[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 137 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1902]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4101, AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND DRUG 
     ADMINISTRATION, AND BELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 1998

  Mrs. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and to 
commend Chairman Skeen for his dedication and commitment to the 
Agriculture Appropriations process.
  He and Senate Subcommittee Chairman, Mr. Cochran, along with the full 
committee chairmen, Mr. Livingston in the House and Mr. Stevens in the 
Senate have worked tirelessly throughout the entire process and, 
specifically, during conference proceedings.
  The conferees did not succumb to outside pressures and stood firm 
against terrorist countries and parish states. they understood the 
tremendous differences between dealings with democratically elected 
governments versus attempts to negotiate with and support terrorist 
states such as the Castro regime in Cuba--that is what the provision by 
Senator Dodd would have done.
  The conferees understood that reality and eliminated the Dodd 
provision. The House and Senate conferees heard the rhetoric used by 
supporters of the Dodd provision but, when they heard the facts, they 
did what was right for the American people and for their security.
  The conferees were clear on what they were dealing with when talking 
about Fidel Castro. They knew that Castro had recently rejected a U.S. 
proposal to provide donated aid to needy Cubans because it was coming 
from the United States. Even the North Korean dictatorship could not 
bring itself to deny aid for its people.
  The conferees were fully aware of the fact that U.S. policy does not 
deny food and medicine to the Cuban people; that U.S. policy supports 
the Cuban people while punishing the dictator that enslaves them.
  From a practical standpoint, the conferees understood that Castro 
does not have the money to purchase food because Castro's socialist 
economy is a dismal failure.
  As far as ``credits'', the conferees were aware of the fact that 
Castro has the highest per capita debt in Latin America, rendering Cuba 
unworthy of credit from any country or international lender in the 
world. The Dodd provision would have made the U.S. the laughing stock 
of the world. It would have turned the U.S. into the only country in 
the world offering to extend credits to Fidel Castro.
  The conferees recalled the fact that just a few weeks ago, the FBI 
rounded up 10 Cuban spies working to obtain intelligence from three 
U.S. military bases in South Florida.
  With the enemy at our doorstep; with Castro agents gnawing at U.S. 
domestic security; there were those who actually wanted to appease the 
oppressive Castro regime by supporting the Dodd provision.
  But again, the majority of the conferees could not, would not be 
fooled. They dropped the Dodd provision from the Agriculture 
Appropriations bill.
  I appreciate their cooperation throughout the last couple of months, 
and praise them for their commitment to what is right and just. On 
behalf of the Cuban people and the people of terrorist and oppressive 
regimes around the world, thank you.

                          ____________________