[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 130 (Thursday, July 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3742-S3743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  CUBA

  Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, on May 24, 2023, Congressman  Jim McGovern 
spoke on the House floor about the distressing situation in Cuba, and I 
want to associate myself with his remarks. He expressed his deep 
disappointment and frustration, which I share, with the current policy 
of the United States toward Cuba that amounts to little more than a 
continuation of the failed policies of the previous administration.
  If the consequences of our policy were benign, perhaps one could 
ignore what is happening on that tiny island of 11 million people. But, 
as Congressman McGovern described, it is anything but benign. Our 
policy is contributing, directly and indirectly, to widespread 
hardships and hunger in Cuba that caused some 313,000 Cubans to abandon 
the island last year alone, seeking entry to the United States.
  As any objective observer of Cuba knows, since long before the Castro 
revolution, the Cuban people have suffered continuous deprivations and 
humiliations. Political oppression and severely limited economic 
opportunities, punctuated by recurrent natural disasters, have 
circumscribed their lives. Through it all, they have persevered, 
propelled by their extraordinary ingenuity, national pride, and innate 
resilience. However, the mass exodus of Cubans in the past two years 
illustrates how dire the situation has become.
  This is by no means the first time that large numbers of Cubans have 
risked their lives to seek refuge and a better life in the United 
States, but none were on the scale of recent years. Several factors 
have led to the current calamity, including punitive Cold War sanctions 
reimposed by the previous administration and unfortunately kept in 
place by the current administration.

[[Page S3743]]

The Cuban Government's mismanagement of the economy and its reluctance 
to fully unleash and energize Cuba's fledgling private sector, the 
global COVID pandemic and economic downturn, and the cutbacks in oil 
imports from Venezuela have all played a role in the Cuban people's 
plight.
  However, there also are several deeply flawed U.S. policies which 
enable Cuban authorities to continue to deflect blame for their own 
failures onto the United States. They have compounded the misery of 
average Cubans and damaged our relations with partners in the 
hemisphere. These policies must change.
  First, Cuba must be removed from the state sponsors of terrorism 
list. We will continue to have profound differences with the Cuban 
Government over the importance of democracy and protection of human 
rights. But the designation as a state sponsor of terrorism is based on 
a determination that a government has ``repeatedly provided support for 
acts of international terrorism,'' not on differences of opinion about 
democracy or association with unsavory governments. Removing Cuba from 
this list, as President Obama did, will bolster Cuba's growing private 
sector and enable American commercial investment, trade, and travel to 
Cuba. Both are critical to the future prosperity of the Cuban people. 
The Biden administration should expeditiously complete any necessary 
review to remove Cuba from the terrorism list.
  Second, the administration should waive the extraterritorial 
sanctions under title 3 of the Helms-Burton Act, which drew the ire of 
our hemispheric allies when it was enacted in 1996 and have been waived 
by all previous Republican and Democratic administrations, save one. 
Cubans continue to flee the island out of desperation, and we cannot 
credibly claim to ``stand with the Cuban people,'' while supporting 
policies designed to cripple their economy and increase their daily 
hardships.
  Finally, we should continue on the path of improving relations 
between our two governments, including by sending an ambassador to 
Havana. U.S. engagement with a foreign country does not ascribe 
legitimacy to its government. If that were the case, we would recall 
our Ambassadors and close our Embassies in dozens of countries. Our 
isolationist policy is helping to expand malign Chinese and Russian 
influence in Cuba, not prevent it. Engagement creates opportunities to 
cooperate when it is in our national interest and to actively defend 
universal rights and freedoms. Notably, engagement provides the United 
States the ability to more effectively counter the influence of our 
adversaries who seek to exploit the vacuum created by our absence.
  None of us condone the repressive policies and practices of the Cuban 
Government but there are serious consequences to our policy of 
unilateral isolation. History has shown that regardless of how 
difficult life is in Cuba, the Cuban authorities will take whatever 
measures they deem necessary to crush public dissent to maintain 
control, as we saw in the wake of the historic street protests of July 
11, 2021. Hundreds of brave protesters continue to languish in Cuban 
jails.
  For years, Senator Patrick Leahy worked to replace an anachronistic, 
failed, punitive policy toward Cuba with one based on common sense and 
in accordance with our national interests. His efforts played a central 
role in President Obama's decision to restore diplomatic relations and 
engagement with Cuba in 2015. That policy was producing unprecedented, 
positive results for the Cuban people until it was unfortunately 
reversed. I urge the Biden administration to continue the work Senator 
Leahy and President Obama began. It is the only policy worthy of the 
United States.

                          ____________________