Carlos Giménez, America’s only Cuban-born Congressman, is a big fan of new sanctions Secretary of State Marco Rubio just announced.

“I applaud President (Donald) Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for combatting the murderous dictatorship in Communist Cuba, (which) must be held accountable for its countless crimes against humanity including human trafficking and forced labor,” Giménez said in a statement.

“We know Cuban doctors are sold like cattle to the highest bidder and subjected to inhospitable, slave-like conditions — and this new (State Department) policy is a step in the right direction to prevent the regime in Havana from profiting from their perverse modern-day slavery scheme. I look forward to continuing working with Secretary Rubio and President Trump to enforce a policy that isolates the Castro regime and assists the Cuban people in their struggle for freedom.”

Rubio confirmed new restrictions on Cuban officials involved in labor-export programs that send medical care from the island nation to other countries, including U.S. adversaries. But the Cuban-born and -trained doctors sent abroad frequently work under inhumane treatment, low or withheld wages, oppressive conditions and restrictive agreements that generate income for the Cuban regime, which benefits from these agreements diplomatically.

Former President Joe Biden’s administration imposed sanctions on third parties in other countries that help coordinate Cuban work brigades.

The new sanctions, Rubio said Tuesday, target “current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labor export program, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions.”

The immediate family members of those sanctioned may also be penalized with visa restrictions.

The announcement from Rubio — who made history as the first Cuban American Florida House Speaker, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State — comes just over a month after Trump reversed an unpopular decision Biden made in mid-January to remove Cuba as a federally recognized state sponsor of terrorism.

Giménez is among the strictest Cuba hawks in Washington alongside Rubio and fellow Republican U.S. Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and María Elvira Salazar. Last year, he led an inquiry into a much-criticized tour Cuban officials took of security areas at Miami International Airport.

In late January, Giménez joined the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute. He said he’d work to ensure that “Hispanic, Cuban American, and Cuban exile experiences are accurately portrayed and represented in the Smithsonian Institute’s collection.”

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Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics contributed to this report.

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Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Gov. Ron DeSantis is shuffling agency heads following former Chief of Staff James Uthmeier’s ascension to Attorney General.

Soon after Uthmeier’s appointment to succeed U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, DeSantis plucked Jason Weida to fill the vacant Chief of Staff slot, which in turn created an opening at the top of the Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program and tens of thousands of health care facilities.

The ripple effect continued Tuesday when the Governor announced Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris would be tagging in for Weida. Harris’ new role isn’t so new — before she took the lead role at DCF in early 2021, Harris spent 15 years working at AHCA, culminating with a stint as Acting Secretary.

Harris’ slot at DCF, meanwhile, will be filled by Taylor Hatch, the Secretary of Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Hatch previously worked as a Deputy Secretary at DCF.

Hatch’s background included working as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Management Services, the state’s real estate manager, and director of workforce services at the Department of Economic Opportunity.

DeSantis did announce who would succeed Hatch at DCF, so there may be another domino or two left in the chain.

Evening Reads

—“The 34 most unhinged lines from Donald Trump’s CPAC speech” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—”The election just ended and we already have a new Michael Wolff book” via Nicolas Niarchos of The New York Times 

—”Some GOP lawmakers start to call out DOGE — carefully” via Hannah Knowles, Marianna Sotomayor and Mariana Alfaro

—”Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Elon Musk’s DOGE are expected to produce no savings” via Ryan J. Foley of The Associated Press

—“Russia’s withering economy is tricky place to do deals — even for Donald Trump” via Georgi Kantchev and Joe Wallace of The Wall Street Journal

—”Why the Trump administration is publicly supporting an alleged human trafficker” via Aja Romano of Vox

—“‘Forced labor’: Marco Rubio expands sanctions on Cuba’s doctor program” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”Message to Byron Donalds? Casey DeSantis warns ‘Republican-lite squishes’ could set back Florida” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

—”With no Medicaid expansion on horizon Florida lawmakers take on scope battles (again)” via Christine Sexton of the Florida Phoenix

—”Goodbye to baseball’s most anachronistic rule” via Steve Rushin of The Atlantic