Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the Congress about a Cuban prisoner of conscience locked in Castro's gulag. This week I ask my colleagues to learn the name of Francisco Chaviano Gonzalez. The prevailing theme throughout the life of Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez is his desire to live in freedom. First, he attempted to flee Castro's dictatorship in March 1989, but was caught and sent to prison. While unjustly incarcerated for attempting to flee the Cuban dictatorship, Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez founded the Cuban Rafters Council. Upon Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez's release from prison, he and the Council began to document the list of people who have become unaccounted for in the treacherous Florida Straights as they sought refuge from Castro's repressive regime. Mr. Speaker, Mr Chaviano Gonzalez compiled a list of those who perished on their dangerous journey to freedom. The Council desired that these martyrs be known, that those who died pursuing freedom be remembered by those they left behind. As Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez began to understand how the repressive policies of Castro's ruthless regime propelled these refugees into the Florida Straights, he, and other members of the Council, decided to change the name of their organization to the National Council for Civil Rights in Cuba (NCCRC). Castro's machinery of repression took notice of this pro-democracy group and Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez was arrested on May 7, 1994. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez has been imprisoned in Castro's gulag since May 7, 1994. According to reports, Francisco Chaviano Gonzalez is in poor and deteriorating health after 9 years and 5 months in Castro's gulag. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chaviano Gonzalez has dedicated his life to the idea that the Cuban people should be free, and for that belief alone he has been imprisoned by Castro's tyranny since 1994. On October 2, 2002 Ernesto Roque published portions of a letter by Mr. Chaviano on the website CubaNet. The haunting words of this letter included the plea ``Humanity, don't forget us, they are killing us!'' Mr. Speaker, this Congress should never forget what happens each day in Castro's gulag; each day, Castro's machinery of repression is deliberately murdering Cuban citizens whose only crime is their desire for freedom. My Colleagues, we must stand up for those who seek freedom from tyranny. We must call now, and we must call everyday, for the release of Francisco Chaviano Gonzalez and all the prisoners of conscience dying for freedom in Castro's gulag.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of a political prisoner in Cuba. Today I ask Congress to remember the name Leonardo Miguel Bruzon Avila. Mr. Bruzon Avila is currently incarcerated without trial in Castro's inhumane prison system because he desires freedom. Mr. Bruzon Avila is the president of the 24th of February Movement, named for both the commencement of the glorious Cuban War of Independence in 1895, and the day in 1996 when two civilian aircraft carrying four members of the Brothers to the Rescue movement were shot down over international waters by the Cuban dictatorship's fighter jets. The 24th of February movement desires and struggles for freedom in Cuba. Mr. Bruzon Avila was jailed on February 22, 2002, two days before he was set to peacefully commemorate the day when Castro's regime murdered four innocent human beings in 1996. Mr. Bruzon Avila has yet to be taken to trial. Mr. Bruzon Avila began his first hunger strike on March 15, 2002 to protest the fact that he had not yet been charged with any crime. On August 27, 2002 Mr. Bruzon Avila and 26 others began a second hunger strike to demand they be informed of the charges against them or released at once. Mr. Bruzon Avila's health has been rapidly deteriorating. According to reports, Mr. Bruzon Avila is suffering from vitamin deficiency, he is losing his vision, and he can no longer move his right arm. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bruzon Avila is dying in Castro's gulag. Mr. Speaker, Leonardo Miguel Bruzon Avila is in a dungeon because he desires freedom for Cuba. If Mr. Bruzon Avila continues to deteriorate, he will die for his love for a free Cuba. My colleagues, we must cry out for the immediate release of Leonardo Bruzon Avila and all prisoners of conscience in the totalitarian Cuban gulag.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the subcommittee.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 374 is a rule that provides for the consideration of the conference report for the fiscal year 2004 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This is a standard rule for a conference report, providing for 1 hour of general debate, evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. As we continue the 2004 appropriations cycle, Mr. Speaker, it is fitting that the first appropriations bill, and now the first conference report this House considers, is the Homeland Security Appropriations Act. It has been over 2 years since the Nation was savagely attacked by a group of cowardly terrorists on September 11, 2001. Appropriate, decisive, and necessary steps in our defense and foreign policy have been evident under the leadership of President Bush through successful efforts to eliminate al Qaeda from its government- sponsored haven of Afghanistan, the elimination of the Taliban regime and, recently, to remove the ruthless dictator Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and operations throughout the world in furtherance of U.S. national security. The U.S. military has performed and succeeded with distinction each and every time we have called upon their gallant services. But much more