Boehner: Cuba’s removal ‘will have little practical effect’

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) downplayed the policy implications of Cuba’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism Friday, suggesting it would have “little practical effect” on U.S. policy toward the nation.

In a statement, Boehner slammed the Obama administration for removing Cuba as “a significant political win” for Cuban leader Raúl Castro and his government, saying the U.S. fulfilled the move “in return for nothing.”

But he shrugged off its impact, saying that while the action automatically lifts some trade barriers, “most U.S. sanctions on the Cuban regime are contained in other laws — laws the U.S. House will ensure remain in place.”

Secretary of State John Kerry officially removed Cuba from the list after more than three decades Friday after a 45-day review period for Congress to block the move expired.

The review was set in motion when President Obama submitted a report to Congress in mid-April certifying Cuba had not supported international terrorism in the previous six months and had agreed not to in the future.

Boehner’s Democratic counterpart, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), praised the decision to drop Cuba from the list Friday, saying it “removed the burden of an outdated, outmoded strategy.”

“This is also a critical step forward in creating new opportunities for American businesses and entrepreneurs, and in strengthening family ties,” said Pelosi, who led a congressional delegation to Cuba in February.

Cuba’s removal from the list has been expected for weeks. Obama decided it should be removed from the list following a historic meeting with Castro last month in Panama and a State Department review.

It clears the way for the U.S. and Cuban official to establish “the next milestones” of full diplomatic relations and the setting up of embassies in each country, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Friday.

Diplomats from both countries have discussed those plans for months, but are still ironing out issues relating to the travel of U.S. diplomats inside Cuba, Earnest said Friday.