[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6151-H6156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN CITIZENS FOR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 760) expressing solidarity with Cuban citizens 
demonstrating peacefully for fundamental freedoms, condemning the Cuban 
regime's acts of repression, and calling for the immediate release of 
arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 760

       Whereas, on July 11, 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the 
     streets to express their dissatisfaction with Cuba's 
     continued repression of its people, its worsening economic 
     situation, and shortages of food and medicine;
       Whereas these demonstrations were the largest protests on 
     the island in over 25 years, with courageous Cuban men, 
     women,

[[Page H6152]]

     and youth taking to the streets in cities and towns across 
     the country;
       Whereas the Cuban regime arbitrarily denied a request to 
     allow a peaceful demonstration on November 15, 2021, which 
     the organizers have specified would be ``against violence, to 
     demand that all the rights of all Cubans be respected, for 
     the release of political prisoners and for the solution of 
     our differences through democratic and peaceful means'';
       Whereas the Cuban regime also denied an earlier request for 
     protests to be held on November 20, 2021, stating that date 
     was off-limits because it would conflict with ``national 
     defense day'' and claiming without evidence that ``subversive 
     organizations'' with links to the United States Government 
     were promoting the protest;
       Whereas artists, academics, activists, and journalists have 
     been long engaged in ongoing protests calling for an end to 
     Cuba's persecution, censorship, arbitrary detention, and 
     other human rights violations;
       Whereas expanded internet access is foundational for the 
     Cuban people to be able to exercise their internationally 
     recognized human rights of access to information and freedom 
     of expression, creating opportunities for Cubans to 
     communicate more openly with one another and for their voices 
     to be heard around the world;
       Whereas numerous public reports and first-hand accounts 
     revealed that the Cuban regime deliberately blocked access to 
     certain websites and messaging apps, throttled internet 
     access, and launched targeted attacks to disrupt the internet 
     connections of private Cuban citizens;
       Whereas during the July protests, regime security officials 
     physically assaulted domestic and international journalists, 
     including Associated Press correspondent Ramon Espinosa, and 
     prevented dozens of reporters from leaving their homes to 
     report on the protests, according to the Committee to Protect 
     Journalists;
       Whereas Cuba is among the most restrictive countries in the 
     world for journalists, ranked 171 of 180 countries in 
     Reporters Without Borders' 2021 World Press Freedom Index;
       Whereas Cuban human rights groups report there were already 
     at least 150 political prisoners in Cuba before the July 11 
     protests, and Cuba has reportedly been responsible for over 
     400 additional arrests or forced disappearances since then;
       Whereas hundreds of Cubans who participated in the July 
     protests continue to face unjust detention and other forms of 
     retribution, including dozens who have been sentenced in 
     summary trials without due process and dozens of others who 
     remain unaccounted for;
       Whereas United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 
     Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about ``the excessive 
     force against demonstrators in Cuba and the arrest of a large 
     number of people, including journalists'' and noted ``it is 
     particularly worrying that these include individuals 
     allegedly held incommunicado and people whose whereabouts are 
     unknown'';
       Whereas, on July 25, 2021, Secretary of State Antony 
     Blinken and the foreign ministers of 20 countries issued a 
     statement to ``condemn the mass arrests and detentions of 
     protestors in Cuba and call on the government to respect the 
     universal rights and freedoms of the Cuban people, including 
     the free flow of information to all Cubans'';
       Whereas, on October 17, 2021, Assistant Secretary of State 
     for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols said 
     ``Denying the right of peaceful assembly to Cubans this 
     November 15th shows the Cuban regime's disregard for the 
     human rights and freedoms of its people. This and other 
     blatant attempts to intimidate their citizens is a clear sign 
     the regime won't listen to what Cubans have to say.'';
       Whereas over the summer, Cuba has seen record numbers of 
     COVID-19 infections and deaths, pushing hospitals and health 
     centers to near collapse; and
       Whereas basic medicines and common goods have become scarce 
     throughout the country and economists estimate Cuba's 
