Date: 2004-09-21
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The President of the United States put a tremendous amount of thought into how to best accelerate a democratic transition in Cuba: The tyranny there. the dictatorship has oppressed the people of that enslaved island for 45 long years. And President Bush has a very strong commitment to do everything possible to accelerate what we know is inevitable. because there is a consensus of opposition within Cuba to. obviously. oppression and dictatorship. but the tyrant has a tremendous amount of personal power based on the fact that he rules with fear. through fear. And President Bush put a tremendous amount of thought into and issued a policy. really the first comprehensive policy on Cuba by the United States in over 40 years. in this 400page document that he issued and ordered through Executive order. and then implemented its recommendations just a few months ago. Now. it is a very serious. wellthoughtthrough policy. with various key components. One is to increase the effectiveness of broadcasts. radio and television broadcasts. into Cuba by Radio and Television Martinique to break through the jamming. the embargo. if you will. that Castro maintains on information to the Cuban people. President Bush has even gone so far as to order military aircraft to be used. C130 aircraft to be used to broadcast television and radio. The jamming is being broken through. and news and information on an increased basis are getting to the Cuban people. That is one element of the Presidents comprehensive new policy. The second one is to facilitate increased assistance to the internal prodemocracy movement. Key. steps. important steps are being taken in that regard. The head of the United States interests section in Cuba. an extraordinary career diplomat. Jim Cassin. Ambassador Jim Cassin. is doing a great job working with the internal opposition. That also is a serious aspect of the Presidents new policy. And the third aspect of the Presidents policy with regard to accelerating the democratic transition is to reduce the currency that the regime obtains. Now. what is the objective of our policy. the reason that we have as part of our policy sanctions on the dictatorship in Cuba? It is a threestep goal. Three steps are required for normalization. for the end of the embargo. for aid and assistance: the liberation of all political prisoners. without exception. men and women who are rotting in the totalitarian gulag today. simply because they dream of freedom for their country. the legalization of all political parties. labor unions and the press. free speech. as President Bush likes to refer to that aspect of the goal of U.S. policy. freedom for the prisoners. free speech. and the scheduling of free elections. Now. that. Mr. Chairman. in a country that for 45 years has been ruled by a totalitarian tyrant who offers to this day harbor. safe harbor. to hundreds of international terrorists as well as countless fugitives from U.S. justice. cop killers. hijackers. drug dealers. a dictator who has engaged aggressively in espionage against the United States. as the FBI will confirm to any Member of this chamber. a regime that has the head of its air force at this time. at this very time. indicted in the United States for murder of unarmed American citizens and the head of its Navy indicted in the United States for drug trafficking. Now. with regard to that aspect of the Presidents plan to accelerate a democratic transition that calls for steps to be taken to reduce as much as possible hard currency in the hands of the terrorist state in Cuba. terrorist regime. a reduction in CubanAmerican travel to Cuba is part of an important means to getting it accomplished. The dictatorship. just this week. through one of its spokesman. admitted that 25 percent of travel to Cuba and accompanying dollars coming from the United States has been reduced in only the months since the President implemented. ordered the implementation of this new policy. The overwhelming majority. Mr. Chairman. of those affected by the regulations that reduce the amount of travel by CubanAmericans to Cuba. the amount of those affected directly are in the districts of the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. RosLEHTINEN) and the gentleman from Florida and the gentleman from Florida and myself. the Cuban American members of the United States Congress. It is we. it is we who are accountable in our daily lives when we go to a restaurant. a supermarket. a dry cleaner and at the polls every 2 years. we are accountable to those most affected by the new regulations. But CubanAmericans know. and they know very clearly. that freedom never comes free. They also know that the Cuban Adjustment Act in effect treats all Cubans who reach the shores of the United States as political asylees. They know that no other nations citizens receive that legal treatment and. thus. that with special privileges come special responsibilities. Political asylees. for example. cannot return to the country from which they sought asylum until the political conditions change in the country from which they sought asylum. Nevertheless. the Presidents policy permits that CubanAmericans can return to Cuba. even before the political conditions change there. once every 3 years. Now. I cannot. Mr. Chairman. I would not pretend to be more expert on the most important issues in each of my .colleagues districts than each of my colleagues. But despite the arrogance inherent in doing so. this amendment says. we know better what is good for CubanAmericans. we know better what is best for your constituents. we know better than the Members who represent the overwhelming majority of CubanAmericans in this Congress. Mr. Chairman. I believe that this amendment is soaked. if you will. in arrogance. and I ask that this body reject it. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.