Its importance, but there is much date as you know about what will happen in congress and in the senate and the house with espect to the Nuclear Iranian nuclear deal. Tell me the position you took and why the senate and house are likely to do. Guest as you know, i think this is the best available option for putting the brakes on the development of a Nuclear Weapon by iran, which has always been one of our top Foreign Policy priorities and top Security Priorities for our country and i do this with ice wide open about the nature of this iranian regime, the fact that they have engaged in terrorist activities and human rights abuses, but i think it would only be made worse if they possessed Nuclear Weapons. And as far as what will happen in the future, i dont have a crystal ball but people have noticed while there have been a few people on the other side, on the democratic side, a number of people daily are coming out after much thought and talking to Nuclear Experts and military experts are coming out the same way in favor of this agreement. So i do find hard it to believe that there would be enough votes against it and somehow the president s veto would be overridden if we got to that point. Charlie you think you have the numbers but not sufficient numbers to override a president ial veto if it comes to that . Guest i think so. I know mostly about the senate and senator tester this week, a number of senators that have come out in favor of this agreement. Charlie you think it might not be necessary for the president to have a veto resolution . Guest we dont know that, but in any case, i think the numbers are adding up on a daily basis and i think if you look at the people who said they are leaning that way or came out in favor of the agreement, i think most people would predict that the numbers are there, even if we get to the point of a veto or disapproval, that that would not be overridden. Charlie what has made the difference to those you have talked to in the senate . Is the the testimony of Nuclear Experts or some sense that without this, we are in a worst place . Guest the Nuclear Experts and those 20some nuclear doctors, have come out and said this is a valid way to check up and have Intrusive Inspections of the iranian capabilities, the fact hat 98 of the done something with 98 of the uranium, all of these things add up. But the thing that made a difference as people talked to experts in the last few weeks was the ambassadors from some of the other countries that a group of us sat down with, all of them actually, and they said this is going to splinter the coalition. One of the strengths is that we have hung together and what will happen most likely would be that iran would just go on. They are a few months away from developing a Nuclear Weapon and would just continue on their way and then at the same time, you would most likely see countries like russia and china start doing business with them. We have to look at the reality of the global situation. And everyone would have wanted to see something added to the agreement, but we have the agreement that we have. And the decision that each of us has to make. And you have the utmost respect for people who have come down the other way. Its a difficult decision. But the decision that we have to make is are we better off with this agreement in preventing iran from getting a Nuclear Weapon or not. And i came down on the side of the fact that this does puts the brakes on their program and better off with them not having a weapon. Charlie any likelihood that anything will be attached to this agreement, Something Like a side letter . Guest i think there are discussions. I know i talked to senator cardin, the ranking on Foreign Relations about this. There are discussions about at some point and the timing is key, more aid to israel for their security. There are things, sanctions are going to keep in place on terrorist activities. American sanctions on terrorist activities. There could be a reauthorization of that bill. There are other things we could be doing and coordinating with our allies and taking better actions against isis and other terrorist groups, some supported by iran in that region. I would favor doing something either at the same time or immediately after the vote on the agreement. Charlie how intense is the pressure . Guest you are seeing people talking to you on all sides, including our constituents here in minnesota, but i think in the end, we had that time and i was proud of senator corker, republican, senator cardin, a democrat in negotiating this review process. The way it went down, we have 60 days and given congress, and i was a strong supporter of these sanctions and bringing iran to the table, given that we had that very important role, i think having a way that we review this agreement is really important and that is how people have come to their decisions. I cant tell you how many senators have been at these briefings, at these meetings. We had numerous meetings outside of the public hearings and briefings from experts all during the last few weeks and people are still on the phone talking to them. I think these decisions are coming down with a lot of input on whether people come down for or against the agreement, i think they are trying in good faith to learn the facts. Charlie is it more controversial than the opening of cuba . Guest the public would be there to judge that. If you just look at the american public, its more divided on the iranian agreement where they are more in favor of opening the embassy in cuba and moving forward with cuba. They are very different situations. One more focused on a squret issue and the other, in my mind, more focused on economics and human rights. Charlie tell me about the opening of the embassy. That was a joyful moment and to see those three marines, jim, mike