United States-Cuban Relations

Floor Speech

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Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from
California for her longstanding leadership, her commitment to human
rights and change in a positive way for the relationship between the
United States of America and Cuba.

I also would be remiss if I didn't recognize some of my other
colleagues who have been in this, have encouraged a change in policy
for many, many years, if not decades: Congressman Farr, Congresswoman
DeLauro, Congressman McGovern, Congressman Van Hollen, Congressman
Polis, Congressman Meeks, and many others who have taken it upon
themselves to visit the island of Cuba, like the average American is
not allowed to do, and learn about the real situation on the ground
there.

I also commend the Obama administration and the President for his
bold move in finally moving this outdated, anachronistic policy towards
Cuba into a positive direction. Because just think about this: since
the embargo has been in place and our policy of isolation has been in
place, we had a war with Vietnam, but we have come to reconcile with
the Vietnamese, and now the Vietnamese people have seen great economic
reforms because America was engaged. Even after World War II, when we
had a world war against Germany, you have to turn the page and move on
in human history, and we were able to do that with one of our closest
allies now with Germany. So why not Cuba?

In the Tampa Bay area I represent a lot of Cuban-American families.
In fact, the bulk of my constituent work often involves family
unification. It is not uncommon every week to have a situation where
there is a dying grandmother in the United States and her grandchildren
in Cuba would like to come and visit. And yet over the past years, they
have been subjected to the worst kind of bureaucratic red tape that has
not allowed them to travel freely to America, and the same for American
citizens.

Did you know that Americans are not allowed to travel freely to Cuba?
Many people don't know that Cuba is really one of the only nations in
the entire world where our constitutional rights to travel are
restricted. And we think now with the Obama administration's move we
will begin to open the door to greater travel, in recognition of our
own human rights and constitutional rights.

But I think it is really for our families to be able to unify them.
It is only a 1-hour flight from Tampa to Havana. It is less than that,
and it is a beautiful flight. And yet it has been off limits for so
long. So thank you to the Obama administration for beginning to take
the steps to open this up.

I want folks to know Cuba is changing. Just like the Congresswoman
who has traveled there multiple times, I traveled on a fact-finding
mission not too long ago. There are meaningful economic reforms under
way. America needs to be there to encourage it, to move it along faster
and farther.

People now in Cuba can own some private property. There are new small
businesses and entrepreneurs that have the ability to step away from
government control and take control of their own lives. There is
decentralization of power. But unless America is engaged, we are not
going to be able to continue those economic reforms and press for
improvements in human rights.

This is also an important time for America to capitalize on the
changes in the world economy. Remember for a long time it was the
Soviet Union that supported Cuba, or it was Venezuela. Well, now with
the energy revolution in America, there has never been a better time
for America to use its influence in the world, its economic power, its
pressing for human rights, as Venezuela doesn't carry the day anymore.
Their economy is in turmoil. The same for Russia. The economic
conditions now play to our advantage, and we need to use it to improve
human rights on the island, to improve family unification, and begin to
establish those all important diplomatic ties.

In my hometown of Tampa, they have led the way. My Greater Tampa
Chamber of Commerce has traveled a number of times. They would like to
reestablish trade ties. There have been enormous numbers of cultural
exchanges. The Florida Orchestra had a multiyear exchange with the
Orchestra of Cuba. Ybor City businessmen have instituted art
celebrations with the Cuban people right in the heart of Tampa. The
University of Tampa's baseball team went and played the Cuban national
team. Yes, and the University of Tampa did prevail, much to the chagrin
of the Cubans.

But these are the ways that you build a relationship, a greater
foundation for economic reform and human rights reform. In fact, it is
the Saint Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa that is going to fund the
first Catholic parish on the island of Cuba in the coming years. If we
cannot stand as leaders in the Western Hemisphere for religious
freedom, for human rights, for economic engagement and improvement, who will? It is our time. I thank the leaders in this Congress that have
pressed for this change, I commend President Obama for taking this bold
move, and I encourage all Members of Congress to travel there and
listen to the people, listen to their cries for positive change. We
have it within our power to lift the embargo and begin to press on
these issues, and I hope that we will.

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