work has to be accomplished in the homeland; and this legislation, Mr. Speaker, provides communities the necessary tools to effect necessary security efforts. In this conference report, Congress is providing almost $30 billion to protect the homeland, $1 billion above the President's request. The legislation provides $4.2 billion to the Office of Domestic Preparedness. I have seen firsthand the work of Federal dollars when supplemented with State and local funding to make our communities safe. In south Florida, the local governments and municipalities have taken extensive steps to ensure the safety of airports, seaports, utilities, and water supplies; but they still require the supplemental funding and grants that this legislation provides. With over 7,500 miles of land borders and 361 seaports, local authorities will always be the frontline of defense. First responders are the key to the effective protection of our communities. In addition to many other programs, this conference report provides $1.7 billion for basic formula grants under the Office of Domestic Preparedness; $500 million for State and local enforcement terrorism prevention grants; $750 million for firefighter grants, and $725 million for high-threat, high-density urban areas. To further ensure the safety of the American people, we have instituted very clear guidelines for grant eligibility. Local and State officials must create a multiyear homeland security plan. This will ensure that we are not just throwing money at the problem, but we are working to find comprehensive, long-term solutions to problems. The Department of Homeland Security is also working hard to protect our ports of entry. There is $62 million in this bill for the Container Security Initiative. It is our belief that security at our ports should be the last line of defense, not a first. Through the Container Security Initiative, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is working with the world's largest ports to screen cargo before it leaves for the United States. We now require 24-hour advanced notice for manifests of any cargo ship heading to the United States. This allows the Department of Homeland Security to see what is on a ship before it gets anywhere near the coasts of the United States. Through a sophisticated database screening system and ground personnel working with host countries, the Department is creating a frontline of defense hundreds, sometimes even thousands of miles away. This conference report also provides $236 million for immigration services, $80 million of which is dedicated to alleviating the current unsatisfactory backlog of immigration applications. Under President Bush's Blueprint for New Beginnings, Director Aduardo Aguirre of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services is committed to achieving a maximum term of 6 months for immigration applications between the time of application and the time of swearing in, including for citizenship, specifically. Some parts of our Nation have seen the wait for citizenship applications grow and grow to the point that now it is not anywhere near 6 months, but rather years, in many instances. Effective funding to eliminate this backlog and streamline the process is essential, as is congressional oversight; and I want to thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman Rogers) who, in the Committee on Rules yesterday evening, again committed to continuing forceful oversight to make sure that this goal of the President and of the director really is achieved. Six months, 6 months should be the maximum time between an application for citizenship and the swearing in of a new American. Easing the backlog will enhance national security by ensuring that those who should be in the country are given their citizenship papers and those who have goals other than enjoying American prosperity and freedom and may seek to potentially harm America are quickly removed from the consideration process and dealt with appropriately. We must also allow those with a desire to enter the United States legally to do so without undue burden. Again, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the chairman and the administration to ensure that, with necessary security, the borders of this country remain open to those who seek freedom and prosperity. Again, I would like to thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman Rogers) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Ranking Member Sabo) for their important bipartisan work on this very important appropriations bill which I think, appropriately, is the first one that we bring in final form before our colleagues. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2555 is good legislation essential to our continued commitment to the security and safety of all of the citizens and the residents of the United States, the well-being of the homeland. I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 374 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This has been an interesting debate. I feel very proud of the work that the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and his subcommittee have done in bringing forth this legislation, which is not only the first appropriation bill that is being sent to the President but one could say certainly one of the most important, if not the most important one. Many important programs are funded. I happen to have followed, and feel very strongly, for example, that the funding in this bill and the oversight that Chairman Rogers is providing to make sure that the goal that President Bush has set for immigrants in this country who are seeking the great honor of American citizenship is met; that there be no more than a 6-month period between the time of application and swearing in for immigrants in this great land. We are going to follow up with oversight to make sure that that goal of President Bush and Director Aguirre is met. It is funded in this legislation. Many important security initiatives are also funded. Chairman Rogers has stated, and I think it is important to reiterate that the Secretary of the Department has been instructed to forthwith devise and implement a system for the screening of all cargo. So in addition to the very important existing programs that have been improved and their funding has been increased to assure the security of the American people today, this legislation calls for the development forthwith of a program to screen all cargo. I thank Chairman Rogers and his committee for that work as well. So this is very important legislation that is brought forth today with this rule. