[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 6 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    AMERICA SHOULD END CUBAN EMBARGO

  (Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, last month we witnessed one of 
the most amazing events in recent memory, one that we thought that we 
would never see: Communist dictator Fidel Castro welcoming Pope John 
Paul to Cuba.
  The sight of thousands of Cubans turning out to see the Pope and the 
sounds of his words on Cuban national television rebuking Castro for 
decades of repression against democracy and the Church were cheered by 
Americans. The Pope is on our side in the fight against communism and 
tyranny.
  But let us also remember the second part of the Pope's message: The 
U.S. embargo against Cuba is unfair and inhumane and should be ended. 
For almost 40 years, we have tried and failed to isolate Castro's 
Stalinist regime. The Cold War is over, yet we still pretend that the 
small island 90 miles off our coast does not exist. But for the 
millions of Cubans who live in poverty, the lack of adequate food and 
medicine is all too real.
  At a time when we send millions in humanitarian aid to ``democratic 
allies'' like North Korea, we should heed the Pope's advice by ending 
the embargo for food and medicine. We can punish Castro, but it is time 
to stop punishing the poor people who live in Cuba and need food and 
medicine.

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