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EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN CITIZENS FOR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 760) expressing solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating peacefully for fundamental freedoms, condemning the Cuban regime's acts of repression, and calling for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 760
Whereas, on July 11, 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with Cuba's continued repression of its people, its worsening economic situation, and shortages of food and medicine;
Whereas these demonstrations were the largest protests on the island in over 25 years, with courageous Cuban men, women, and youth taking to the streets in cities and towns across the country;
Whereas the Cuban regime arbitrarily denied a request to allow a peaceful demonstration on November 15, 2021, which the organizers have specified would be ``against violence, to demand that all the rights of all Cubans be respected, for the release of political prisoners and for the solution of our differences through democratic and peaceful means'';
Whereas the Cuban regime also denied an earlier request for protests to be held on November 20, 2021, stating that date was off-limits because it would conflict with ``national defense day'' and claiming without evidence that ``subversive organizations'' with links to the United States Government were promoting the protest;
Whereas artists, academics, activists, and journalists have been long engaged in ongoing protests calling for an end to Cuba's persecution, censorship, arbitrary detention, and other human rights violations;
Whereas expanded internet access is foundational for the Cuban people to be able to exercise their internationally recognized human rights of access to information and freedom of expression, creating opportunities for Cubans to communicate more openly with one another and for their voices to be heard around the world;
Whereas numerous public reports and first-hand accounts revealed that the Cuban regime deliberately blocked access to certain websites and messaging apps, throttled internet access, and launched targeted attacks to disrupt the internet connections of private Cuban citizens;
Whereas during the July protests, regime security officials physically assaulted domestic and international journalists, including Associated Press correspondent Ramon Espinosa, and prevented dozens of reporters from leaving their homes to report on the protests, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists;
Whereas Cuba is among the most restrictive countries in the world for journalists, ranked 171 of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2021 World Press Freedom Index;
Whereas Cuban human rights groups report there were already at least 150 political prisoners in Cuba before the July 11 protests, and Cuba has reportedly been responsible for over 400 additional arrests or forced disappearances since then;
Whereas hundreds of Cubans who participated in the July protests continue to face unjust detention and other forms of retribution, including dozens who have been sentenced in summary trials without due process and dozens of others who remain unaccounted for;
Whereas United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about ``the excessive force against demonstrators in Cuba and the arrest of a large number of people, including journalists'' and noted ``it is particularly worrying that these include individuals allegedly held incommunicado and people whose whereabouts are unknown'';
Whereas, on July 25, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of 20 countries issued a statement to ``condemn the mass arrests and detentions of protestors in Cuba and call on the government to respect the universal rights and freedoms of the Cuban people, including the free flow of information to all Cubans'';
Whereas, on October 17, 2021, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols said
``Denying the right of peaceful assembly to Cubans this November 15th shows the Cuban regime's disregard for the human rights and freedoms of its people. This and other blatant attempts to intimidate their citizens is a clear sign the regime won't listen to what Cubans have to say.'';
Whereas over the summer, Cuba has seen record numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths, pushing hospitals and health centers to near collapse; and
Whereas basic medicines and common goods have become scarce throughout the country and economists estimate Cuba's economic conditions will become even worse in the coming months: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses strong solidarity with the Cuban people who took to the streets throughout the country on July 11, 2021, and with those who plan to peacefully demonstrate on November 15, 2021, to once again express their desire to live in a free country with self-determination;
(2) condemns the Cuban regime's violent repression of peaceful protesters and journalists and its other efforts to restrict the Cuban people's right to peacefully protest, freely express themselves, and exercise their other universal human rights;
(3) calls on Cuba to end all efforts to block or throttle the Cuban people's internet access or restrict their access to certain websites or applications and to permit them to freely communicate online, including during future demonstrations and peaceful protests;
(4) calls on members of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, and Cuba's National Revolutionary Police Force to not arrest or detain peaceful protesters, provide due process to all individuals, and immediately release all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained individuals still in their custody; and
(5) urges the Biden administration to--
(A) work with Cuban activists, civil society groups, private United States companies, and the international community to expand internet access for the Cuban people;
(B) support the Cuban people's inherent right to demonstrate peacefully in the name of democracy and human rights;
(C) continue to stand behind the aspirations of the Cuban people for freedom, for dignity, for prosperity, and the basic rights that they have been denied by the regime since 1959;
(D) assess whether the United States can develop methods to allow remittances, medical supplies, and other forms of support from the United States to directly benefit the Cuban people in ways that alleviate humanitarian suffering without providing United States dollars to the Cuban military; and
(E) rally the international community to join the United States in condemning human rights abuses and honoring the Cuban people's demands for freedom.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 760.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 760, introduced by my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, together with my friend, Congressman Diaz-Balart, and chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Congressman Sires, supports the basic human rights of the Cuban people and stands with them in their right to peacefully protest their own government.