and larry come back after 50 years after at least one of them vowed to one day bring that flag and put a flag up again after having walked through an angry flag and have taken that flag down and see them hand the flag over to the marines was something i will never forget with the sea in the background and some of the cuban officials there and secretary kerry. And later in the afternoon to be at the ambassadors residence, which was full of life and both bans and americans and cubanamericans, and started to play God Bless America and everyone started to sing along. Anyone who could have seen that seen would have gotten a few goose bumps and thought to yourself this hasnt happened a lot over the past decades. Charlie the cuban reaction, what do you think their inat the present time is with respect to this and what is it driven by . Guest i think first of all, they are in an economic mess in cuba. A lot of americans want to visit there and i hope they can to see the beautiful buildings and the spirit of the people and the old cars, but there is nothing romantic about poverty. They have two currencies and 600,000 people that are entrepreneurs that are just wanting to participate in a more of an Economic System that works for their country. Youve got 90 miles off our shore, 11 Million People that want to do business with us. And my view is that the people of cuba like the people of america are in front of our government and its time to left the embargo. I now have 22 cosponsors. I have republicans on the bill. Senator flake and senator ensy have been leaders, senator leahy and we are working together to move forward to first lift the travel ban and thats a separate bill and then to left the embargo, those things are really important for the economies of both countries. Charlie tell me where you think lifting the embargo stands today . Guest the first move will be to lift the travel ban because tens of thousands of millions want it. Once that happens, if we wait too long, there is going to be investment from all over the world. That investment is waiting to see if america moves. Once the tourists come in, there will be such a demand and we want our tourists to be eating American Food and eating american today. And i think our country, i saw the beautiful newport that has gone up in cuba, we want to bring American Goods to their shores. I would like to see both things happened at the same time. Charlie tell me about it. You worked hard for this. You believe in this. Tell me how you think cubans are viewing this. And not the people of cuba, but the leadership. Guest the leadership has a Historical Foundation of suspicion and distrust of the United States of america. Fidel castro and the only comment he has made about this whole effort has said, you know, we should have had civil relations under the guise of International Law but i distrust the americans even though historically, the book i did with william, historically fidel reached out to every new president since contendy to say we are interested in better relations. But theres a distrust and perhaps this is a trojan horse, this kind of new embrace from the United States and through the bridges of culture and economics and politics that are going to be built in this new relationship, the United States may still seek regime change and that is the tension between the cubans and america. Fear that the United States will use these bridges of engagement to try and pursue the same goals. Charlie thats the belief that hey felt the need to change. Guest absolutely, for economic reasons and validation of the revolution. The cubans and castros have seen the validation of the revolution. Charlie what are they saying will not change . Guest the secret meeting that took place between kennedy aide, he said we are willing to talk to you about anything but our system of governance is not on the table. Even today, all the cuban leadership is saying the same thing. Not going to negotiate away the socialist revolution they undertook. The u. S. Position is essentially, we are going to normalize economic and diplomatic relations and that may have an impact. The cubans say it wont and thats where we are today. I should say even though there is some distrust among the older cuban leadership, i give the regimetration credit for change is something of the past for this administration and they seek a normal relationship with cuba in which the United States continues to assert the super power. Charlie what did you hear when you talked to cuban leaders, eople of the government . Guest you hear different things, but for the most part, they want to lift this embargo and want to start doing business, thats their major focus. When you talk to regular people on the streets, they want to buy American Goods and want things like internet. The fact that they have just a few dozen wifi spots where you could get Cell Phone Service or internet is outrageous. There are countries that have a lot more problems with poverty that have access to the internet. So the issue is that the people and the government want to lift the embargo. On our side, we want to see some changes and while, i think it was pointed out the name of the game here people arent exactly pushing on regime change, we know there could be some changes to the government eventually and that that could be a good thing and we know this could result in human rights changes. The pope is coming there in the fall. They are looking forward to that. They are talking a lot about that and he is going to bring a message of human rights change. Guest and saying that the embargo is not blessed by the vatican and lifting the embargo would be blessed. He is going to be in cuba and talk about the issue of morality and embargo and economic rights. And going to come to the United States and bring that message as well. And to