[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3797-H3800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SUPPORTING CUBAN PEOPLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina 
(Mr. Rouzer) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in absolute and unequivocal 
support of the Cuban people protesting their evil and oppressive 
Communist regime. Unfortunately, there is nothing new about their 
brutality and willful violations of universally recognized human 
rights. The United States should make it very clear that we stand on 
the side of the Cuban people as thousands have joined one of the 
biggest anti-Communist demonstrations the country has witnessed during 
its 62-year dictatorship.
  Since the protests began, hundreds have been detained or are missing, 
including: artists, peace activists, and priests. The Cuban people 
deserve and need our help. In the words of the late Senator Jesse 
Helms:

       The United States must speak out clearly on behalf of those 
     whose own voices are choked by Communist repression.

  Despite what many of our own people have been brainwashed by our 
education systems to believe, America is the greatest force for freedom 
and liberty that the world has ever known. I implore this 
administration, the Biden administration, and this Congress to utilize 
every tool of the U.S. Government to support the Cuban people in their 
effort to defeat the Communist regime and break the shackles of its 
oppressive government.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Grothman).
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to address the Chamber on what I believe 
is the biggest crisis facing America today. I spent last week down at 
the McAllen section of the U.S.-Mexico border, and what I saw horrified 
me.
  Late at night, from 10 to 11 o'clock, I watched people from all 
around the world walking on a pathway from the Rio Grande River to the 
Border Patrol station. We are right now at a point where I believe over 
70,000 people a month are being allowed in the country. Many of these 
people have no ID at all, so there is no way to confirm who they are, 
to even see if they have a criminal record.

                              {time}  1630

  Upon being processed through the border station, even without an ID, 
we buy them plane tickets for all around the country.
  Scandalously, at a time when we are talking about COVID again, even 
if they test positive, people are held in apartments or hotels and not 
guarded, so they turn around and are being released. At a time in which 
we are supposed to be more careful than ever, we have a situation in 
which people who are coming here illegally are allowed in the country.
  Furthermore, we watch as we have hit new records for the number of 
people who are killed in this country by illegal drug overdoses, 
including fentanyl. We are up to 90,000 people in the last year. I 
believe the reason we are hitting all-time records is because, as bad 
as heroin is, fentanyl is far worse. And all or virtually all of that 
fentanyl is coming across the southern border.
  Meanwhile, we cede control of our immigration policy to Mexican drug 
gangs. These gangs charge, depending upon where you are coming from, 
$3,000, $10,000, $20,000 to come across the border. They are so 
heartless that it is not uncommon that if Border Patrol approaches them 
on a boat from the Mexican side to the American side, whether it is 
with people or with drugs, they will throw a 3- or 4-year-old child 
into the Rio Grande River, knowing that our Border Patrol will fight to 
save that child rather than go after the people sneaking in the country 
or going after the drugs. This is the brutal type of people we are 
assisting by continuing the current policy or lack of a policy.
  I strongly urge the Biden administration to step up to the plate to 
make sure that COVID-positive people are no longer let into the 
country; bring back the old policy, the migrant protection protocol, 
when we had only 6,000 people a month rather than 70,000 people a month 
crossing the border; require some sort of photo ID, like every other 
American would have before they get on an airline.
  Good grief, who knows what type of criminal records these people 
have. Of course, we can only check criminal records in the United 
States. Nobody has any idea if these people have horrific criminal 
records in Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil, or all the other countries 
that people are coming here from.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage the Biden administration to step 
up.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Gimenez).
  Mr. GIMENEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the freedom 
fighters in Cuba and against communism, the very system of social, 
political, and economic oppression that

[[Page H3798]]