In July, the largest protest in decades swept the island of Cuba. Activists, in turn, were beaten and jailed by the government. Many remain jailed. According to Human Rights Watch, many have been subjected to abuse and torture simply for standing up for access to food, to medicine, to information, and to have their rights respected.
This resolution expresses solidarity with the Cuban people ahead of planned nationwide protests for November 15. The organizers of these protests sought approval from the government, as the Cuban constitution allows for legitimate protest. They were denied.
We must stand with the people of Cuba as they exercise their right to free expression. We must condemn the violent response to peaceful protests by the Cuban people. That is what this resolution does.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for working to bring this resolution to the floor, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution expressing solidarity with the freedom-loving Cuban citizens, condemning the regime's violence against innocent protesters, and calling on our international partners to pledge support for Cuban freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank my colleagues, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Albio Sires for their work on this resolution.
For over 60 years, Cubans have been held hostage by a tyrannical dictatorship. The Communists have bankrupted a beautiful country, condemning three generations to misery, and separating countless families.
Castro's Cuba is also a threat to regional stability and security, trafficking weapons to North Korea, propping up Venezuela's cruel regime, and forging alliances with pariahs like Russia and China.
The Cuban regime is a cancer that has metastasized throughout Latin America. Starting on July 11, tens of thousands of protestors across the island demanded and pleaded for an end to the oppressive regime. Some were even waving the greatest symbol of liberty known to mankind, the American flag.
Since the protests began, Ranking Member McCaul has called on the majority to consider a resolution standing in solidarity with the Cuban people; each time it was blocked. I am pleased that the leadership has finally allowed a measure to be considered 4 months after the initial protests.
Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution reinforcing Congress' support for the pro-democracy movement in Cuba. As Members of Congress and Americans, we have a moral obligation to support them.
The United States remains committed to democracy and respect for human rights in the Western Hemisphere, and this resolution urges the international community to join us in these efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure and advocate for many Cubans who cannot speak for themselves. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader of the House of Representatives.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and I thank him for his support. I want to thank the chairman of the committee as well for his agreeing to have this come to the floor, and I look forward to his support.
I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I have talked to a lot of Members about this. The policies that we have regarding Cuba are subject to debate and subject to differences. While I think, Mr. Speaker, there are no differences--there are--in this Congress, that we are all for supporting those who seek democracy and who seek the benefits of freedom and who seek the welfare of their families associated with that freedom. I don't think there is a single Member who wasn't appalled by the way peaceful protesters in Cuba were brutally suppressed in July.
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I doubt there is anyone here who is not concerned that such actions will be repeated this month when the next protests are scheduled to occur. So this is a very timely resolution because it anticipates that there will be another group of people who will have the courage to stand up and to speak up on behalf of freedom in their country.
There was a resolution passed by the United States Senate on August 3, 2021, although it doesn't exactly mirror our resolution. Frankly, our resolution is somewhat less specific in terms of criticism and in terms of policy.
Why? Because we wanted this to be about human rights. We wanted it to be about people who stand up for freedom. We wanted it to be another statement of the thousands that we have made in countries throughout this globe that suppress the rights of people and that imprison people because they try to express their views. But this resolution that was passed in the Senate was sponsored by my counterpart, the majority whip, Mr. Durbin; by Mr. Kaine from Virginia; Mr. Schatz from Hawaii; Mr. Coons from Delaware; Mr. Booker from New Jersey; Ms. Cortez Masto from Nevada; Mr. Brown from Ohio; Mr. Padilla from California; Mr. Warner from Virginia; Mr. Cardin from my own State of Maryland; Ms. Rosen from Nevada; Mr. Warnock from Georgia; Mr. Lujan from New Mexico, our former chair of the campaign committee; and Ms. Hassan from New Hampshire; along with many Republicans. My point is that this was a unanimous consent, so everybody was for it.
