[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 75 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5278-S5280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE VARELA PROJECT'S COLLECTION OF CERTIFIED SIGNATURES IN SUPPORT OF A 
 NATIONAL REFERENDUM AND THE DELIVERY OF THESE SIGNATURES TO THE CUBAN 
                           NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the clerk will 
report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 272) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding the success of the Varela Project's 
     collection of 10,000 certified signatures in support of a 
     national referendum and the delivery of these signatures to 
     the Cuban National Assembly.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution, which had been 
reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations with an amendment and 
an

[[Page S5279]]

amendment to the preamble, as follows:
  (The parts of the preamble intended to be stricken are shown in 
boldface brackets, and the parts of the preamble intended to be 
inserted are shown in italic.)

                              S. Res. 272

       [Whereas Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution states that 
     the Cuban National Assembly should schedule a national 
     referendum if it receives the verified signatures of 10,000 
     legal voters;
       [Whereas on May 10, 2002, a group of Cuban citizens led by 
     Oswaldo Paya delivered 11,020 verified signatures to the 
     Cuban National Assembly in support of a referendum;
       [Whereas Mr. Paya's petition drive is inspired by the 19th-
     century priest and Cuban independence hero, Padre Felix 
     Varela, and is known as the Varela Project;
       [Whereas the Varela Project seeks a referendum on civil 
     liberties, including freedom of speech, amnesty for political 
     prisoners, support for private business, a new electoral law, 
     and a general election;
       [Whereas the Varela Project is supported by 140 opposition 
     organizations in Cuba and has received no money or support 
     from foreign citizens or foreign governments;
       [Whereas the Varela Project is the largest petition drive 
     in Cuban history;
       [Whereas the Varela Project seeks amnesty for all of those 
     who have been detained, sanctioned, or jailed for political 
     motives and who have not participated in acts directly 
     threatening the lives of others;
       [Whereas the Varela Project seeks to guarantee citizens the 
     right to form private businesses, to carry out economic 
     activities that could be productive and of service, and to 
     establish contracts between workers and businesses for the 
     development of these businesses in fair and just conditions 
     so that no one may obtain profits by exploiting the work of 
     others;
       [Whereas the Varela Project is a step in moving Cuba toward 
     achieving international standards for human rights;
       [Whereas the goal of United States policy in Cuba is to 
     promote a peaceful transition to democracy through an active 
     policy of supporting the forces of change on the island; and
       [Whereas the Varela Project is engaged in the promotion of 
     a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba: Now, therefore, 
     be it]
       Whereas Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution provides for 
     Cuban citizens to submit legislative proposals to the Cuban 
     National Assembly for its consideration;
       Whereas on May 10, 2002, a group of Cuban citizens led by 
     Oswaldo Paya delivered 11,020 verified signatures to the 
     Cuban National Assembly in support of a referendum;
       Whereas Mr. Paya's petition drive is inspired by the 19th-
     century priest and Cuban independence hero, Padre Felix 
     Varela, and is known as the Varela Project;
       Whereas the Varela Project seeks a referendum on civil 
     liberties, including freedom of speech, amnesty for political 
     prisoners, support for private business, a new electoral law, 
     and a general election;
       Whereas the Varela Project is supported by 140 opposition 
     organizations in Cuba and has received no money or support 
     from foreign citizens or foreign governments;
       Whereas the Varela Project is the largest petition drive in 
     Cuban history;
       Whereas the Varela Project is a step in moving Cuba toward 
     achieving international standards for human rights;
       Whereas the goal of United States policy in Cuba is to 
     promote a peaceful transition to democracy; and
       Whereas the Varela Project is engaged in the promotion of a 
     peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, [That the Senate--
       [(1) supports the constitutional right of the citizens of 
     Cuba who have signed the Varela Project to petition the Cuban 
     National Assembly for a referendum;
       [(2) calls on the Cuban government to accept the Varela 
     Project petition and, in accordance with its obligation under 
     Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution, to hold a referendum on 
     civil liberties, including freedom of speech, an amnesty for 
     political prisoners, support for private business, a new 
     electoral law, and a general election;
       [(3) praises the bravery of Oswaldo Paya and his colleagues 
     in collecting 11,020 verified signatures in support of the 
     Varela Project;
       [(4) calls on the Cuban government to provide its citizens 
     with internationally accepted standards for civil and human 
     rights, and the opportunity to vote in free and fair 
     elections;
       [(5) urges the President and his representatives to take 
     all appropriate steps to support the Varela Project and any 
     future efforts by the Cuban people to assert their 
     constitutional right to petition the National Assembly in 
     support of a referendum; and
       [(6) urges the President to pursue an action-oriented 
     policy of directly assisting the Cuban people and independent 
     organizations to strengthen the forces of change and to 
     improve human rights in Cuba.
       [Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the President.]
     That the Senate--
       (1) supports the constitutional right of the citizens of 
     Cuba who have signed the Varela Project to petition the Cuban 
     National Assembly for a referendum;
       (2) calls on the Cuban National Assembly to give serious 
     consideration to the Varela Project petition in accordance 
     with Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution and to the holding 
     of a referendum on civil liberties, including freedom of 
     speech, an amnesty for political prisoners, support for 
     private business, a new electoral law, and a general 
     election;
       (3) praises the bravery of Oswaldo Paya and his colleagues 
     in collecting 11,020 verified signatures in support of the 
     Varela Project;
       (4) calls on the Cuban government to provide its citizens 
     with internationally accepted standards for civil and human 
     rights, and the opportunity to vote in free and fair 
     elections; and
       (5) urges the President to support the right of the 
     citizens of Cuba who have signed the Varela Project to 
     petition the Cuban National Assembly for a referendum and the 
     peaceful transition to democracy.
       Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the President.

