[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17695]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WHAT HAS CUBA DONE?

  (Mr. QUIGLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss our relationship 
with our neighbor to the south, Cuba. I applaud President Obama for his 
plan to re-engage Cuba in a constructive dialogue and support his first 
steps to that end. But I must ask, what has Cuba done?
  Improving the relationship between the United States and Cuba is 
something I strongly support, but I do not support this partnership at 
any cost.
  I must ask, what has Cuba done? Cuba is still imprisoning political 
dissidents; Cuba still denies gay and lesbian citizens basic rights 
like freedom of assembly; Cuba still forbids travel outside the country 
without official permission.
  We cannot tacitly reward this behavior by restoring normal relations 
with Cuba without asking what has Cuba done. Our ultimate progress is 
up to Cuba, and our shared diplomacy must be a two-way street.

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