     economic conditions will become even worse in the coming 
     months: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses strong solidarity with the Cuban people who 
     took to the streets throughout the country on July 11, 2021, 
     and with those who plan to peacefully demonstrate on November 
     15, 2021, to once again express their desire to live in a 
     free country with self-determination;
       (2) condemns the Cuban regime's violent repression of 
     peaceful protesters and journalists and its other efforts to 
     restrict the Cuban people's right to peacefully protest, 
     freely express themselves, and exercise their other universal 
     human rights;
       (3) calls on Cuba to end all efforts to block or throttle 
     the Cuban people's internet access or restrict their access 
     to certain websites or applications and to permit them to 
     freely communicate online, including during future 
     demonstrations and peaceful protests;
       (4) calls on members of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed 
     Forces, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, and Cuba's 
     National Revolutionary Police Force to not arrest or detain 
     peaceful protesters, provide due process to all individuals, 
     and immediately release all political prisoners and 
     arbitrarily detained individuals still in their custody; and
       (5) urges the Biden administration to--
       (A) work with Cuban activists, civil society groups, 
     private United States companies, and the international 
     community to expand internet access for the Cuban people;
       (B) support the Cuban people's inherent right to 
     demonstrate peacefully in the name of democracy and human 
     rights;
       (C) continue to stand behind the aspirations of the Cuban 
     people for freedom, for dignity, for prosperity, and the 
     basic rights that they have been denied by the regime since 
     1959;
       (D) assess whether the United States can develop methods to 
     allow remittances, medical supplies, and other forms of 
     support from the United States to directly benefit the Cuban 
     people in ways that alleviate humanitarian suffering without 
     providing United States dollars to the Cuban military; and
       (E) rally the international community to join the United 
     States in condemning human rights abuses and honoring the 
     Cuban people's demands for freedom.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Deutch) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H. Res. 760.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 760, introduced by my friend and colleague, 
Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, together with my friend, Congressman 
Diaz-Balart, and chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, 
Congressman Sires, supports the basic human rights of the Cuban people 
and stands with them in their right to peacefully protest their own 
government.
  In July, the largest protest in decades swept the island of Cuba. 
Activists, in turn, were beaten and jailed by the government. Many 
remain jailed. According to Human Rights Watch, many have been 
subjected to abuse and torture simply for standing up for access to 
food, to medicine, to information, and to have their rights respected.
  This resolution expresses solidarity with the Cuban people ahead of 
planned nationwide protests for November 15. The organizers of these 
protests sought approval from the government, as the Cuban constitution 
allows for legitimate protest. They were denied.
  We must stand with the people of Cuba as they exercise their right to 
free expression. We must condemn the violent response to peaceful 
protests by the Cuban people. That is what this resolution does.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for working to bring this 
resolution to the floor, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution expressing solidarity with the 
freedom-loving Cuban citizens, condemning the regime's violence against 
innocent protesters, and calling on our international partners to 
pledge support for Cuban freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank my colleagues, Debbie Wasserman 
Schultz, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Albio Sires for their work on this 
resolution.
  For over 60 years, Cubans have been held hostage by a tyrannical 
dictatorship. The Communists have bankrupted a beautiful country, 
condemning three generations to misery, and separating countless 
families.
  Castro's Cuba is also a threat to regional stability and security, 
trafficking weapons to North Korea, propping up Venezuela's cruel 
regime, and forging alliances with pariahs like Russia and China.
  The Cuban regime is a cancer that has metastasized throughout Latin 
America. Starting on July 11, tens of thousands of protestors across 
the island demanded and pleaded for an end to the oppressive regime. 
Some were even waving the greatest symbol of liberty known to mankind, 
the American flag.
  Since the protests began, Ranking Member McCaul has called on the 
majority to consider a resolution standing

