[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3359-H3360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ENDING HUNGER IN CUBA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, last week, the Inter-American Commission 
on Human Rights and the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Economic, 
Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights expressed concern over the 
worsening of food insecurity in Cuba.
  They noted how this situation disproportionately affects the most 
vulnerable, including older people, pregnant women, children, and those 
with chronic illnesses. This is not a problem just in Havana. Most of 
Cuba's provinces are experiencing high levels of food insecurity.
  In March, the BBC reported that, for the first time, the Cuban 
Government has asked the World Food Programme for help amid food 
shortages. The WFP

[[Page H3360]]

said it had received Cuba's request for help to provide powdered milk 
to children under age 7.
  According to the Inter-American Commission, the Cuban Government 
approached WFP for help to continue the monthly delivery of milk for 
children throughout the country and to help with the delivery of flour 
for subsidized bread in the basic food basket.

  The Commission went on to describe how hunger is increasing on the 
island due to a combination of low economic growth, high inflation, 
reduced food production and distribution, and infrastructure problems, 
especially interruptions in electricity.
  It also cited recent economic measures adopted by the Cuban 
Government, including higher prices for fuel and electricity, the 
elimination of subsidies for the basic food basket, and the devaluation 
of the country's currency.
  The Inter-American Commission and the Special Rapporteur then 
underscored that U.S. policies and sanctions are intensifying and 
worsening the social and economic condition throughout Cuba and 
especially affecting the Cuban people's access to food, medicines, and 
basic necessities.
  In brief, Mr. Speaker, the United States is increasing hunger and 
poverty in Cuba. This is being done deliberately and knowingly. It is a 
human rights violation. It also appears it is being done with a degree 
of indifference and callousness that I find shocking. It makes me 
ashamed.
  During all my time as a Member of Congress, I have fought to end 
hunger and food insecurity here at home and around the world. I do not 
believe that food and medicine should ever be used as weapons against 
innocent civilians, not in Sudan, not in Ukraine, not in Gaza, not 
anywhere.
  I have coordinated hearings that highlight how governments and armed 
actors use food as a weapon against civilian populations they view as 
adversaries.
  To see our own government deliberately imposing and maintaining 
sanctions that we know make hunger worse in Cuba is unconscionable to 
me.
  It is also unconscionable, Mr. Speaker, that some Members of 
Congress, who cling to Cold War policies, appear eager to support 
actions that punish and increase the suffering of ordinary people on 
the island. They actually raise money off the Cuban people's suffering. 
They say they care about human rights but contribute to making the 
human rights situation worse. They deliberately create chaos because 
they can, with absolutely no regard to how it hurts the Cuban people.
  Sadly, President Biden has adopted and maintained Donald Trump's 
policies against Cuba, policies that he rightly denounced as a 
candidate and when he was Vice President, policies that hurt the very 
people he says he most wants to help, like independent entrepreneurs, 
young people, Afro-Cubans, women, and the poor.
  President Biden knows that keeping Cuba on the State Sponsors of 
Terrorism list means no one in Cuba has access to the international 
financial system. Our European and Latin American friends and allies 
are unable to provide help to the Cuban people out of fear of being 
punished by U.S. sanctions. Then we wonder why hundreds of thousands of 
Cubans are leaving the island and migrating to our borders.
  I am puzzled and deeply disappointed by the President's inaction. The 
situation has become desperate, with little hope for a better future. 
U.S. stubbornness sends a clear signal to the Cuban people that there 
is no reason to believe that change will happen.
  President Biden, your policies are hurting not the Cuban Government 
but the Cuban people. Your policies are helping to drive mass migration 
from the island. Mr. President, stop increasing hunger and poverty in 
Cuba. Remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, and let's 
move toward normalizing relations between our two countries. It is in 
the interest of both our peoples. Take action and please do it now.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks 
to the Chair.

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