It is an outrage that Cuba remains on the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list. You campaigned on a promise to return to engagement with Cuba, citing your preference for diplomacy, which makes it all the more disturbing that you have continued a Trump policy that members of Congress in your own party have characterized as “baseless” and “vindictive.” There is no justification for Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terror. As you know, the Trump administration added Cuba to the list under the pretext of harboring Colombian guerillas. However, the reason they were in Cuba to begin with was to participate in a peace process to end Colombia’s 50+ year civil conflict. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has repeatedly called on your administration to remove Cuba from the SSOT list. He has been joined by Mexico, Brazil, Chile and other heads of state and leaders from across the world, including key allies such as the European Union. No credible security experts consider Cuba’s designation to be justified. In fact, according to former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, “to weaponize the state sponsor of terrorism list like this for purely political ends… risks delegitimizing what should be a tool that is used to punish actual state sponsors of terrorism.” Cuba - itself a victim of hundreds of terrorist attempts - has repeatedly cooperated with countries in the region and world to fight terrorist activities and international crime. The administration’s own on-going cooperation with Cuba on counterterrorism, law enforcement and border security efforts belies the designation altogether, demonstrating it is merely a political designation and nothing more. While cooperation and dialogue with Cuba is always welcome, constructive engagement with Cuba must do more to reverse this unjust and harmful designation. Despite espousing policy rationale for the designation and sanctions as being designed to help the Cuban people, the designation does the complete opposite. It has a deleterious effect on the administration's stated policy goal of helping Cuban small businesses, who have seen their access to banking and financial services severely curtailed. Cuba’s tourism industry, which is of massive importance to private sector employment, had its post-pandemic recovery stunted by the elimination of visa waivers for foreign nationals who visit Cuba. The designation severely limits the work of United States’ humanitarian organizations who support the Cuban people. Furthermore, there is a correlation between Cuba’s addition to the list and the increase in Cuban migrants over the past three years. I respectfully and emphatically ask that you fulfill your duty by immediately notifying Congress that Cuba will be removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list in forty-five days. You have the power to correct this injustice, and given your history and policy platform, we expect no less of you.