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the Committee on Appropriations, who along with the rest of the subcommittee has been working long and hard, and not with empty shoeboxes but for the security of the American people, actually getting things done.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the fact that all of the appropriations bills, all 13, have been promptly completed by this House. And I think that it stands as a testament to the hard work of the leadership of this House and especially of that very hard-working Committee on Appropriations under the leadership of Chairman Young and the subcommittee chairs. We obviously can, working hard, fulfill our responsibilities as the Committee on Appropriations has done in this House. We do not control the other House. We wish that they would also complete their work in a timely fashion as this House has. Now, this is the first appropriations bill that is finalized in the sense of a conference, the final product. We are looking forward to many others being able to be sent shortly to the President for his signature. But I feel very proud of the work of this House and especially the Committee on Appropriations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the accomplishments of a remarkable man, my friend, Mr. Baudilio Vila. Born on May 20, 1932 in Camaguey, Cuba as the youngest of eight siblings, Baudilio quickly found his calling in the company of Mother Nature. As a very young man, Baudilio worked alongside his father and his siblings as they tilled the soil under the bright Cuban sun. The work was difficult and unending, but Baudilio proved to have a gift for cultivating the land. At the age of 25 Baudilio married his beloved partner Dulce Diaz. Invigorated by both his newfound marital bliss and a new farm--a wedding present from his father-in-law--Baudilio redoubled his labors in order to provide for his new family. Unfortunately for the Vila family, beginning in 1959, Castro's communist tyranny stifled all attempts to create a small private business that would support a family. Nonetheless, Baudilio devoted his life to developing the farm until he could no longer bear Castro's constant repression of the human spirit. Unable to achieve the dreams he nurtured as a small boy under Castro's totalitarian regime, Baudilio Vila and family made the decision to seek freedom in the United States of America. While it is never an easy decision to flee your homeland, it is often a simpler decision for those who make this daring journey in their youth. As yet unaffected by the responsibilities of family, young people are capable of making immense decisions with the confidence that often characterizes early adulthood. At the age of 48, well into middle age, Baudilio was fully cognizant of the risks he and his family were taking as they crossed the perilous Florida Straits. For Baudilio to start again with nothing at the age of 48, with a family to feed, takes a daring unknown to most of humankind. In 1980, temporary facilities were set up in Miami's ``Orange Bowl'' to accommodate the enormous number of Cuban refugees seeking asylum in the United States of America. As the Vila family settled into this temporary housing, Baudilio's first thoughts were how could he help, how could he begin to provide for his family? Baudilio suggested he could help pick up the trash in the refugee camp. The authorities running the tent city said yes, he could help pick up the waste accumulating in the Orange Bowl. For his efforts, Baudilio would receive the sum of $1 dollar for every large bag of trash he collected. After departing the Orange Bowl, and upon being assimilated into South Florida, Baudilio and Dulce both took jobs as they attempted to realize their American Dream. Initially, Baudilio tended to lawns with borrowed tools, while his wife cleaned houses every day of the week. Never forgetting the connection to the land he felt as a farmer in Cuba and attempting to realize his dream of starting his own business, in 1982 Baudilio and the Vila family rented 4 acres of land. While the family continued to work in different types of gardening jobs, they were also collecting the plant seeds they would need to open their own agriculture business. In the years that followed, the Vila family slowly began to expand their landscape contracting and growing business, Vila & Son, by buying equipment and obtaining small contracts with Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. After years of successfully striving to establish a growing business, Vila & Son was awarded the prestigious contract to service the grounds of Walt Disney World. Vila & Son, begun on four acres of rented property, now has 462 employees in three district offices. Vila & Son annually surpasses $34 million in sales in addition to planting 6000 plants every working day. In recognition of their hard work and success, the Vila family has received many honors including the keys to Miami-Dade County and having May 18, 2002 proclaimed ``Vila & Son Day.'' Baudilio Vila, born in Cuba in 1932, a refugee who arrived in the United States at age 48 with nothing more than his dream of living in freedom, and later an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur, was invited by President George W. Bush to his inauguration in January, 2001. Baudilio Vila is an extraordinary human being who has lived a remarkable life. I am proud to call Baudilio Vila and his family my friends and I am pleased to share Baudilio's remarkable story with the United States Congress.