[[Page H6153]]

in solidarity with the Cuban people; each time it was blocked. I am 
pleased that the leadership has finally allowed a measure to be 
considered 4 months after the initial protests.
  Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution 
reinforcing Congress' support for the pro-democracy movement in Cuba. 
As Members of Congress and Americans, we have a moral obligation to 
support them.
  The United States remains committed to democracy and respect for 
human rights in the Western Hemisphere, and this resolution urges the 
international community to join us in these efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure and 
advocate for many Cubans who cannot speak for themselves. Mr. Speaker, 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader of the House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and I thank 
him for his support. I want to thank the chairman of the committee as 
well for his agreeing to have this come to the floor, and I look 
forward to his support.
  I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I have talked to a lot of Members about 
this. The policies that we have regarding Cuba are subject to debate 
and subject to differences. While I think, Mr. Speaker, there are no 
differences--there are--in this Congress, that we are all for 
supporting those who seek democracy and who seek the benefits of 
freedom and who seek the welfare of their families associated with that 
freedom. I don't think there is a single Member who wasn't appalled by 
the way peaceful protesters in Cuba were brutally suppressed in July.

                              {time}  1430

  I doubt there is anyone here who is not concerned that such actions 
will be repeated this month when the next protests are scheduled to 
occur. So this is a very timely resolution because it anticipates that 
there will be another group of people who will have the courage to 
stand up and to speak up on behalf of freedom in their country.
  There was a resolution passed by the United States Senate on August 
3, 2021, although it doesn't exactly mirror our resolution. Frankly, 
our resolution is somewhat less specific in terms of criticism and in 
terms of policy.
  Why? Because we wanted this to be about human rights. We wanted it to 
be about people who stand up for freedom. We wanted it to be another 
statement of the thousands that we have made in countries throughout 
this globe that suppress the rights of people and that imprison people 
because they try to express their views. But this resolution that was 
passed in the Senate was sponsored by my counterpart, the majority 
whip, Mr. Durbin; by Mr. Kaine from Virginia; Mr. Schatz from Hawaii; 
Mr. Coons from Delaware; Mr. Booker from New Jersey; Ms. Cortez Masto 
from Nevada; Mr. Brown from Ohio; Mr. Padilla from California; Mr. 
Warner from Virginia; Mr. Cardin from my own State of Maryland; Ms. 
Rosen from Nevada; Mr. Warnock from Georgia; Mr. Lujan from New Mexico, 
our former chair of the campaign committee; and Ms. Hassan from New 
Hampshire; along with many Republicans. My point is that this was a 
unanimous consent, so everybody was for it.
  The vote we take on this resolution is a simple one. The text of the 
resolution is clear. It states that this House--all of us--stands in 
solidarity with Cubans seeking to express themselves and seek a redress 
of grievances from their leaders. It affirms that the Cuban people 
ought to be able to enjoy the same access to information and the 
internet as Americans and other free people do around the world. And it 
urges the Biden administration to find ways to promote freedom, human 
rights, and access to basic needs in Cuba.
  I believe that these are goals we can support overwhelmingly. I 
understand that some Members believe that the text of this resolution 
does not include items on policy that they would like to have. I 
certainly think that is a legitimate concern, and there is no reason 
why we cannot have resolutions that speak to that. But this is 
singularly focused on the rights of people.
  John Kennedy said that we will bear any burden to defend any peoples 
who essentially seek freedom. That is what this resolution does. It is 
simple and straightforward.
  I have supported many of these policies as chairman of the Commission 
on Human Rights and the Helsinki Commission, where resolution after 
resolution said to Soviet satellites that the Helsinki signature of the 
Russians on that document demanded that they observe the human rights 
of those folks. This is a similar resolution.
  I hope all Members would share my view that a strong, bipartisan, and 
united vote by this House will send a message to the people of Cuba 
that they are not alone, that the American people stand with those who 
speak out in peaceful protest, and that Democrats and Republicans stand 
together and in support of the freedoms they seek.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this resolution. I hope that the valid concerns and 
differences Members have on both sides of the aisle when it comes to 
Cuba will not preclude us from agreeing that we ought to stand in 
solidarity with those who are seeking the same rights that we enjoy in 
this extraordinary country in which we live. That is why I will be 
voting an enthusiastic and strong ``yes'' on this resolution.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart).
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, to Ranking Member Green, also to my 
friend also from Florida (Mr. Deutch) in particular, and to my good 
friend Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, I thank you for your 
leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, on the 11th of July, the Cuban people went to the 
streets demanding one thing: freedom after 62 years of repression. That 
was 4 months ago. Many of those who hit the streets were arrested, and 
many of those remain in prison in the worst possible conditions. 
Several have held hunger strikes to protest their unjust and cruel 
imprisonment.
  Unfortunately, there has been very little solidarity from the Biden 
administration. The administration has yet to even use technology 
available to the United States Government and even the private sector 
to provide internet so the Cuban people can communicate. The 
administration has failed to even support adequate funding for 
broadcasting into Cuba through the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
  Mr. Speaker, I fear that the administration will use remittances or 
even humanitarian aid or other ways to prop up the regime. Having said 
that, that is why I am so grateful to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman 
Schultz, who has not given up and who has not stopped working to try to 
bring a resolution to the floor.
  This resolution is a compromise. It is a compromise resolution, and 
although, as you have heard before, Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues 
and I would have liked a stronger resolution such as the one that I 
introduced in July, which, again, the House leadership has refused to 
bring forward, this resolution does express solidarity with the Cuban 
people. Again, that is why I am so grateful to Congresswoman Debbie 
Wasserman Schultz.
  I mention her, but I also need to mention Congressman McCarthy; Albio 
Sires; Maria Elvira Salazar; Carlos Gimenez; Mr. Mark Green, whom I 
mentioned;   Michael McCaul; and Ted Deutch for their solidarity.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution for the 
cause of freedom and human rights in Cuba so that the Cuban people know 
that they are not alone and that we are with them.
  Again, while we would like to be stronger, I am grateful for those 
who have worked day in and day out to finally bring this forward.

