While the U.S. State Department continue to renew diplomatic relations with Cuban government officials, Florida's House of Representatives are seeking to rebuke the Obama administration's efforts.

Legislation from the Florida House of Representatives received approval from its Local and Federal Affairs Committee. The bill, H.M. 727, is titled "Diplomatic Relations with Cuba," and it "[e]xpresses disagreement with decision of Federal Government to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, opposes opening of Cuban consulate or diplomatic office in Florida and urges Congress to uphold embargo."

Sponsored by Miami-Dade County Republican Reps. Manny Diaz, Jr. and Jeanette Nuñez, the legislation would petition the U.S. Congress to act on the issue.

Florida Democrats are also hopeful for limited interaction with Cuba's government. Miami Democratic Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez sponsored H.M. 745, which "urges" President Obama to "limit engagement in diplomatic relations with Cuban government to measures specifically designed to strengthen civil society in Cuba; opposes opening of Cuban consulate or other diplomatic office of Cuban government in Miami-Dade County; and requests [Obama] to coordinate with state and local governments in negotiating any repatriation or migration agreements."

Florida Republican State Sen. Anitere Flores have also introduced a third bill expressing "profound disagreement" with Obama's announcement to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba. The third bill, known as S.M. 866, also opposes the opening of a consulate or any diplomatic office across Florida and the continuation of the embargo.

"I'm sorry, this is not a business deal. This is the heart of freedom. And we have exiled families who lost everything, including family members, and out of respect to them and out of respect for our founding fathers, we simply cannot allow the president to trash the constitution without response," said Rep. Dennis Baxley of Ocala.

In the U.S. Congress, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has been stern on denouncing the renewed diplomatic ties. In a statement on Thursday, Rubio, issued a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry to not remove Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. As Latin Post reported, once a country is labeled as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, sanctions are implemented, including a ban on arms-related exports and sales and prohibitions on economic assistance.

Rubio -- who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues -- said he is "greatly disturbed" about media reports of the secretary of state's consideration to remove Cuba from the list.

"I believe that there should be no consideration of such a step while Cuba still harbors fugitives labeled 'terrorists' by the FBI, provides support and safe harbor to members of terrorist groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and continues to flout international norms with respect to weapons smuggling and an ongoing relationship with North Korea," wrote Rubio to Kerry.

He later added, "The United States cannot in good faith remove Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List while the Castro regime harbors terrorists who have killed Americans, actively supports designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations by harboring their members and continues to flout international law through clandestine weapon transfers with a rogue regime like North Korea."

The State Department has not commented on Rubio's letter.

According to the Pew Research Center, 70 percent of the U.S. Cuban population live in Florida

To read Rubio's full letter, click here.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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