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as I rise every week, to speak about the courageous prisoners of conscience in Castro's gulags. Previously, I have informed the Congress about the political prisoners Rafael Ibarra, Raul Rivero, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leyva, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, and Marta Beatriz Roque. Today I rise to speak of Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina. Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina has been arrested and/or detained over 90 times since 1991, and is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for ``disrespect to the figure of the Commander in Chief Fidel Castro'' and ``public disorder.'' Why has Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina been savagely beaten while serving his sentence at the maximum security ``Combinado of Guantanamo?'' Why was Mr. Rodriguez Lobaina taken to Niva Mountain by Castro's police thugs and mock executed? Why is Mr. Rodriguez Lobaina considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International? The answer to all of these questions is simple: Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina is one of the founders and current President of the Cuban Youth for Democracy Movement. The Cuban Youth for Democracy Movement is a nongovernmental organization that promotes democracy and human rights for the people of Cuba. These concepts are so antithetical to Castro's tyrannical regime that when Mr. Rodriguez Lobaina worked to promote the ideals of freedom and democracy he was locked away for six years in a maximum security gulag. Mr. Speaker, think about that, for encouraging people to think about freedom, to think about democracy, Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina has been arrested or detained over 90 times and is currently serving a six-year sentence. Six Years! Mr. Speaker, Six Years! Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina is serving six years because he thinks the people of Cuba should be free. My colleagues, we must all call for the release of Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina and all political prisoners in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of S. 111, a bill to study the inclusion of the Miami Circle in the Biscayne National Park. This important archaeological site must be preserved for education and cultural benefit. Over 2,000 years ago, the Tequesta civilizations inhabited the Biscayne and Miami Circle areas in what is present-day Miami. Although at times numbering only 800 inhabitants, the Tequesta were one of the largest South Florida civilizations. Their marine village consisted of a complex network of jobs, including set tasks for fishing and gathering of food. As a result of disease and territory disputes, the Tequesta began to lose power and eventually all but disappear in the early 1800's, but their society remains a historical part of South Florida. While speculation continues on the use of the Miami Circle site, its archaeological importance is unquestioned. Many scholars believe that the site was used as a large astronomical tool or a center of culture in their society. On a national scale, the Miami Circle deserves preservation as the only cut-in-rock prehistoric footprint in the United States. While many of the smaller Tequesta sites are included in Biscayne Bay National park, this new site which is thought to house the bulk of the civilization remains an unprotected treasure. Mr. Speaker, S.111 is a good bill and one that will continue the efforts of this Congress to preserve our important historical places across the Nation. To study the inclusion of the Miami Circle in the Biscayne National Park is a significant step towards our goals and I urge its passage.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I come today to the floor of the House to speak about Cuban political prisoner Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, Surely few of my colleagues are aware of the case of Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, but that does not make his imprisonment by the Castro dictatorship any less brutal and inhumane, or any less deserving of our attention. Mr. Speaker, more of my colleagues need to know the names of Cuba's many political prisoners. Dr. Garcia Paneque is 38 years old, married, with four young children. He is a talented medical professional with an entire life and future ahead of him. However, he was born after the Castro dictatorship's take-over and into the totalitarian nightmare that some Castro sycophants say has improved the lives of the Cuban people. Dr. Garcia Paneque does not see it that way, because he is not free. He is a young doctor in jail because of his belief in freedom. Dr. Garcia Paneque was arrested, along with more than 100 others, in the March 2003 crackdown, on the internal opposition. What was his crime? He provided free medical care independent of the government, opened a private library, defended human rights, and worked with the independent media. Imagine, Mr. Speaker, there are Members of Congress who have dined with Castro and actually point to the dictatorship's health care system as a model, yet I am sure they do not even know the name of this man who was arrested because he was the leader of a regional branch of the unofficial Independent Medical Association. Dr. Garcia Paneque gave medical treatment to Cubans who were