  Patria y vida. Cuba will be free. They must know, and they will know, 
that they are not alone.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild).
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 760 and in 
solidarity with the Cubans who, have over the past months, turned out 
in large numbers to engage in peaceful demonstrations for a better 
future.

[[Page H6154]]

  They did so with the full knowledge that they were braving an 
authoritarian regime that criminalizes dissent.
  According to Amnesty International's Americas director: ``In response 
to the protests of 11 July, the Cuban authorities have applied the same 
machinery of control that they have used to target alternative thinkers 
for decades, but now amped up to a scale we haven't seen in almost 20 
years, and with new tactics, including the use of internet 
interruptions and online censorship to control and cover up the grave 
human rights violations they have committed.''
  These are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, husbands and 
wives. Above all, they are human beings who are entitled to fundamental 
rights denied to them for far too long.
  As the House of Representatives takes this vote, let us stand with 
every prisoner of conscience and dissident facing persecution in Cuba 
and in every corner of the world.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Salazar).
  Ms. SALAZAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Green.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 760. I want to thank my 
colleagues, Mario Diaz-Balart and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for 
sponsoring this resolution denouncing the Cuban regime and supporting 
freedom for the people of Cuba.
  On July 11, the world watched as thousands of Cubans peacefully took 
to the streets calling for libertad, meaning freedom or liberty. But 
the Castro thugs responded by cracking their heads open in the streets 
of Havana. Ever since, countless dissidents have been arrested, and 
hundreds more have disappeared.
  But what is encouraging is that these young men and women of 
unbelievable courage cannot be stopped.
  And do you know why, Mr. Speaker? Because their hunger to pursue 
freedom and to pursue happiness drives them, and that is bigger than 
the stranglehold the Castro regime has put on them for 60 years. 
Apparently, freedom is bigger than fear, and that is why, in 10 days 
from today, on November 15, these brave freedom fighters will flood the 
streets of Cuba once again.
  Already, the Castro repressive apparatus is showing its ugly head. 
That is why we, the United States Congress, the seat of power in this 
shining city on a hill the whole world is watching, must approve this 
resolution today to express solidarity with the Cuban people.
  We are demanding that peaceful protesters be allowed to assemble 
without fear of being brutalized. We are condemning the heinous crimes 
committed by this tyrannical regime. We are calling now on the Biden 
administration peacefully and respectfully to provide internet to Cuba.
  We are on the cusp of momentous change for that island. We are less 
than 2 weeks away from another heroic demonstration by the Cuban 
people. We are less than 2 weeks away from another violent crackdown by 
the regime.
  These pictures right here are evidence. They came straight from Cuban 
television. Castro's civilian gestapo, armed with clubs, is ready to 
attack those who will dare to shout ``libertad'' on the streets of Cuba 
because in Cuba protesters are brutalized, detained, and beaten. They 
are jailed and charged with treason because in the eyes of this 
murderous regime, free speech is a crime and liberty is illegal.
  This resolution from the United States House of Representatives will 
send a message loud and clear that we will always stand on the side of 
freedom, democracy, and human rights and that the Castro regime's days 
are numbered. May the Lord allow for that.
  The world is watching, and it is time for the Cubans to be free like 
Americans, like we all are.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 760.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), who is a great champion for human 
rights and an outspoken champion for those human rights when they are 
violated so close to our own shores.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding and for his leadership as well on human rights worldwide.
  Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 
760. I authored this bipartisan resolution co-led by my dear friend, 
Mario Diaz-Balart, to send a message to the brave Cubans who are 
desperately yearning for freedom and legitimate self-governance: The 
American people are firmly by your side.
  The passionate human cry for self-determination ringing out from the 
streets of Havana has moved this Congress and achieved something 
beautiful and all too rare. It has united Democrats and Republicans 
behind this call for freedom.
  Today, we are here to do something simple and unifying that is at the 
heart of American values: support human rights and freedom of 
expression and freedom from repression.
  Today, this body stands arm in arm to condemn the Cuban regime's acts 
of repression. Together, we proclaim the strongest possible support for 
the Cuban people to take a courageous stand in the streets on November 
15, as they did on July 11, and peacefully express their opposition to 
the brutality and dehumanization of the Cuban regime.
  As representatives of the American people, we proudly express 
unyielding solidarity with the Cuban people who wish to peacefully 
assemble and boldly demand their freedom from oppression.
  The regime has all the tools of repression in their possession, but 
the Cuban people are armed with truth, conviction, and courage. 
Dictators thrive on silence, lies, and fear. That is why the resolution 
before this Chamber today is so important. This body must use our 
platform to shed light on the tyranny that casts a shadow over such a 
beautiful island.
  The Cuban regime's deception, repression, and arbitrary imprisonment 
of citizens, activists, and artists cannot withstand the people's 
demands for freedom, agency, and accountability.

