[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1446 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1446

 Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering 
     from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2024

Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Gimenez, and Mr. 
 Moskowitz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
   the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering 
     from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.

Whereas the Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 
        designates Cuba as a Tier 3 country that does not fully meet the minimum 
        standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making 
        significant efforts to do so;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report cites Cuban regime policy or pattern to profit from 
        forced labor in Cuba's labor export program, which included foreign 
        medical missions;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report notes the Cuban regime kept a significant amount of 
        wages of workers, confiscated passports and professional credentials of 
        workers, subjected workers to surveillance and strict curfews, and did 
        not consistently inform participants of the terms of their contracts;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report states the Cuban regime failed to address 
        trafficking crimes despite an increasing number of allegations from 
        survivors, credible nongovernmental organizations, international 
        organizations, and foreign governments of the involvement of Cuban 
        officials in facilitating serious human rights abuses and forced labor;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report charges that the Cuban regime threatened, coerced, 
        and punished government-affiliated workers, including medical 
        professionals, and their family members if participants left the 
        program;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report concludes regime authorities did not make efforts to 
        address labor trafficking crimes;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress, ``Human 
        Trafficking In Cuba's Labor Export Program'', as mandated by section 
        7045(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related 
        Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), cites sources 
        that estimate the Cuban regime reaps annual profits of between 
        $6,000,000,000 and $8,000,000,000 from the labor export program;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress lists 72 
        countries that may have had government-affiliated Cuban workers in their 
        territories in the last 5 years;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress states that 
        host governments should use transparent and fair recruitment practices 
        in the hiring of foreign workers and have a responsibility to 
        proactively identify victims of exploitation and human trafficking in 
        their country, and to protect such victims from further exploitation, 
        yet Cuba maintains overwhelming levels of control over its workers 
        deployed abroad;
Whereas foreign governments continue to rebuff diplomatic efforts of the United 
        States to ensure the protection of Cuban medical personnel working 
        within their territories;
Whereas section 7045(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and 
        Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), states 
        that the Secretary of State shall apply the requirements of section 
        7031(c) of this Act (visa revocation authorities) to officials from 
        countries and organizations identified in the June 24 report; and
Whereas the Department of State has acknowledged that in Brazil, the Cuban 
        medical mission, known as ``Mais Medicos'', was ``facilitated'' by the 
        Pan American Health Organization, which augments ample public 
        information that Brazilian, Pan American Health Organization, and Cuban 
        officials are responsible for designing, implementing, and perpetuating 
        the trafficking of Cuban doctors in the Mais Medicos program: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that the human trafficking and forced labor 
        of Cuban medical personnel abroad by the Cuban regime are gross 
        violations of international human trafficking and forced labor 
        treaties and protocols;
            (2) recognizes that the signatories to these agreements 
        have a solemn responsibility to abide by their obligations 
        under these accords to ensure the working conditions of Cuban 
        medical personnel meet international standards for foreign 
        laborers;
            (3) urges foreign governments to reject the exploitation, 
        profiteering, and wage garnishment of the Cuban regime by 
        paying the Cuban medical personnel directly; and
            (4) urges the President of the United States to utilize 
        visa revocation authorities against foreign and organization 
        officials who have participated in Cuba's human trafficking 
        schemes, including the Brazilian, Cuban, and Pan American 
        Health Organization officials involved in Mais Medicos, and the 
        Honduran and Mexican officials involved in other schemes until 
        such time as the host government fulfills its obligations under 
        international human trafficking and forced labor treaties and 
        protocols to protect the rights of those workers.
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