[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 88 (Wednesday, May 24, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CUBAN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep 
frustration with the Biden administration, especially the State 
Department, and its indifference to the suffering of the Cuban people.
  I was in Cuba in December. I have traveled there often over the past 
four decades. I have deep ties to many ordinary Cubans, small 
entrepreneurs, and people of faith. I have never seen the Cuban people 
suffer such hardship as they are at this moment.
  The main drivers of Cuban migration right now are hunger and a 
despair for a better future. There are many reasons for this 
desperation: The economic collapse of the tourist economy during the 
COVID-19 epidemic, rigid economic controls by the Cuban Government that 
change too slowly, a harsh crackdown on protests, and the denial of 
basic rights and freedoms.
  However, a significant factor contributing to the suffering are the 
policies of the United States.
  Despite promises made as a candidate, President Biden has failed to 
undo the economic and financial restrictions imposed by his 
predecessor. He has failed to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of 
Terrorism list against all reason, information, and analysis that 
should have led to its immediate removal upon his taking office.
  These restrictions have strangled ordinary people's daily activities, 
financial transactions, the Cuban private sector, activities by other 
Western governments, and even the delivery of humanitarian aid.

                              {time}  1045

  In December, young entrepreneurs were begging me to remove Cuba from 
the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. The Governments of Colombia and 
Mexico, and many others, have asked the Biden administration to remove 
Cuba from this list. They have received the same response as many 
Members of Congress: an indifferent silence.
  No doubt, the Biden administration will tinker around the edges, 
announcing limited reforms that might allow a few small entrepreneurs 
to survive another year or two, but they won't thrive. Such measures 
will hardly alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people as a whole.
  Until this administration takes a hard look in the mirror and gets 
serious, until it removes Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list 
and ends the economic and financial restrictions imposed during the 
Trump administration, the United States will continue to contribute to 
the suffering of the Cuban people every single day, every single hour.
  The Biden administration has had nearly 2\1/2\ years to undo the 
Trump restrictions. It has purposely decided to keep them in place, 
even to embrace them, no matter the cost to the Cuban people. These 
policies are no longer President Trump's policies. They are Biden's.
  Cuban migration is just a symptom of the suffering. It won't stop 
until U.S. policy changes and starts working on behalf of the Cuban 
people rather than sitting back and continuing the harsh policies that 
have driven thousands to abandon their homes.
  Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am angry. I am frustrated. I am past making 
excuses for this administration on this issue. We need to change U.S. 
policy toward Cuba. Today couldn't be soon enough.

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