The vote we take on this resolution is a simple one. The text of the resolution is clear. It states that this House--all of us--stands in solidarity with Cubans seeking to express themselves and seek a redress of grievances from their leaders. It affirms that the Cuban people ought to be able to enjoy the same access to information and the internet as Americans and other free people do around the world. And it urges the Biden administration to find ways to promote freedom, human rights, and access to basic needs in Cuba.
I believe that these are goals we can support overwhelmingly. I understand that some Members believe that the text of this resolution does not include items on policy that they would like to have. I certainly think that is a legitimate concern, and there is no reason why we cannot have resolutions that speak to that. But this is singularly focused on the rights of people.
John Kennedy said that we will bear any burden to defend any peoples who essentially seek freedom. That is what this resolution does. It is simple and straightforward.
I have supported many of these policies as chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and the Helsinki Commission, where resolution after resolution said to Soviet satellites that the Helsinki signature of the Russians on that document demanded that they observe the human rights of those folks. This is a similar resolution.
I hope all Members would share my view that a strong, bipartisan, and united vote by this House will send a message to the people of Cuba that they are not alone, that the American people stand with those who speak out in peaceful protest, and that Democrats and Republicans stand together and in support of the freedoms they seek.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. I hope that the valid concerns and differences Members have on both sides of the aisle when it comes to Cuba will not preclude us from agreeing that we ought to stand in solidarity with those who are seeking the same rights that we enjoy in this extraordinary country in which we live. That is why I will be voting an enthusiastic and strong ``yes'' on this resolution.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart).
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, to Ranking Member Green, also to my friend also from Florida (Mr. Deutch) in particular, and to my good friend Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, I thank you for your leadership.
Mr. Speaker, on the 11th of July, the Cuban people went to the streets demanding one thing: freedom after 62 years of repression. That was 4 months ago. Many of those who hit the streets were arrested, and many of those remain in prison in the worst possible conditions. Several have held hunger strikes to protest their unjust and cruel imprisonment.
Unfortunately, there has been very little solidarity from the Biden administration. The administration has yet to even use technology available to the United States Government and even the private sector to provide internet so the Cuban people can communicate. The administration has failed to even support adequate funding for broadcasting into Cuba through the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
Mr. Speaker, I fear that the administration will use remittances or even humanitarian aid or other ways to prop up the regime. Having said that, that is why I am so grateful to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who has not given up and who has not stopped working to try to bring a resolution to the floor.
This resolution is a compromise. It is a compromise resolution, and although, as you have heard before, Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues and I would have liked a stronger resolution such as the one that I introduced in July, which, again, the House leadership has refused to bring forward, this resolution does express solidarity with the Cuban people. Again, that is why I am so grateful to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
I mention her, but I also need to mention Congressman McCarthy; Albio Sires; Maria Elvira Salazar; Carlos Gimenez; Mr. Mark Green, whom I mentioned; Michael McCaul; and Ted Deutch for their solidarity.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution for the cause of freedom and human rights in Cuba so that the Cuban people know that they are not alone and that we are with them.
Again, while we would like to be stronger, I am grateful for those who have worked day in and day out to finally bring this forward.
Patria y vida. Cuba will be free. They must know, and they will know, that they are not alone.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild).
Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 760 and in solidarity with the Cubans who, have over the past months, turned out in large numbers to engage in peaceful demonstrations for a better future.
They did so with the full knowledge that they were braving an authoritarian regime that criminalizes dissent.
According to Amnesty International's Americas director: ``In response to the protests of 11 July, the Cuban authorities have applied the same machinery of control that they have used to target alternative thinkers for decades, but now amped up to a scale we haven't seen in almost 20 years, and with new tactics, including the use of internet interruptions and online censorship to control and cover up the grave human rights violations they have committed.''
These are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives. Above all, they are human beings who are entitled to fundamental rights denied to them for far too long.
As the House of Representatives takes this vote, let us stand with every prisoner of conscience and dissident facing persecution in Cuba and in every corner of the world.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Salazar).