has brought misery, poverty, and death to the Cuban people.
  As the struggle of the Cuban people continues, I am calling on 
President Biden and his administration to take decisive measures in 
support of the Cuban protestors.
  Specifically, I am calling on him to: condemn the communist Cuban 
regime for their decades of oppression; condemn the communist Cuban 
regime for any acts of violence against peaceful protestors; condemn 
the evils of communism that have led to misery, poverty, and stifled 
basic and fundamental human rights; support the mission of the 
protesters in Cuba, which includes establishing free and democratic 
elections, releasing all political prisoners, and establishing a free 
and independent press; and commit to the United States continuing its 
policy of maximum pressure on the communist Cuban regime until 
fundamental democratic reforms take hold.
  On a personal note, I immigrated to this country with my family when 
I was a young boy, just 6 years old. I lived through the indoctrination 
curriculum in elementary school. I witnessed my birth country crumble 
to the woes of communism. Luckily, my family and I had the opportunity 
to immigrate to this great country.
  In just one generation, my family went from Cuba to Congress. I 
believe with all my heart and soul that in no other country in the 
world is that achievement possible.
  I am heartened to see my fellow Cubans on the island wave the symbol 
of freedom, our American flag, as they demand the same freedoms that we 
take for granted.
  For that reason, I will always stand firmly on the side of all who 
yearn for freedom and democracy.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Rutherford).
  Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share my concerns for 
the crisis we are seeing at the southern border and the obvious 
unwillingness of the Biden-Harris administration to provide solutions.
  Illegal border crossings are at their highest level in two decades. 
Yet, this administration not only won't address it; they actually 
exacerbate it because they cut the CBP budget over $900 million.
  In June alone, border agents actually encountered over 188,000 people 
at our southern border. Madam Speaker, that is a 450 percent increase 
over last June.
  Madam Speaker, the Biden administration created this invasion, this 
border crisis. This year alone, over 80,000 kids have crossed the 
border, with 15,000 remaining in government custody.
  Fixing the crisis at the border requires an investment in manpower, 
infrastructure, technology, and strong policy. That is why I asked this 
body to plus-up $300 million in next year's budget for Operation 
Stonegarden, to reimburse border States like Texas that are actually 
stepping up at the State level to provide security for their 
constituents.
  We must finish the wall, reinstate the remain in Mexico policy, and 
never bring back catch and release, which the Biden administration is 
rumored to be bringing back in the coming months.
  A strong America begins and ends with a strong, safe, and secure 
border.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from North Carolina has 20 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. 
Carl).

  Mr. CARL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the horrible 
inflation crisis we are seeing in this country.
  I can remember back to the terrible inflation period of the 1970s, 
and I always hoped we would never return back to those times. 
Unfortunately, what I see coming lately, it is looking very similar.
  With the lifting of the pandemic restrictions and the increasing rate 
of vaccinations, many Americans are getting back to their normal 
routine. Many are dining out, traveling, and enjoying social events 
again.
  While this is great news, virtually every American is noticing a 
massive increase in the price of nearly everything because of the 
unprecedented inflation caused by the Biden administration's reckless 
spending and willingness to pay people to sit at home instead of work.
  Inflation has increased every single month since Biden has taken 
office. The Consumer Price Index has increased more than 5 percent over 
a year ago, which is the largest jump since just before the 2008 
financial crisis.
  Gas prices have increased 45 percent compared to last year; food 
prices have increased more than 2 percent; and consumer prices overall 
are up near 5 percent.
  While these numbers may not concern President Biden, they are 
absolutely killing the working class. The Biden administration's 
failures have real consequences, and his policies are crushing the 
working- and middle-class families across Alabama and throughout our 
Nation.
  The working class is the backbone of this Nation, so I urge President 
Biden and my colleagues across the aisle to get serious about 
addressing this crisis and get to work building the economy that 
benefits all Americans.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee 
(Mr. Rose).
  Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight because I am outraged by the 
Biden administration's lack of effort to protect our Nation from the 
invasion of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
  I have visited our southern border twice now this year, and I can 
say, without a shadow of a doubt, it is a full-blown catastrophe on 
every front: humanitarian, national security, and public health.
  President Biden's irrational reversal of the Trump administration's 
border security policies, like canceling construction of the border 
wall, reversing the remain in Mexico policy, and sending mixed messages 
about America's southern border, is why we face this unmitigated 
disaster today.
  There has been a surge of crossings, with more than 188,000 border 
crossings reported in June, a 450 percent increase from just a year 
ago.
  On top of that, more than 7,500 new COVID cases were reported in 
detention centers from April through the beginning of July--a surge at 
the border, a surge of COVID.
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have seized 7,450 pounds of 
fentanyl so far this year, enough to kill every American several times 
over, and it is just getting worse.
  States across the country are feeling the consequences of the border 
crisis, including my home State of Tennessee. Although our State is 
1,000 miles from the southern border, Tennesseans will bear the brunt 
of this disaster in many ways, including in our school systems, 
healthcare systems, and police departments, as planeloads of illegal 
immigrants are offloaded in our communities.
  We must reestablish law and order at the southern border by finishing 
the border wall, fully reinstating the remain in Mexico policy, 
robustly implementing title 42 authority, and sending a clear message 
that our borders are not open to illegal crossings.
  When it comes to the border crisis, Americans, including Tennesseans, 
are looking for leadership, not denials, deflections, and distractions 
from our sleepy leaders in the White House.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California 
(Mrs. Kim).
  Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, Americans are seeing the 
impacts of inflation every day, with rising costs everywhere from the 
gas pump to the grocery store. California workers and families are 
bearing the brunt of this nationwide, 13-year inflation high.
  Prices of everyday goods in my State are, in many cases, higher than 
the national average. For example, the average price of a gallon of 
regular gasoline in California's 39th District is more than $1 higher 
than the national average.
  Additionally, these higher costs come in addition to high State and 
local taxes, cost of living, and astronomical housing costs. June 
statistics showed the median housing price in my district rose more 
than 20 percent, with the median price of a single-family home being 
more than $800,000.
  That is why I am disappointed that instead of working with 
Republicans to address inflation, get Americans back