                              {time}  1445

  By passing this resolution today, we will make sure the Cuban 
people's calls for freedom are not silenced. Instead, we will amplify 
them as we are here this afternoon.
  And we are not alone. In adopting this resolution, we will join with 
the European Parliament who adopted a resolution earlier this summer 
that condemns the Cuban regime's blatant disregard for human rights.
  Now we too must loudly proclaim that this Congress stands for 
democracy and denounces the unaccountable corruption clinging to power 
just across the Straits of Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take one moment to thank all of those, 
including President Biden, and especially President Biden, for standing 
with the Cuban people; for standing up for freedom, for free and fair 
elections on the island, for freedom of expression, and for making sure 
that we can help hold this unaccountable regime accountable.
  I also want to thank those who helped deliver this message today, my 
good friends: Albio Sires, Mario Diaz-Balart, and, of course, Leader 
Hoyer. And I also want to thank Chairman Meeks for working with me on 
this resolution as well and my colleagues from Florida. Without their 
hard work and the efforts of many other allies of Cuban democracy, we 
could not send this powerful, bipartisan message today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Florida.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. We are united 
today around the Cuban people's fight for libertad and patria y vida.
  I ask all Members to embrace the unifying principles in this 
resolution which avoids the policy arguments and expresses our support 
for basic human rights. Who could be against that?
  I urge all of my colleagues to stand behind and side by side with the 
Cuban people and support their pursuit of liberty and justice. I urge a 
``yes'' vote on H. Res. 760.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 
760, but let