denied that treatment by the system run by the dictatorship. You see, Mr. Speaker, the Castro dictatorship uses access to medical treatment, food, education, and other things we take for granted, as a tool of political control. Dr. Garcia Paneque's association of medical professionals is nothing more than a group independent of the government controlled medical association. On Capitol Hill, we meet with dozens of associations representing medical professionals, but under the Castro dictatorship, there can only be one medical association in Cuba and it is controlled by the dictatorship. Dr. Garcia Paneque was detained March 18, sentenced on April 4 to 24 years in prison, and transferred on May 17 to Villa Clara Provincial Prison with his hands and feet tied behind his back. It was a 7-hour ride by truck. According to what his wife has been told by his jailers, he was transferred to a prison 300 miles from where she lives to deny her and their four children regular visitation. Dr. Garcia Paneque's wife, Yamile Llanez, is a lawyer and also a member of the opposition movement. Because of her activities in support of human rights, she has been stripped of her job and her food ration card. She and her children are dependent on charity to survive. Dr. Garcia Paneque has lost 30 pounds since he was detained on March 18. He is currently held in something worse than solitary confinement: a dark 2.5 by 5 foot punishment cell. In his cell, he cannot move or exercise, and there are absolutely no sanitary facilities. He suffers from currently untreated asthma, allergies, and skin fungus. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to know Mr. Garcia Paneque's name. And know the name of his wife, Yamile Llanez. I ask Members to learn the names of the other political prisoners I have spoken about from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives: Ibarra, Rivero, Leyva, Antunez, Espinosa, Roque. I ask Members who visit with Castro to also raise the names of these brave political prisoners, to demand to visit them, and to demand their release. Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues to believe what Dr. Garcia Paneque believes: that Cuba should be free.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I bring to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives the case of Cuban political prisoner Oscar Espinosa Chepe. This 62 year old independent journalist was one of 28 independent journalists and more than 100 other opposition members detained in a massive crackdown in March by the dictatorship. In April, Mr. Espinosa Chepe was sentenced to 20 years in prison because he wrote press stories, spoke to foreigners and interacted with the foreign press, things we take for granted in this country. In the past 6 months he has been moved through several prisons in the Cuban gulag, and various serious medical conditions have been left untreated. He is currently being held at the Carlos Finlay Military Hospital--a facility visited by some members of this Congress--and is suffering from untreated hepatitis, liver failure, cirrhosis, and high blood pressure. According to his wife who is allowed to see him only every 3 months, all of these conditions were under control before his arrest and she fears he may die. In the past week, she has also said that Mr. Espinosa Chepe is being held in solitary confinement in an unventilated room, and also believes he is being given psychiatric drugs against his will. The misuse of psychiatric drugs and electroshock therapy against political prisoners considered ``anti-social elements'' by the Cuban dictatorship has been well-documented. The Center for a Free Cuba, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International have all issued urgent appeals for the life and freedom of Oscar Espinosa Chepe. Mr. Speaker, it is important to stop and focus on cases such as this. Some in Congress say that tourist travel to Cuba will cause the regime to change. Yet we see a dictatorship that happily collects millions of tourist dollars and refuses to change. We see a regime that will host Members of Congress who oppose U.S. policy, but imprisons Oscar Espinosa Chepe for speaking to foreign journalists. We see Members of Congress who dine with Castro, but often fail to even raise the issue of the hundreds of political prisoners suffering in the dictatorship's prisons. It is my hope that Mr. Espinosal Chepe will one day soon be free. Sooner than later, Cuba will be free, journalists will not be jailed, and the Cuban people will be free to express their opinions.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I think it is very appropriate that the Texas delegation is united behind this resolution. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) brought it forward. I recall I have had the privilege of meeting Rafael Palmeiro. He is an extraordinary human being, a man of great decency. He had made it clear, by the way, that when he was playing up here, in a team near here, that he wanted to return to Texas because he is a proud Texan and he loves that State very much and its people. So that is why I think it is important for the Texas Delegation to be leading this effort today, and it is the right thing to do for this Congress to honor this man. He is not only an extraordinary athlete but, as I said before, a very decent human being. A loving family man, he is extremely generous with his family, compassionate, as he is with his community. He is also a patriot and that is another reason why I admire him so much. I know of his love for freedom. For example, he refused to go back to Cuba. He says he will not do it as long as the dictatorship is in power. As a matter of fact, when he was playing for the Orioles here and the owner of that team was recruited by this campaign that wants to open relations with Castro and help the dictatorship and