[[Page H3799]]

to work, and support small businesses, Democrats are moving forward 
with trillions more in Federal spending on a partisan wish list that 
will cause increased Federal debt, an even higher cost of living, and 
more money out of the pockets of hardworking taxpayers.
  We should be making life more affordable, not less.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona 
(Mrs. Lesko).
  Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, I want to talk about the border. I live in 
a border State. I have been to the border a number of times. But last 
week, I got to go to the border again in Nogales, Arizona. I can attest 
firsthand that there is a crisis at our border.
  I talked to Customs and Border Patrol agents and other officials, and 
they all have said that this is the worst that they have seen it in 
their entire career, and some of them have worked for 30 years for 
Customs and Border Protection.
  I went down in a tunnel with the CBP officers, and it smelled. There 
was trash everywhere. And these Customs and Border Protection officers 
have to monitor the tunnels for human trafficking, sex trafficking, and 
drug trafficking.

                              {time}  1645

  At one of the ports of entry in Nogales, the Mariposa port of entry, 
they have seized, in the first 12 days of July, 500,000 fentanyl pills. 
Do you know how many people that can kill?
  I call on the Biden administration to do something about the border 
crisis. The policies that he has set forth are causing this problem.
  I visited parts of the border fence where there are just big 
openings, but the material is laying there right on the ground. We have 
already paid for it. This is insanity. It is total insanity.
  I also heard that the Biden administration wants to repeal title 42, 
which is the one thing that is causing it from being more of a 
disaster.
  Madam Speaker, I ask Mr. Biden, Kamala Harris, Democrats, please help 
us secure the border.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia 
(Mr. Wittman).
  Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Speaker, our Nation should be in the midst of a 
booming economic recovery.
  Unfortunately, what we see is the exact opposite.
  Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently warned against 
wasteful government spending, and the real harm that it would cause not 
only to our economy, but to the everyday lives of Americans.
  And this was even before President Biden began pushing through this 
reckless government spending agenda that will raise taxes on American 
families, destroy jobs, and saddle future generations with a massive 
debt.
  It has also created another crisis: inflation--something House 
Republicans warned would occur as a result of the President's massive 
increase in government spending and mismanagement of the economy. 
Inflation is a tax on all Americans, and it has increased every month 
since President Biden took office.
  The Consumer Price Index increased 5.4 percent from a year ago. This 
is the largest jump since just before the 2008 financial crisis.
  Business owners are worried. Nearly half of America's small 
businesses have no choice but to raise their prices because the cost to 
do business is skyrocketing. And that means consumers end up paying 
more.
  The Biden administration has attempted to downplay the harmful 
effects of inflation, claiming it will resolve itself in the next few 
months, but top economists project that inflation is here to stay.
  Worse yet, now our Democratic colleagues are attempting to push 
through a partisan $3.5 trillion package that is nothing more than a 
reckless tax-and-spending spree, which will indeed stick more families 
with higher taxes and lower wages.
  Madam Speaker, make no mistake about it, these are not just numbers. 
Americans across the country are spending more money on everyday goods 
and services.
  Now more than ever it is critical that we are supporting our workers 
and families and making sure they succeed. We should be focused on 
supporting policies that create more jobs, spur growth and innovation, 
and put more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans.
  The President's and our Democratic colleagues' plans are doing the 
opposite.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois 
(Mrs. Miller).
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, in October of 2019, 
California passed legislation requiring public universities to provide 
chemical abortion pills to female students starting in 2023.
  Chemical abortions have increased. Actually, it has skyrocketed in 
the past 20 years from just 5 percent in 2001 to 39 percent of all 
abortions in 2017.
  We want women across the country to know that we are there for them 
as a pro-life movement, and there are so many other safe options other 
than choosing abortion.
  Congress must act now, not just to protect innocent babies from 
abortion, but to protect the vulnerable women from the lies of the 
abortion industry and the potential horrible physical, emotional, and 
spiritual damage of having a chemical abortion.
  This is why I have joined Congressman Chip Roy and Senator Steve 
Daines in introducing the Protecting Life on College Campus Act.
  The Protecting Life on College Campus Act would uphold the Hyde 
amendment and prohibit Federal funds to go to universities that provide 
chemical abortion pills to students.
  This would be another step in the right direction to save the lives 
of the unborn and protect the safety of women and our families.
  The fight for life in the United States has never been more important 
than today. For the first time in 40 years, the Hyde amendment was 
excluded from the spending bill introduced in Congress.
  Further, it was even cleared by the House Appropriations Subcommittee 
on Labor and Health and Human Services.
  The rest of my Republican colleagues and I are ready to fight and 
demand that Hyde be reinstated into this year's bill.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, today I rise to express my support for the 
Cuban people.
  After decades of enduring an oppressive Communist regime, the people 
of Cuba deserve freedom.
  Last week, we watched as Cubans proudly waved the American flag 
through the streets and peacefully advocated for the freedom our flag 
represents.
  Unfortunately, as Cubans marched, many of my colleagues across the 
aisle have remained silent or, worse, they have wrongfully blamed the 
United States or even suggested these protests were in response to 
COVID-19.
  Let me be clear: The embargo isn't responsible for young children who 
have been forced into joining the police force. The embargo isn't 
responsible for cutting off internet access. It is the failed Communist 
system, a system so full of corruption and greed that medicine, food, 
and gas shortages are sadly the norm.
  Crowds chanting ``Freedom'' and ``Down with the dictatorship'' are 
clear cries for relief from six decades of suffering.
  History has shown us that communism has always failed, leaving those 
who must live under its restrictive rule to suffer.
  I have witnessed these atrocities and failure of communism firsthand, 
and I have dedicated my life to fighting against it.
  I am proud to stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba as they 
fight to end the Communist rule that has ruined their nation. I hope my 
colleagues will consider doing the same.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 5 minutes remaining.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas 
(Mr. Hill).
  Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a free Cuba. As 
the Cuban people cry out to the free world for democracy, communism 
works relentlessly to silence their voices through violence and 
censorship.