the united nations. He is going to increase the pressure and support for lifting the embargo and let me Say Something else, pave the way in some respects for president obama himself to go to cuba and visit the island as the first sitting president since the revolution to go to cuba and that will consolidate these changes in policy. Charlie i assume that would have some appeal to president obama. Guest they have said very clearly, they are waiting for the right moment. And i dont think that that moment has quite aprifed. Charlie what has to happen to get sufficient support to end first the travel ban and then the embargo, which is the larger more complicated issue . Guest you had senator rubio who is opposed as well as senator menendez and a number of those in the house. Thats an issue. Both those senators sit on the Foreign Relations committee. Rlt and theres a number of others that may be opposed. But i will say just talking to nearly all of the senators about this as i work on imagining support for my bill. I have 22 people and dozens more that would vote for it. We had a test vote in appropriations on the travel ban that passed in the senate. I think its a little different story in the house. You have more republicans in the senate who are willing to be favorable. You have a lot of midwestern republicans and those that see the potential for agriculture that are interested in opening up cuba. Its a different story. I dont think its going to happen overnight, but it is imagining and imagining and imagining. I have added a senator every week. Charlie if it is imagining, when will it happen . Guest we dont though if its one year or two years. It will be a major discussion in the president ial debate once it gets to the stages of two primary candidates. But i think that will be helpful because you look at where the peopler the American People want to visit cuba and open up relations with cuba. Cubanamericans are split. I wish i could give you the exact date. I wish it was september. But its going to take a little longer. Charlie cubanamericans have changed. Guest when president obama first became president he was under pressure to change the policy. Allowed cubanamericans to travel freely. The rest of us cant travel freely but cubanamericans can. And tens of thousands of people went and visited their family and started giving money to their family and helping their family. And they became vested in a change in the policy and you see the polls in florida have changed significantly and florida is no longer a swing state on the whole issue of hillary wards cuba clinton has decided she can get money from florida on a position of lifting the embargo and went out of her way a week or so ago to give a speech in florida about the need to lifting the embargo, presenting some of the arguments you just heard. Charlie lets assume the embargo and travel ban is lifted and everybody can go and do business, what is the future of this relationship between a country thats 90 miles off our shore. Senator . Guest i think as we all know its not going to be easy stuff. They still have two currency and very archaic Economic System. I think one of the reasons you see caution on our side in terms of wanting to open the embassy so we have a functional embassy so businesses can talk to them and people who lose their passport have a place to go. The Economic System is such a mess. I think once those things happen and i want to stress, i dont think they will happen right away, you start having countries that do business with each other. One effect that i have learned talking to Business People and american businesses which mean to me American Workers is that this is always put up to them as a barrier of doing business the all of south america because of our relationship with cuba. You can see positive repercussions there. Things made in america to be shipped and sold to other countries in south america as a result of this relationship. Charlie almost all of south america wanted United States to do this. Guest all of south america. Their leadership, canada and spain as well have been pressing the administration for all the time that president obama has been in office. And they are absolutely elated. This helps their domestic politics and helps the international and regional situation. But picking up on this point. Cuba and the United States have a lot of differences and disagreements and some of those were reflected in the exchange between secretary kerry and the foreign minister rodriguez last friday. But we have a new framework in which we can have a dialogue without the hostility and pressure from the United States overshadowing cuba. The United States has set up a commission to discuss what kerry calls the easy issues that include counternarcotics collaboration. We cant send a simple letter to cuba. Migration issues and Disaster Management to the real hard issues like compensating for properties, the regime change programs and the basic guantanamo which is sovereign cuban property and cuba wants it back. There are no kind of deadlines for terminating that discussion and hopefully there will be a trust and a collaboration and a positive relationship that is built up now that takes us a long way towards resolution. Charlie senator, where is the president on guantanamo . Guest i know he still wants to close it down and has been working on that. As you know through the years, working on getting some of the prisoners that he felt could be transferred to other countries transferred. And right now, there are still some issues with congress with that. As far as i know, its still a priority for him. Charlie you and senator have similarities on cuba, but dramatic differences on the iran nuclear issue. And he wanted to be part of this conversation and we had a scheduling conflict as we tried to work this ou