement and the prisoner swap which took place in order for Gross to be released.
The Washington Post noted that House Speaker John A. Boehner said the arrangement was "an extremely dangerous precedent" that could have put thousands of Americans at risk.
Even Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez echoed that notion.
“President Obama's actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government," Menendez said. "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."
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called the announcement "another concession to a tyranny."
Meanwhile, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who arrived in Washington Wednesday on a flight with Gross, supported the decision. He said that the president "wisely charted a new course" with Cuba "that serves our national interests in this hemisphere and the world."
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