[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 261-262]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      MOBILE COOPER RIVERSIDE PARK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Byrne) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, in Mobile's Cooper Riverside Park, there 
stands a statue of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, the French founder of 
Mobile, a statue which is identical to another statue located in 
Havana, Cuba.
  This statue is just one example of the robust ties between the city 
of Mobile, located in my Congressional district, and Cuba. These ties 
go all the way back to Spanish colonization in the 18th century.
  It is safe to say that I represent a district that stands to benefit 
from improved relationships with Cuba. In fact, the Port of Mobile is a 
straight shot to Cuba and could be an important economic hub, just as 
it was going back to the 18th century.
  Under the right circumstances, I would gladly support lifting the 
trade embargo with Cuba and improving diplomatic relations. 
Unfortunately, now is not that time. The economic benefits should not 
come at the cost of enabling a ruthless regime that is unwilling to 
change.
  Once again, the President seems to be more interested in a publicity 
stunt than in a substantive solution. The White House will tell you 
that this action is no different from previous efforts to improve 
relations with other communist countries like Vietnam or China.
  Here is the problem with that premise. In each of those cases, the 
President engaged with Congress in a serious conversation and debate 
about the best path forward. A plan was developed, serious concessions 
were agreed to, and each nation mutually benefited from these 
meaningful actions.
  Unfortunately, in the case of Cuba, President Obama has again decided 
to cut Congress out of the process and act alone with no real plan to 
accomplish his stated goal. This approach is the wrong way for our 
government to operate, and it has once again resulted in a bad deal.
  Columnist Charles Krauthammer put it best when he said:

       Do you know how to achieve a breakthrough in tough 
     negotiations? Give everything away.

  Mr. Speaker, I can't help but ask what reforms Cuba will make as a 
result of this deal. Let's not forget that this is the same Cuba, under 
the same

[[Page 262]]

regime, who during the Cold War had nuclear missiles on their soil 
aimed at the United States of America.
  This is the same Cuba that refuses to let the church operate freely. 
This is the same Cuba that worked with Venezuela and North Korea 
against the interests of the United States. This is the same Cuba that 
has been accused again and again of egregious human rights violations. 
Nothing has changed in those areas at all, and the Castro brothers are 
still in power.
  Now, there is a path forward for improved diplomatic relations and 
ending the trade embargo. The Castro regime must go. Political activity 
must be legalized. Public commitments to free and fair elections must 
be made. An independent judiciary must be established. Rights to free 
speech and freedom of the press must be guaranteed.
  Cuba must renounce the policy of being a staging area against the 
United States. Political prisoners must be freed, and the Cuban 
citizens must be treated with respect and dignity and be provided with 
the basic freedoms we often take for granted here in the U.S.
  Under those conditions and with a President willing to work with 
Congress, the embargo could be lifted and progress could truly begin.
  Mr. Speaker, I find myself once again coming to this floor to implore 
President Obama to abandon his ill-conceived, independent executive 
action and, instead, come to the Capitol, work with this Congress, 
share ideas, and collaborate; and together, we can make a real, 
positive impact on behalf of the American people.

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