[[Page H3800]]

  Among my best friends growing up in Arkansas were the wonderful 
Villalon family, who fled Cuba and escaped the tyranny of Castro. I was 
best friends with the kids in elementary school. The father of the 
family was a leader in our church and our Boy Scout troop, and the 
mother was my Spanish teacher.
  The Villalon family had the opportunity to grow up in a free country, 
one that provided jobs, opportunities, and freedoms that every human 
should have access to. Unfortunately for my friends in Arkansas, it 
took them fleeing their homeland and escaping the grips of communism to 
get a taste of the freedoms that we Americans enjoy each and every day.
  During my career I have seen firsthand the systematic destruction of 
commerce, community, and human spirit by communism.
  So, Madam Speaker, I stand with the Cuban people, and I call on our 
Nation's leaders to do what we can to support a new and free Cuba.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. LaMalfa).
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, Americans everywhere are feeling the real 
effects of inflation due to the Democrats' reckless spending spree.
  Basic and time-tested economics show that more money in the 
marketplace leads to inflation, especially when it is created by new 
debt.
  Families across the country are paying $10, $20, $30 more on 
groceries each week. Gas prices are up nearly 50 percent.
  Remember the ads for the $6 burger that used to be $3.99? You used to 
see it on TV. Well, they are actually going to be $6 pretty soon the 
way things are going.
  Democrats claim that they are working for the American people. Their 
policies are, in fact, hitting middle-class families hard. The American 
people are noticing.
  It is no coincidence that inflation has increased every month during 
the Biden administration. They need to understand that all the money 
they keep spending directly and negatively impacts real Americans.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. 
Mann).
  Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the troubling impact 
that inflation is having on the American people.
  Raising a family during good economic times is hard enough, but times 
of high inflation make it even more difficult. With prices rising at 
paces not seen since 1991, families are being forced to make tough 
decisions and stretch their paychecks even further.
  During his Presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised not to raise 
taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 per year. However, his 
spending habit is fueling inflation, which is a tax on every American. 
In fact, it is worse than an ordinary tax because it is regressive, 
hitting the working class the hardest.
  President Biden and Democrats would have the American people believe 
that debt doesn't matter, and that the government can spend an endless 
amount of money on whatever they like. However, that could not be 
further from the truth.
  To stop the cost of things from accelerating even higher, we must end 
our spending addiction and get the national debt under control.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time we have 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I yield the remainder to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand for 
the people of Cuba who are marching against the Communist government 
that has oppressed them for decades.
  In recent weeks, the Cuban activists have been kidnapped, jailed, and 
murdered for daring to stand against the Communist regime.
  Now is the time to stand against this brutality. We must urge world 
leaders to cease all support for the Communist regime in Cuba.
  We must ensure that Cubans can communicate freely with each other and 
with the outside world. We must forcefully denounce the Cuban 
dictatorship that has committed these crimes.
  The Cuban people are rising up in the name of opportunity, the 
opportunity that they see just 90 miles away on the American shores.
  As the Cuban people protest in the streets, they are chanting, 
``Libertad,'' liberty. They are carrying American flags, and they are 
calling out for freedom.
  Now is the time for us to stand with them. It is time to put an end 
to the murderous regime that has held the people of Cuba hostage for 
the past 61 years.
  Freedom. Freedom for all. Freedom for Cuba. Let them see what we have 
here. Let them attain that freedom.

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