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Rubio Chairs Hearing On U.S./Cuba Policy Change

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The change is U.S./Cuba policy is the focus of a U.S. Senate sub-committee hearing helmed by Florida Republican Marco Rubio.

Last month, the administration announced a series of proposed reforms related to Cuba, including the lifting of travel restrictions.

Rubio, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere sub-committee, has been publically expressed his disapproval of the negotiations between Cuba and the Obama administration.

"I believe that they will not be effective at bringing about the kind of political opening on the island of Cuba that all of us desire for the Cuban people," said Rubio.

He also spelled out what he's expecting from the hearing.

"The goal of this hearing today is to understand these changes and to understand first of all, how they came about, what was the process by which they were negotiated and second, how effective could these policies be," Rubio said.

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The common theme for this week's hearings seems to be whether the administration gave away too much without getting enough in return from Cuba. Critics have said the deal achieved nothing for American who's family members were victims of the Castro regime's crimes and terrorism.

"I'm concerned that we've released a Cuban spy convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. He gets to go back to Cuba and we get no movement in the dozens of U.S. fugitives under asylum in Cuba," said Senator Bob Menedez.

Last week, Cuban leader Raul Castro stated that he would not normalize relations with the U.S. until the trade embargo is lifted and the federal government gives up the U.S.'s naval base in Guantanamo Bay.

The senate hearing comes as Cuba media has released new pictures of former leader Fidel Castro.

A new poll of registered Republicans in Florida found they like Rubio right where he is.

In the recent Mason-Dixon poll, only 19-percent of the GOP surveyed said he should run for president in 2016. A majority, 68-percent, said they'd prefer if he ran for a second Senate term. As for Jeb Bush making a presidential run, 59-percent said they would support it, while 31-percent said they would not.

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