the team was sent to Cuba, he refused, Rafael Palmeiro. So he stands up for his principles. He is a man of principle, a man of decency. He has a wonderful family and he helps his community in Texas in an extraordinary fashion. So for so many reasons we are very, very proud of him. Obviously, the entire island of Cuba looks to him as an idol, but really the entire American nation also. This great United States of America admires him because of his extraordinary accomplishments. And so to that human being, we, the Congress of the United States, today sends not only our esteem but our admiration. Again, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) and the Texas delegation who have brought forward this resolution for doing so. It is a privilege for me to be able to stand today on behalf of this resolution honoring this great man and extraordinary athlete, Rafael Palmeiro.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the number one policy objective of the Cuban dictatorship is obtaining U.S. mass tourism and the billions of dollars it would generate for the dictatorship. Travel to Cuba is now legal, but with a license for humanitarian, educational or journalistic reasons. But mass U.S. tourism is the dream, the number one goal, of the dictatorship. The gentleman from Arizona and those who are pushing for this goal here in Congress say that Castro fears tourism. ``Let's adopt a real get-tough policy toward Castro. Let's send him tourists and their dollars,'' they say. If Castro fears U.S. tourism and its billions of dollars, then why is obtaining U.S. tourism his number one objective? His views are very public about this goal. What did he have to say just 1 year ago when these amendments passed this House? ``The House of Representatives voted with determination and courage for three amendments that bring glory to that institution. We shall always be grateful for that gesture.'' That was the statement of the Cuban tyrant 1 year ago. To say that granting the dictator his number one policy goal is to get tough on the dictatorship, in my view, constitutes uncalled for cynicism. We have an embargo against the Cuban dictatorship, Mr. Chairman, because it is in the national interest of the United States for there to be a transition to democracy in a country 90 miles from our shores. It is in the U.S. national interest for there to be an end to a terrorist regime that has had the head of its Air Force indicted for murder 2 weeks ago, the head of its Navy indicted for drug trafficking, and which carries out aggressive espionage and infiltration operations on all branches of the U.S. Government, including this Congress, over 15 Cuban spies having been arrested in the last years alone, with dozens more having been expelled from the U.S. The FBI confirms that there is no more aggressive, hostile intelligence service in the United States than Castro's operation. It is in the U.S. national interest for there to be an end to a regime that harbors hundreds of international terrorists and a large number of felony fugitives from the United States. And just as Europe told the dictatorships in Spain and Portugal in the 1970s that access to the European Economic Community, now the European Union, required democracy in those countries, and that requirement was fundamental to the democratic transitions in those countries once the dictator of 40 years, Franco, died in Spain and the dictator of even more time in power, Oliviera, died in Portugal, our policy of conditioning access to the U.S. market, including mass tourism, to the liberation of all political prisoners and concrete movement toward free elections in Cuba, in other words, retaining the embargo until the Cuban people free themselves from their chains, is absolutely fundamental. It is in the U.S. national interest, Mr. Chairman, for there to be an end to a regime that has systematically attempted to derail and hamper U.S. intelligence efforts against international terrorism in the post- September 11 era, a regime that harbors countless international terrorists. It is in the U.S. national interest for there to be an end to a regime that maintains a biological weapons program 90 miles from the shores of the United States. In the last 6 months, yes, the Cuban people have witnessed the most brutal crackdown on courageous pro-democracy leaders and independent journalists, leaders like Marta Beatriz Roque and Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet and Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (Antunez), all of them who agree that it is fundamental that we maintain the U.S. embargo, including the travel restrictions. As a consequence of this crackdown, the European Union has imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions on the dictatorship's henchmen. Important newspapers, such as the Los Angeles Times, have changed their prior positions on sanctions. For example, the Los Angeles Times wrote, ``After years of calling for liberalized relations with Cuba, this editorial page must now urge American policymakers to hit the brakes. Fidel Castro has thrown up a roadblock that cannot be ignored. He sicced his political police on about 90 independent journalists, political dissidents and union activists. Before Congress even thinks about loosening restrictions, it should demand that Castro free those rounded up and demonstrate that his nation is moving toward democracy and away from totalitarianism.'' That change of position by the Los Angeles Times was a call to conscience. None of the political prisoners, either of the recent ones or those serving decades in the torture gulag, have been freed. Over a dozen are known to have begun hunger strikes to protest the inhumanity of their captivity. Some are near death. What this moment calls for, Mr. Chairman, is for this Congress to bring glory to itself, but not by spending more