Do Not Forget the Crisis in Cuba

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the United States' policy toward Cuba.

There are many crises in the world, like Iran. One crisis that does not get enough attention is the humanitarian one in Cuba today, with its hunger and deprivation.

To many, the word ``Cuba'' invokes politics. Oftentimes, a topic that politicians use to demagogue in U.S. elections for political advantage. However, Cuba is an island of 10 million human beings. They are people like you and me with families and with hopes for a better future.

There is no doubt that the aspirations of the people of Cuba are stymied by their own government. It denies them fundamental human rights. It does not meet their basic needs. It must do better, much better, to listen to what people are asking for and address their concerns in a real way, and our government in the United States isn't helping. In fact, we make the lives of the Cuban people worse, a lot worse.

I have visited Cuba many times as a Member of Congress. I have met with Cubans in their homes and have talked to them in their own communities. I can tell you firsthand that the U.S. embargo is harmful to the people of Cuba. It denies them food, medicine, and basic goods. It contributes to hunger and human misery. It is a driver of migration from the island.

U.S. policy toward Cuba fails to see the Cuban people as human beings. Too often, politicians here treat Cubans as commodities, as props in their political arguments. This is dehumanizing.

It has gotten worse under President Trump. Cubans were once welcomed with open arms into the United States, even given preferential treatment not available to others fleeing dire conditions. No more. Cuban immigrants are equally at risk under the Trump administration's cruelty-first policies.

A half million Cuban immigrants are currently in the United States under parole. An additional 110,000 Cubans entered the U.S. legally under the CHNV humanitarian parole program, but the Trump administration eliminated CHNV. Most Cubans are not eligible to adjust their status and are at risk of being sent back to Cuba. The Trump administration is adding to the humanitarian crisis.

I am disappointed in many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. They continue to defend the U.S. embargo and the status quo. They claim that they want to force the Cuban Government to treat its own people better, yet now when they have a chance to speak out against the Trump administration's callous indifference to the welfare of the Cuban people or even advance policies that will improve the lives of Cubans on the island, these same people are silent. I find that shameful.

In the past, whether our policy was more relaxed or tightened, our government maintained consultations with Cuban officials to manage migration, but the Trump administration has closed even that door, turning off a basic level of dialogue.

None of this makes sense. Tightening sanctions increases suffering, which drives people to our shores and to the border, but the administration won't even talk to Cubans about migration. How do they plan to return those they want to deport? Do they think they can hold Cubans in detention indefinitely?

Conditions in Cuba are far more desperate than during Trump's first term. To be frank, President Biden disappointed me. He didn't do enough to help. Food and medicine shortages and power blackouts are causing more suffering. Mr. Speaker, 1 million people, one-tenth of the population, have left the island. If the Trump administration wants to stop migration, it should not be contributing to its root cause.

The Cuban people are caught in a vise. They don't have a government that adequately responds to their needs, and they can't look to America to help them, either. A better approach to Cuba starts with seeing each other on a human level. We should promote exchange between artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, scientists, and students. We can nurture understanding, build relationships, foster trust, and diplomacy will follow.

President Obama understood this. He knew that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, so he loosened restrictions, relieved tensions, and advanced cooperation. We were on the road to helping create a new future for Cuba.

However, Trump takes us backward. He unjustifiably added Cuba to the state sponsor of terrorism list, purely for political reasons. They ought to be removed from that list. He banned travel and blocked remittances. He has cut off our ability to negotiate for the release of political prisoners. He continues to insist on sanctions to economically starve the country. We should instead lift the embargo. By closing off American engagement, he has opened the door for greater Russian and Chinese influence.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to consider a human-focused approach to Cuba. Our policy should not add to their suffering. We should hear their aspirations and never doubt the power of the people to create change.

Our Cuba policy is on the wrong track. It is a throwback to the Cold War. It is ineffective, and it makes us look petty and vindictive in the eyes of the world community. We need to do much better.

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