[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 3, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H6762-H6763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOMMENDING A CHANGE IN U.S. POLICY TOWARD CUBA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Campbell] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the subject of 
the United States' relations with Cuba. It was my privilege to visit 
Cuba last week with my colleague the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. 
Sanford] as part of a delegation in connection with the Human Rights 
Foundation. Our focus was on the present economic and political 
circumstances in Cuba and the relationship between the United States 
and that country, with particular focus on the health conditions in 
Cuba, and the impact, if any, of the United States' economic 
restrictions on Cuba.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also inspired to speak this evening by my 
colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen] and 
my colleague, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart], 
both of whom are friends and both of whom have spoken long and on this 
floor for human rights in Cuba.
  I have two messages, and perhaps I should preface both of them by 
saying I do not consider myself an expert on Cuba. I was fortunate to 
spend 1 week there. I believe I was permitted to go where I wished to 
go. I was permitted to ask questions with no restriction. But I do not 
consider myself an expert. Still, I do wish to share my observations, 
largely at the urging of my two colleagues from Florida, who asked that 
I do so.
  I wish to begin by emphasizing that there is a need for all Americans 
to continue to speak out on behalf of human rights in Cuba; that it is 
appropriate to call for full, free, and fair elections, including at 
the presidential level. I was informed during our trip there of the 
proximity of local elections, and also of the designation of multi-
candidates for each available post in the assembly. Surely this is a 
positive development.
  On the other hand, I was also informed that the Communist Party will 
still be the dominant basis for selecting the candidates for such 
offices, and that, obviously, should be opened up.
  We were privileged to meet with the President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, 
we were privileged to meet with the Vice President of the Council of 
Ministers, and with the equivalent of the Speaker of the House, Senor 
Alarcon, and in each case we were able to raise any subjects that we 
wished.
  When I met with Mr. Alarcon, I raised with him the issue of free and 
fair elections, access to prisons, and I emphasized the importance of 
allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the 
prisons of Cuba, and the presence of political prisoners.
  His responses, as I took them down, were that there were still some 
prisoners in Cuban jails who, in his Government's belief, had received 
money from our Government to destabilize the Government of Cuba, and 
that that was the reason why they were in jail, although also other 
crimes.
  He did not say that the International Committee of the Red Cross 
could visit those prisoners, and I urged him to do so. Tonight, if 
members of his Government are listening, it seems to me that the Cuban 
Government would only benefit from permitting free access by 
international groups of such repute as the International Committee of 
the Red Cross in order to ascertain conditions in prisons on a regular 
basis.
  Mr. Alarcon did point out that America has not been as critical of 
other nations in Latin America as we are of Cuba, and that may well be 
right. But I do want my colleagues to know that I raised the issue of 
human rights, of free and fair elections, and of political prisoners, 
and that those are serious issues and remain so to this day.
  I emphasize now in my remaining time the most important lesson, 
though, that I learned. This was one that reemphasized a judgment that 
I had made preliminarily before I went to Cuba. That is that it is 
wrong and shortsighted and harmful to America to continue the embargo 
between our country and Cuba. The United States ought to trade with 
Cuba. We ought to trade as we trade with China, as we trade with 
Russia, as we trade with the countries coming out of the socialist 
systems.
  When we trade we begin to develop an economic group of people, a 
group of people who are devoted to free markets, to the extent that 
there is a control over people's lives through the economy that is 
loosened by free trade, and there is also a very important humanitarian 
component.
  One of the very important issues of our trip was health care. The 
Cuban Government made a point that even though officially trade in 
pharmaceuticals and medicines are not prohibited under the Helms-Burton 
law, there is intimidation that has been practiced or at least felt by 
American companies who would wish to send medicines to Cuba but feel it 
is not worth the difficulty of obtaining an end-use license, or making 
a certification that they would monitor those people who would use it, 
or guarantee that the medicines will never get into the hands of the 
Government.
  These are very difficult obstacles to overcome, and so many American 
companies do not send medicines, with the result that the Cuban 
Government is able, and not inappropriately on all occasions, to say 
that the United States policy and Helms-Burton in particular is 
depriving their people of the full medical care that they might 
otherwise have. To the extent that is true, that hurts our country. It 
is not the intention of those Members of this body, our colleagues who 
voted for Helms-Burton, and it would serve the interests of all to end 
it.
  I will conclude, if I might, Mr. Speaker, with just this one 
observation. When our plane left Nassau and touched down in Havana, the 
passengers applauded, and I thought, they must be happy to be coming 
home. When our plane left Havana and touched down in Miami through 
Nassau again, the passengers applauded.

[[Page H6763]]

  There are people of good will on both sides of the Florida strait. 
Let us foster friendship, foster free market, foster trust in 
individual freedom, and I think a first step to doing so is to repeal 
the Helms-Burton Act; and at least, if we cannot do that, to allow the 
free trade in medicines and food.

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