dollars to the Cuban tyrant. No. Not a tyrant's kind of glory. But to insist on the release of all political prisoners and on concrete steps toward free elections before a single additional dollar is sent to the enslaved island. That is the glory that this moment requires, the glory characteristic of the American people, liberator of oppressed nations and their sovereign free institution, this people's House, not the glory of a tyrant like the quote that we looked at before, a tyrant who dispatches his goons to terrorize and imprison unarmed men and women and who sends those who dare to dream of freedom to the firing squad after farcical sham trials. Mr. Chairman, I thank President Bush for his veto threat regarding these uncalled-for amendments, but I ask my colleagues here to not make it necessary for the President to carry out his threat. I ask my colleagues to defeat these sad amendments.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes. What the March regulations by President Bush have sought to do is to eliminate fraud and abuse by those who, under the guise of promoting educational travel, and of course, that is legal to the communist island have used that as a subterfuge for other reasons, fraudulently abusing the regulations. For example, here is a brochure. This is precisely what President Bush sought to eliminate in the March regulations. This is an 8- or 9- year-old girl with makeup, eyeliner, and lipstick. Unfortunately, the regime in Cuba encourages child prostitution and there is significant trafficking in that tourism. That is something that President Bush has sought to eliminate by entities using the guise of educational travel, for example, which promote this kind of sickening tourism. Our colleague from Florida pointed out how blatant tourism also is encouraged under the guise of educational travel. Again, educational travel, cultural travel, that is legal, but what President Bush's regulations in March sought to do was to end the fraud and abuse of entities that are simply seeking to encourage revenue for the regime and in the process do horrendous things such as this. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, debate has been brief, but I think informative on this matter. The reality is that every dollar that is sent in remittances is spent in stores. Since the economy is owned by the regime, the stores are owned by the regime. So obviously this is a delicate issue in the sense that many people obviously send remittances to their families knowing that their families have to spend the remittances in the dollar stores, and thus the remittances will end up in the hands of the regime that oppresses the Cuban people, including the families that receive the remittances. But since it is a terrorist regime that engages in terrorist activities in addition to repression of its people, that is why these regulations, this balance, is in place. So again, there is a pattern here. The pattern is let us increase revenues to this dictatorship. Notice we are seeing on the floor today measures to increase revenues to the dictatorship. Whether they come on the floor and say the dictator is a bad guy, look at the actions. What are the effects of these amendments, to increase revenues for the dictatorship? So we should vote down these amendments and take further steps. For example, when we asked in the resolution that has been alluded to before that the prisoners be released and elections be held, not one prisoner has been released, much less has an election been held. Let us insist on what we asked for, and not help the regime.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez). (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition, and I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Just a few points to clarify. Let us be clear, to remind our colleagues, for example, of who Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet is. There is no one more respected in Cuba today than Dr. Biscet. Dr. Biscet, because he is so respected by the Cuban people, has been sentenced to 25 years in the gulag. Dr. Biscet says that it would be unconscionable to lift the embargo, to alleviate the embargo in any way and to send the resources to the dictatorship. This young man Antunez is serving 18 years because ever since he has been in high school he has been fighting for democracy in Cuba, and he says it would be unconscionable to send resources to the dictatorship. Let us be clear and on and on, Marta Beatriz Roque, the leaders who represent the Cuban people, who are in prison, do not want resources sent. The gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake), who keeps on saying that he knows that the dictator is a bad guy but he keeps on introducing amendments that would have the effect of sending billions of dollars to the dictator, has said this time that the dictator, and others have said, that he should not be believed, the dictator should not be believed when he says, yes, I want billions of dollars, I want billions of dollars. Imagine if the Flake theory would hold and every enemy of the United States now received billions of dollars from the United States because they are enemies of the United States and they cannot be believed because since they are really enemies of the United States, but we cannot believe enemies of the United States, it is good to send them billions of dollars. Imagine that theory. Imagine that theory. That is the Flake theory and of the United States, billions of dollars. Do not believe enemies of the United States, billions of dollars. Let us vote down this amendment; and let us stand with the people in the Cuban prisons, and let us vote to support the sanctions until there are free elections in Cuba, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), my good friend. (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz- Balart).