[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      ENDING EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA

  (Mr. POLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, for more than four decades the United States 
has pursued a policy of an embargo against our neighboring nation to 
the south, Cuba. President Obama has taken the first steps towards 
moving towards the end of isolating the Cuban people and the Cuban 
nation.
  I applaud his efforts to reengage in a diplomatic way and through 
tourism with the country of Cuba. Clearly the policy of an embargo has 
failed to bring down the regime of Fidel and Raul Castro. Let's instead 
try a policy of engagement where the ideas of democracy and human 
rights can spread across Cuba and across much of the world after the 
ending of the cold war.
  The time for the embargo is over. I call upon Congress to continue to 
pursue a repeal of the embargo and establishment of normal trade and 
diplomatic relations with the nation of Cuba so we can continue to, 
where appropriate, criticize their human rights record and engage them 
in respecting the rights of all people, and in trade, create jobs on 
both sides.

                          ____________________