  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the resolution, 
as amended.
  The yeas and nays are ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Biden), the 
Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Corzine), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. 
Harkin), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from 
Connecticut (Mr. Lieberman), the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski), 
the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Nelson), and the Senator from New Jersey 
(Mr. Torricelli), are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New 
Jersey (Mr. Torricelli) and the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. 
Lieberman) would each vote ``yea.''
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. 
Helms), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Voinovich), the Senator from Arizona 
(Mr. McCain), the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson), and the 
Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from North 
Carolina (Mr. Helms), would vote ``yea.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 87, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 146 Leg.]

                                YEAS--87

     Akaka
     Allard
     Allen
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Cantwell
     Carnahan
     Carper
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Clinton
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Craig
     Daschle
     Dayton
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Hatch
     Hollings
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lincoln
     Lott
     Lugar
     McConnell
     Miller
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (FL)
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--13

     Biden
     Corzine
     Crapo
     Harkin
     Helms
     Hutchinson
     Kennedy
     Lieberman
     McCain
     Mikulski
     Nelson (NE)
     Torricelli
     Voinovich
  The resolution (S. Res. 272), as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 272

       Whereas Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution provides for 
     Cuban citizens to submit legislative proposals to the Cuban 
     National Assembly for its consideration;
       Whereas on May 10, 2002, a group of Cuban citizens led by 
     Oswaldo Paya delivered 11,020 verified signatures to the 
     Cuban National Assembly in support of a referendum;
       Whereas Mr. Paya's petition drive is inspired by the 19th-
     century priest and Cuban independence hero, Padre Felix 
     Varela, and is known as the Varela Project;
       Whereas the Varela Project seeks a referendum on civil 
     liberties, including freedom of speech, amnesty for political 
     prisoners,

[[Page S5280]]

     support for private business, a new electoral law, and a 
     general election;
       Whereas the Varela Project is supported by 140 opposition 
     organizations in Cuba and has received no money or support 
     from foreign citizens or foreign governments;
       Whereas the Varela Project is the largest petition drive in 
     Cuban history;
       Whereas the Varela Project is a step in moving Cuba toward 
     achieving international standards for human rights;
       Whereas the goal of United States policy in Cuba is to 
     promote a peaceful transition to democracy; and
       Whereas the Varela Project is engaged in the promotion of a 
     peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved,
     That the Senate--
       (1) supports the constitutional right of the citizens of 
     Cuba who have signed the Varela Project to petition the Cuban 
     National Assembly for a referendum;
       (2) calls on the Cuban National Assembly to give serious 
     consideration to the Varela Project petition in accordance 
     with Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution and to the holding 
     of a referendum on civil liberties, including freedom of 
     speech, an amnesty for political prisoners, support for 
     private business, a new electoral law, and a general 
     election;
       (3) praises the bravery of Oswaldo Paya and his colleagues 
     in collecting 11,020 verified signatures in support of the 
     Varela Project;
       (4) calls on the Cuban government to provide its citizens 
     with internationally accepted standards for civil and human 
     rights, and the opportunity to vote in free and fair 
     elections; and
       (5) urges the President to support the right of the 
     citizens of Cuba who have signed the Varela Project to 
     petition the Cuban National Assembly for a referendum and the 
     peaceful transition to democracy.
       Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the President.

  Mr. REID. I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mrs. BOXER. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

                          ____________________