The Obama administration continues its attempt to reestablish ties with Cuba after announcing in December the two nations had been in negotiations. However, anti-Castro legislators in Congress have hindered the administration's attempts to normalize relations.

Despite polls showing most Americans favoring normalizing ties with Cuba, many lawmakers, particularly those of Cuban descent, oppose the negotiations between the U.S. and the island nation. While Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has helmed the push in the Senate, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) has derailed the administration's attempts in the House of Representatives.

Using his position in the Appropriations Committee, the Florida Republican, son of Cuban immigrants who fled Fidel Castro's regime, has continued to prevent the administration from opening up the island nation through trade and tourism, reported CQ Roll Call.

The congressman has been introducing amendments to various bills in the past couple of weeks to hinder President Barack Obama's attempts to improve the relationship of the U.S. and Cuba. Democrats, who lost control of both houses last election, have been unable to remove Rep. Diaz-Balart's amendments.

The congressman's latest upset involved the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill, in which he added language barring exports to Cuba that would benefit the Cuban military. The amendment is similar to a bill Sen. Rubio introduced in the Senate called the Cuban Military Transparency Act.

In a press release, Rep. Diaz-Balart lauded the bill's passing saying the administration's willingness to help the Cuban people does not extend to the military.

Soon after that bill passed, the congressman used his position as chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee to introduce more language further restricting attempts to normalize relations.

The Republican praised the passing of the 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill with language forbidding air travel to Cuba and preventing maritime travel from the island, in another press release. 

"The common sense provisions in the bill, which prohibit new flights to Cuba and deny licenses to marine vessels that use property confiscated from Americans, further core American values and safeguard the property rights of Americans. We must not permit the exploitation of properties stolen by the Castro regime, which is expressly prohibited in U.S. law," he said.

The bills stand the chance of surviving a veto, Diaz-Balart told Roll Call, because the president would not risk defunding the government "in order to directly help the military and intelligence services of the Cuban regime."

However, despite his attempts and many others within the Capitol to not normalize relations with Cuba under the current conditions, some Republicans welcome the opportunity to expand trade and improve relations with Cuba.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Az.), along with Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), met with Cuban officials in Havana over the weekend, according to a post in his Twitter account. They met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and discussed the possibility of reopening the embassies, reported the Associated Press.

"We talked about U.S.-Cuba relations, a continuation of meetings we have had before and will continue to have. We are very excited about the prospect of full diplomatic relations, which are very close," Sen. Flake told the AP.

Yet, the U.S. and Cuba have failed to reach an agreement on reopening embassies despite continues bilateral meetings. But, the push continues. A new bipartisan group, called Engage Cuba, launched on Tuesday with support from Sen. Flake.

The group released an ad calling for the end of the travel ban on Cuba, the same ban reinforced by Rep. Diaz-Balart's bill. Engage Cuba brings together organizations and corporations seeking bipartisan support for the normalization of ties between the two nations.

"I think we're just realizing the degree to which they spent 40-plus years with this being as deep into their DNA as imaginable," James Williams, Engage Cuba's president told the AP. "We're not just going to turn the lights on and it's going to be fixed overnight."

The Cuba issue has created an irregularity within Washington, where many issues are split along partisan lines. Cuba has brought Democrats and Republicans together on opposite sides of the question and pitted them against each other. While many Republicans oppose reconciliation with Cuba under the current terms, one prominent Democrat, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) has spoken out against the plans.

It remains uncertain when the embassies will open in the respective countries and when travel and trade will be reestablished.