Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota have come under scrutiny following their visit to Cuba last week, a trip that took place without prior public disclosure.
Their travel to the communist-led island nation has sparked anger from several Republican lawmakers.
“All members of the media should refer to the Progressive Caucus by their more accurate name — the Congressional Communist Sympathizing Caucus,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York wrote on X. “It’s outrageous that members of Congress would visit a country that jails, abuses and murders their citizens and supports Iran, Russia and communist China against our interests.”
Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Cuban exile, suggested the trip was aimed at appeasing the communist regime. “The murderous dictatorship in Cuba must be defeated — not appeased,” he posted.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, slammed the trip as well. “Pro-Hamas members of marxist congressional squad just returned from a secret visit with anti-American dictatorship in Cuba,” he wrote on X.
The Miami Herald reported that the group consisted of a dozen people, including “a congressional staffer from the office of California Rep. Barbara Lee’s office.”
The trip coincided with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Havana. Mr. Lavrov was in the midst of a broader Latin American tour, including stops in Venezuela and Brazil. It was unclear whether the members of Congress met with the Russian leader.
Ms. Jayapal and Ms. Omar have a history of opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba and have supported legislative efforts aimed at normalizing the two countries’ relationship. They were also among the 40 House Democrats who, in 2021, voted against a resolution endorsing the peaceful protests against Cuba’s government.
Last month, Ms. Jayapal called on the Biden administration to remove Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“Being on this list has made it nearly impossible for Cuba to do international business, driving an economic downturn that has led residents to flee the country,” she wrote on X. “It’s time to reengage with Cuba.”
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