Ms. SALAZAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Green.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 760. I want to thank my colleagues, Mario Diaz-Balart and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for sponsoring this resolution denouncing the Cuban regime and supporting freedom for the people of Cuba.
On July 11, the world watched as thousands of Cubans peacefully took to the streets calling for libertad, meaning freedom or liberty. But the Castro thugs responded by cracking their heads open in the streets of Havana. Ever since, countless dissidents have been arrested, and hundreds more have disappeared.
But what is encouraging is that these young men and women of unbelievable courage cannot be stopped.
And do you know why, Mr. Speaker? Because their hunger to pursue freedom and to pursue happiness drives them, and that is bigger than the stranglehold the Castro regime has put on them for 60 years. Apparently, freedom is bigger than fear, and that is why, in 10 days from today, on November 15, these brave freedom fighters will flood the streets of Cuba once again.
Already, the Castro repressive apparatus is showing its ugly head. That is why we, the United States Congress, the seat of power in this shining city on a hill the whole world is watching, must approve this resolution today to express solidarity with the Cuban people.
We are demanding that peaceful protesters be allowed to assemble without fear of being brutalized. We are condemning the heinous crimes committed by this tyrannical regime. We are calling now on the Biden administration peacefully and respectfully to provide internet to Cuba.
We are on the cusp of momentous change for that island. We are less than 2 weeks away from another heroic demonstration by the Cuban people. We are less than 2 weeks away from another violent crackdown by the regime.
These pictures right here are evidence. They came straight from Cuban television. Castro's civilian gestapo, armed with clubs, is ready to attack those who will dare to shout ``libertad'' on the streets of Cuba because in Cuba protesters are brutalized, detained, and beaten. They are jailed and charged with treason because in the eyes of this murderous regime, free speech is a crime and liberty is illegal.
This resolution from the United States House of Representatives will send a message loud and clear that we will always stand on the side of freedom, democracy, and human rights and that the Castro regime's days are numbered. May the Lord allow for that.
The world is watching, and it is time for the Cubans to be free like Americans, like we all are.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 760.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), who is a great champion for human rights and an outspoken champion for those human rights when they are violated so close to our own shores.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership as well on human rights worldwide.
Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 760. I authored this bipartisan resolution co-led by my dear friend, Mario Diaz-Balart, to send a message to the brave Cubans who are desperately yearning for freedom and legitimate self-governance: The American people are firmly by your side.
The passionate human cry for self-determination ringing out from the streets of Havana has moved this Congress and achieved something beautiful and all too rare. It has united Democrats and Republicans behind this call for freedom.
Today, we are here to do something simple and unifying that is at the heart of American values: support human rights and freedom of expression and freedom from repression.
Today, this body stands arm in arm to condemn the Cuban regime's acts of repression. Together, we proclaim the strongest possible support for the Cuban people to take a courageous stand in the streets on November 15, as they did on July 11, and peacefully express their opposition to the brutality and dehumanization of the Cuban regime.
As representatives of the American people, we proudly express unyielding solidarity with the Cuban people who wish to peacefully assemble and boldly demand their freedom from oppression.
The regime has all the tools of repression in their possession, but the Cuban people are armed with truth, conviction, and courage. Dictators thrive on silence, lies, and fear. That is why the resolution before this Chamber today is so important. This body must use our platform to shed light on the tyranny that casts a shadow over such a beautiful island.
The Cuban regime's deception, repression, and arbitrary imprisonment of citizens, activists, and artists cannot withstand the people's demands for freedom, agency, and accountability.
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By passing this resolution today, we will make sure the Cuban people's calls for freedom are not silenced. Instead, we will amplify them as we are here this afternoon.
And we are not alone. In adopting this resolution, we will join with the European Parliament who adopted a resolution earlier this summer that condemns the Cuban regime's blatant disregard for human rights.
Now we too must loudly proclaim that this Congress stands for democracy and denounces the unaccountable corruption clinging to power just across the Straits of Florida.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take one moment to thank all of those, including President Biden, and especially President Biden, for standing with the Cuban people; for standing up for freedom, for free and fair elections on the island, for freedom of expression, and for making sure that we can help hold this unaccountable regime accountable.