[[Page H6155]]

me just say I, too, support the basic rights of the Cuban people, the 
basic human rights of the Cuban people. As an African American who has 
engaged in many protests for justice, I know the impact of keeping 
government and police forces from interfering in our actions for our 
basic rights.
  We should not excuse the Cuban Government for limiting their own 
people's freedom and opportunity. But let me just say: Here in 
Congress, we need to also take a hard look at the failed U.S. policy 
that has not helped the Cuban people and too often inflicted harm on 
them. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again 
expecting a different result. Well, for 60 years we have been squeezing 
the Cuban people thinking that if we starve them just enough it will 
somehow lead to democracy.
  So it is long overdue to support policies that truly help the Cuban 
people. The Obama administration showed us that we can take a new 
approach. That is through engagement, diplomacy, trade, travel, and, 
yes, support for human rights for the Cuban people.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this resolution on the 
suspension calendar today and we should have an honest debate about a 
new Cuban policy that talks about and supports what real human rights 
for the Cuban people mean.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ted 
Deutch and my colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the people of Cuba who 
deserve the right to stand up peacefully for freedom and basic human 
rights without fear of repercussions.
  This summer, as my colleagues have already described, thousands of 
Cubans took to the streets peacefully to raise their voices for basics 
like food, and medicine, access to the internet, for freedom and 
opportunity in their country. And what was the response by their Cuban 
Government? Violence and arrests and detention without due process of 
hundreds of the protesters.
  Here is what I think we can all agree with: the ability to speak 
freely, to rise and protest our fundamental human rights that everyone 
deserves, no matter where they live in the world, and that is whether 
you are marching here in Washington, or in south Florida, or on the 
streets of Havana. We must continue to support and stand up for those 
who are standing up for fundamental freedoms. And we must condemn the 
acts of violence and undue repercussions against people for exercising 
these rights.
  So today, by passing this important resolution, we take a stand and 
we shine a spotlight on these blatant attacks on human rights in Cuba 
by condemning the acts.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Florida.
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just join those in 
condemning the acts of repression by the Cuban regime and call for the 
immediate release of Cuban citizens arbitrarily detained. I urge my 
colleagues to pass this resolution.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Deutch for yielding and 
for his strong leadership on this issue, and I certainly want to thank 
my classmate, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, for bringing this bill to the 
floor, plus all of the Members in a bipartisan way, I thank them so 
much.

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my solidarity with the Cuban people 
who have exercised their human rights to peacefully demonstrate for 
their rightful freedoms and their liberty, their libertad. This past 
July thousands of Cuban citizens took to the streets and in unison, 
they chanted: libertad, libertad--liberty, liberty.
  They protested for freedom. They protested for liberty. They 
protested for vida--life--and for patria--also country. They wanted a 
change after more than six decades of authoritarian rule.
  Demonstrators were shown waving American flags symbolizing the 
liberty that they so desperately want. One protester remarked to the 
press: It felt so good to finally be able to protest in our country. It 
is only human to feel fear, but that moved to the background because 
you knew that we were doing the right thing. The Cuban Government 
reacted to such demonstrations with unjust imprisonment of hundreds of 
protesters, and, of course, they cut off people's access to the 
internet as part of the government's crackdown.
  In closing, the people of Cuba deserve the right to protest. They 
have the right to have freedom--libertad--patria y vida.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that we support this legislation and pass this.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Crist).
  Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Deutch for yielding.
  In recent years, the living conditions for the Cuban people have 
deteriorated rapidly. Shortages of basic goods like food, medicine, 
even hygienic products like diapers, have become the norm. Socialism 
and communism have truly failed. The economy has collapsed and in order 
to maintain power, leaders have only tightened their stranglehold on 
the people.
  The Cuban people have responded. This past summer we witnessed 
history. Cubans from all walks of life peacefully took to the streets 
demanding reform and freedom. They were met with violence. Since then, 
demonstrators have been rounded up, and show trials, arbitrary 
detentions, and crackdowns on thought and speech have followed. 
Activists are still missing and have not been seen for months. Our 
hearts are with the Cuban exile community, nearly 1.6 million in 
Florida alone, including many second- and third-generation Floridians.
  They call America home because they cannot call Cuba home due to the 
violent, Communist dictatorship. This resolution is an important 
statement by the people's House that we will not stand by while Cubans 
suffer and die. And we will lead the international community in holding 
the Communist regime accountable. Please vote ``yes.''
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, the people of Florida stand with the people 
of Cuba.
  I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Mrs. Demings), another colleague from Florida.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, during his inaugural address in 1960, 
President Kennedy said these words: ``Let every nation know . . . that 
we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any 
friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of 
liberty.''
  We know what freedom means in America. It is the lifeline of our 
Nation. The people of Cuba have cried out for freedom, and because of 
who we are, America must answer the call.
  The failed socialist regime in Cuba has delivered tyranny instead of 
freedom, poverty instead of prosperity, and violence to silence its own 
people instead of protection and safety. We denounce that regime and we 
stand with the people because we stand for freedom.
  One protester said this: ``It's only human to feel fear but that 
moved to the background because you knew you were doing the right 
thing.''
  I say to America, this statement should be familiar to all of us. We 
will not stay neutral for neutrality helps the oppressor, never the 
oppressed. Democracy and a free economy are the right path forward for 
Cuba.
  We stand today and we support this resolution so that every Cuban, 
like every American and every Floridian, will know that they have a 
God-given right to safety, liberty, and the right to freely choose 
their own future. Together we stand.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy), my colleague.
  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
bipartisan resolution.

