[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 11, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S887-S888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MODERNIZING CUBA POLICY

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, today the Atlantic Council's Adrienne 
Arsht Latin American Center released a new, bipartisan public opinion 
survey on Americans' views about U.S. policy toward Cuba which should 
be read by every Member of Congress. The findings of this thorough and 
wide-ranging poll will surprise many. For instance, not only do 
Floridians--and Cuban-Americans in Florida--favor new policy 
approaches, but they do so in even larger numbers than do Americans in 
other regions of the Nation.
  It is time--past time--to modernize our policies and the frozen-in-
time embargo on Americans' travel and trade with Cuba that have 
accomplished nothing but to give the Cuban regime a scapegoat for the 
failures of the Cuban economy. Change will come to Cuba, but our 
policies have delayed and impeded change. It is time to elevate the 
voice of a crucial stakeholder: the American people. Thanks to this 
poll, they are silent no longer.
  It is time to recognize that U.S. policy toward Cuba has been 
unsuccessful in achieving any of its objectives. There is no 
disagreement among Americans on both sides of the issue about the 
desire for a government in Cuba that respects individual liberties. We 
want to see freedom of expression Cuba, just as we want to see American 
citizen Alan Gross, who has been imprisoned there for more than 4 
years, come home. The disagreement is over how best to achieve that.
  Just about the only beneficiary of our embargo has been Cuba's 
current regime.
  The poll shows that a solid majority of Americans, including Cuban-
Americans, favor a different course.
  Trade with Latin America is the fastest growing part of our 
international commerce. Rather than isolate Cuba with outdated 
policies, we have isolated ourselves. Our Latin, European and Canadian 
friends engage with Cuba all that time. Meanwhile, U.S. companies are 
prohibited from any economic activity on the island.
  This new detailed survey paves the way for a policy toward Cuba that 
is in the national interest of the United States as a whole. That is 
what the country needs, it is what the American people have made clear 
they want, and it is the responsibility of the White House and the 
Congress to act.
  Let us have the common sense, and the courage, to finally put an end 
to the Cold War in our own hemisphere.
  In this same spirit of bipartisanship as this public opinion poll, 
Senator Jeff Flake and I joined together in writing a guest column 
about the compelling reasons to change these antiquated policies. Our 
piece appeared today in the Miami Herald. I call it to the attention of 
the Senate, and I invite other Senators to join in re-examining and 
changing our self-defeating approach in our relationship with Cuba and 
the Cuban people. I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 [From the Miami Herald, Feb. 11, 2014]

                     Time for a New Policy on Cuba

                   (By Patrick Leahy and Jeff Flake)

       We are in the fifth decade--more than half a century--of 
     our country's embargo toward Cuba. During that time the 
     Soviet Union has ceased to exist. Apartheid in South Africa 
     has ended. We have re-established diplomatic relations with 
     the communist governments of China and Vietnam. Still, the 
     United States has refused to reexamine the political and 
     economic embargo on Cuba.
       A majority of Americans, including Cuban-Americans, wants 
     to change course. So do we.
       A new public opinion poll commissioned by the Atlantic 
     Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and carried out 
     by a team of highly respected pollsters from both sides of 
     the aisle shows a stark contrast between current American 
     attitudes and the archaic U.S. embargo.
       A solid majority of Americans from every region and across 
     party lines supports normalizing relations with Cuba. When 
     asked about specific elements of the policy--such as undoing 
     the ban on travel by Americans to Cuba, facilitating 
     financial transactions,

[[Page S888]]

     meeting with the Cuban government on bilateral issues like 
     fighting drugs and smuggling--the margin is more than 61 
     percent.
       Challenging conventional wisdom that Floridians--and 
     especially the state's large Cuban-American population--are 
     in lockstep with the embargo, the poll finds stronger support 
     for normalization in Florida (63 percent) than in the country 
     overall (56 percent). A full 67 percent of Floridians support 
     removing all restrictions for Americans to travel to Cuba, 
     and 82 percent favor meetings with the Cuban government on 
     issues of mutual concern.
       Simply put: The state that reportedly once had the greatest 
     reluctance to re-engage has reversed its position.
       Having jailed political opponents, Cuba has a political 
     climate that is far from free. The Cuban government continues 
     to hold former USAID subcontractor Alan Gross in prison. The 
     Cuban government has inched toward loosening its grip on the 
     island's economy. Despite that, however, the Cuban people 
     continue to live under a repressive regime.
       However, it would appear that a standard of 100 percent 
     political alignment with the United States before allowing 
     freedom of travel or economic activity with another country 
     is only applied to Cuba. For instance, U.S.-China trade 
     topped $500 billion in 2011, and we granted permanent 
     normalized trade relations to Russia in 2012. American 
     tourists visit both countries without restriction. It is easy 
     to see why most Americans now oppose our frozen-in-time 
     policies toward Cuba.
       Trade with Latin America is the fastest growing part of our 
     international commerce. In 2014, economic growth in Latin 
     America is expected to continue to outpace U.S. growth. 
     Rather than isolate Cuba with outdated policies, we have 
     isolated ourselves.
       For example, the presidents of our Latin American partners, 
     including close allies such as Colombia and Mexico, recently 
     traveled to Cuba alongside the U.N. secretary general. In 
     January, Brazil joined Cuba in inaugurating a huge new 
     shipping terminal on the island. And our European and 
     Canadian friends engage with Cuba. Meanwhile, U.S. companies 
     are prohibited from any economic activity on the island.
       Just about the only beneficiary of our embargo has been 
     Cuba's current regime. The embargo actually has helped the 
     Castros maintain their grip on power by providing a reliable 
     and convenient scapegoat for Cuba's failing economy. Change 
     will come to Cuba. These counterproductive U.S. policies have 
     delayed it.
       President Obama has already relaxed some facets of our Cuba 
     policy, lifting restrictions on Cuban-American travel and 
     remittances, which have had positive effects. Anecdotally, 
     U.S. remittances have been crucial in allowing Cuban 
     entrepreneurs to take full advantage of economic openings 
     that the Castro regime has been forced to allow. This not 
     only improves Cubans' lives but will make future economic 
     contractions by the Cuban government difficult for the regime 
     to attempt. Current policy boxes U.S. entrepreneurs and 
     companies out of taking part in any of this burgeoning Cuban 
     private sector.
       Further, there is simply no legitimate justification for 
     restricting any American travel to Cuba. The travel ban, like 
     the rest of the embargo, only bolsters the Cuban government's 
     control over information and civil society. Instead of 
     willingly restricting the liberty of our own citizens, we 
     should be taking every opportunity to flood Cubans with 
     American interaction, with our ideas, with our young people.
       Americans want a change in our Cuba policy. The president 
     should heed the majority of those across the country who 
     recognize that we have much to gain by jettisoning this Cold 
     War relic.

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