I also want to thank those who helped deliver this message today, my good friends: Albio Sires, Mario Diaz-Balart, and, of course, Leader Hoyer. And I also want to thank Chairman Meeks for working with me on this resolution as well and my colleagues from Florida. Without their hard work and the efforts of many other allies of Cuban democracy, we could not send this powerful, bipartisan message today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. We are united today around the Cuban people's fight for libertad and patria y vida.
I ask all Members to embrace the unifying principles in this resolution which avoids the policy arguments and expresses our support for basic human rights. Who could be against that?
I urge all of my colleagues to stand behind and side by side with the Cuban people and support their pursuit of liberty and justice. I urge a
``yes'' vote on H. Res. 760.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 760, but let me just say I, too, support the basic rights of the Cuban people, the basic human rights of the Cuban people. As an African American who has engaged in many protests for justice, I know the impact of keeping government and police forces from interfering in our actions for our basic rights.
We should not excuse the Cuban Government for limiting their own people's freedom and opportunity. But let me just say: Here in Congress, we need to also take a hard look at the failed U.S. policy that has not helped the Cuban people and too often inflicted harm on them. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Well, for 60 years we have been squeezing the Cuban people thinking that if we starve them just enough it will somehow lead to democracy.
So it is long overdue to support policies that truly help the Cuban people. The Obama administration showed us that we can take a new approach. That is through engagement, diplomacy, trade, travel, and, yes, support for human rights for the Cuban people.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this resolution on the suspension calendar today and we should have an honest debate about a new Cuban policy that talks about and supports what real human rights for the Cuban people mean.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).
Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ted Deutch and my colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the people of Cuba who deserve the right to stand up peacefully for freedom and basic human rights without fear of repercussions.
This summer, as my colleagues have already described, thousands of Cubans took to the streets peacefully to raise their voices for basics like food, and medicine, access to the internet, for freedom and opportunity in their country. And what was the response by their Cuban Government? Violence and arrests and detention without due process of hundreds of the protesters.
Here is what I think we can all agree with: the ability to speak freely, to rise and protest our fundamental human rights that everyone deserves, no matter where they live in the world, and that is whether you are marching here in Washington, or in south Florida, or on the streets of Havana. We must continue to support and stand up for those who are standing up for fundamental freedoms. And we must condemn the acts of violence and undue repercussions against people for exercising these rights.
So today, by passing this important resolution, we take a stand and we shine a spotlight on these blatant attacks on human rights in Cuba by condemning the acts.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just join those in condemning the acts of repression by the Cuban regime and call for the immediate release of Cuban citizens arbitrarily detained. I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Deutch for yielding and for his strong leadership on this issue, and I certainly want to thank my classmate, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, for bringing this bill to the floor, plus all of the Members in a bipartisan way, I thank them so much.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my solidarity with the Cuban people who have exercised their human rights to peacefully demonstrate for their rightful freedoms and their liberty, their libertad. This past July thousands of Cuban citizens took to the streets and in unison, they chanted: libertad, libertad--liberty, liberty.
They protested for freedom. They protested for liberty. They protested for vida--life--and for patria--also country. They wanted a change after more than six decades of authoritarian rule.
Demonstrators were shown waving American flags symbolizing the liberty that they so desperately want. One protester remarked to the press: It felt so good to finally be able to protest in our country. It is only human to feel fear, but that moved to the background because you knew that we were doing the right thing. The Cuban Government reacted to such demonstrations with unjust imprisonment of hundreds of protesters, and, of course, they cut off people's access to the internet as part of the government's crackdown.
In closing, the people of Cuba deserve the right to protest. They have the right to have freedom--libertad--patria y vida.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that we support this legislation and pass this.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crist).
Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Deutch for yielding.
In recent years, the living conditions for the Cuban people have deteriorated rapidly. Shortages of basic goods like food, medicine, even hygienic products like diapers, have become the norm. Socialism and communism have truly failed. The economy has collapsed and in order to maintain power, leaders have only tightened their stranglehold on the people.
The Cuban people have responded. This past summer we witnessed history. Cubans from all walks of life peacefully took to the streets demanding reform and freedom. They were met with violence. Since then, demonstrators have been rounded up, and show trials, arbitrary detentions, and crackdowns on thought and speech have followed. Activists are still missing and have not been seen for months. Our hearts are with the Cuban exile community, nearly 1.6 million in Florida alone, including many second- and third-generation Floridians.