[[Page H6156]]

  This resolution honors the Cuban people who have protested peacefully 
at great personal risk for their fundamental freedoms and a brighter 
future for their families. These are men and women of courage and 
character, confronting a ruthless and repressive regime.
  Our resolution sends these patriots a simple message: America has 
your back.
  I feel a deep sense of solidarity with the Cuban people. When I was a 
baby, my family fled a Communist country, and like many Cuban families, 
we found refuge and opportunity in America. And like so many Cuban 
Americans, I never take for granted the rights I am afforded in this 
country because I know what the alternative looks like.
  Following the historic protests in Cuba, I offered a bipartisan 
amendment to an appropriations bill that would have increased funding 
to support democracy, human rights, political prisoners, and internet 
access in Cuba. To my grave disappointment, this amendment was 
prevented from coming to the floor of the House by members of my own 
party.

  America must speak and act with moral clarity. We should support men 
and women standing up to authoritarian regimes across the globe, and 
especially in our shared neighborhood. I urge support for this bill.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Soto).
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, let it be known, just 90 miles off the coast 
of our State of Florida is a murderous, socialist dictatorship that is 
murdering and crushing its people. Let it also be known across this 
Nation that Democrats and Republicans are coming together today to 
express solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating peacefully for 
fundamental freedoms and democracy.
  We saw it this summer when they took to the streets on the island as 
well as across our country including in Orlando. I was proud to stand 
in solidarity. Resolutions expressing support are important, but so is 
action, which is why, after this is done, we need to pursue other, more 
substantive policies like: stopping enslavement of Cuban doctors, 
putting more pressure for internet access on the island; addressing 
Havana syndrome and the attack on our diplomats, sanctions and U.N. 
action to stop even some of our own U.N. European allies from 
continuing to prop up this dictatorship. That will make a big 
difference.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.

                              {time}  1500

  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, before we vote on this, I yield an 
additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz), the driving force behind this.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Libertad para Cuba. Patria y vida.
  (English translation of Spanish is as follows: Freedom for Cuba. 
Country and life.)
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I would like to first associate myself with the comments that the 
majority leader made at the beginning of his comments, where he 
described a significant overlap, a place here where both parties can 
come together to support this resolution. We all agree on the 
importance of human rights.
  I am hopeful a dialogue on the policy differences that he mentioned 
occurs soon. The shift toward authoritarianism in Latin America 
continues, and I believe most of this body recognizes Cuba's hand in 
all of that.
  Patria y vida. Cuba libre.
  (English translation of Spanish is as follows: Country and life. Free 
Cuba.)
  Once again, I want to thank my friends, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. 
Diaz-Balart, and Mr. Sires, for leading this measure, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Green, I want to thank Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz and Mr. Diaz-Balart, as well as our good friend Mr. Sires, all 
of them, for their bipartisan leadership of this important resolution. 
I want to thank Senator Menendez and Senator Rubio for the same.
  We have the opportunity today here, at this moment, to show 
unequivocally that the United States stands with the people of Cuba, 
that we stand with them in their desire for basic rights, that we want 
to see relations between the United States and the Cuban people 
flourish, that we support today and will always support the Cuban 
people in their pursuit of freedom, the right to free expression, and 
the right to live and be free.
  I thank the bill sponsors for their important work on this 
resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to stand for human rights, to 
stand with the people of Cuba, and to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 760.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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