They call America home because they cannot call Cuba home due to the violent, Communist dictatorship. This resolution is an important statement by the people's House that we will not stand by while Cubans suffer and die. And we will lead the international community in holding the Communist regime accountable. Please vote ``yes.''
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, the people of Florida stand with the people of Cuba.
I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida
(Mrs. Demings), another colleague from Florida.
Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, during his inaugural address in 1960, President Kennedy said these words: ``Let every nation know . . . that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.''
We know what freedom means in America. It is the lifeline of our Nation. The people of Cuba have cried out for freedom, and because of who we are, America must answer the call.
The failed socialist regime in Cuba has delivered tyranny instead of freedom, poverty instead of prosperity, and violence to silence its own people instead of protection and safety. We denounce that regime and we stand with the people because we stand for freedom.
One protester said this: ``It's only human to feel fear but that moved to the background because you knew you were doing the right thing.''
I say to America, this statement should be familiar to all of us. We will not stay neutral for neutrality helps the oppressor, never the oppressed. Democracy and a free economy are the right path forward for Cuba.
We stand today and we support this resolution so that every Cuban, like every American and every Floridian, will know that they have a God-given right to safety, liberty, and the right to freely choose their own future. Together we stand.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy), my colleague.
Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan resolution.
This resolution honors the Cuban people who have protested peacefully at great personal risk for their fundamental freedoms and a brighter future for their families. These are men and women of courage and character, confronting a ruthless and repressive regime.
Our resolution sends these patriots a simple message: America has your back.
I feel a deep sense of solidarity with the Cuban people. When I was a baby, my family fled a Communist country, and like many Cuban families, we found refuge and opportunity in America. And like so many Cuban Americans, I never take for granted the rights I am afforded in this country because I know what the alternative looks like.
Following the historic protests in Cuba, I offered a bipartisan amendment to an appropriations bill that would have increased funding to support democracy, human rights, political prisoners, and internet access in Cuba. To my grave disappointment, this amendment was prevented from coming to the floor of the House by members of my own party.
America must speak and act with moral clarity. We should support men and women standing up to authoritarian regimes across the globe, and especially in our shared neighborhood. I urge support for this bill.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto).
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, let it be known, just 90 miles off the coast of our State of Florida is a murderous, socialist dictatorship that is murdering and crushing its people. Let it also be known across this Nation that Democrats and Republicans are coming together today to express solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating peacefully for fundamental freedoms and democracy.
We saw it this summer when they took to the streets on the island as well as across our country including in Orlando. I was proud to stand in solidarity. Resolutions expressing support are important, but so is action, which is why, after this is done, we need to pursue other, more substantive policies like: stopping enslavement of Cuban doctors, putting more pressure for internet access on the island; addressing Havana syndrome and the attack on our diplomats, sanctions and U.N. action to stop even some of our own U.N. European allies from continuing to prop up this dictatorship. That will make a big difference.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, before we vote on this, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the driving force behind this.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Libertad para Cuba. Patria y vida.
(English translation of Spanish is as follows: Freedom for Cuba. Country and life.)
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to first associate myself with the comments that the majority leader made at the beginning of his comments, where he described a significant overlap, a place here where both parties can come together to support this resolution. We all agree on the importance of human rights.
I am hopeful a dialogue on the policy differences that he mentioned occurs soon. The shift toward authoritarianism in Latin America continues, and I believe most of this body recognizes Cuba's hand in all of that.
Patria y vida. Cuba libre.
(English translation of Spanish is as follows: Country and life. Free Cuba.)
Once again, I want to thank my friends, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Diaz-Balart, and Mr. Sires, for leading this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Green, I want to thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz and Mr. Diaz-Balart, as well as our good friend Mr. Sires, all of them, for their bipartisan leadership of this important resolution. I want to thank Senator Menendez and Senator Rubio for the same.
We have the opportunity today here, at this moment, to show unequivocally that the United States stands with the people of Cuba, that we stand with them in their desire for basic rights, that we want to see relations between the United States and the Cuban people flourish, that we support today and will always support the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom, the right to free expression, and the right to live and be free.
I thank the bill sponsors for their important work on this resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to stand for human rights, to stand with the people of Cuba, and to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 760.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion are postponed.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 193
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