Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in the debate a few days ago over the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1995 we heard conflicting appraisals of Cuba today. From time to time, ``Dear Colleague'' letters and even congressional newsletters are distributed in this body about Cuba. One aspect of Cuba that our sense of decency demands to incorporate in our discussions about the island is the continuing imprisonment of hundreds of political prisoners by Fidel Castro. This past June, the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and Natural Reconciliation prepared in Havana a partial list of Cubans detained for political reasons. The list has been submitted to Ambassador Carl Johan Groth, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Cuba, who has yet to be granted permission by Fidel Castro's government to visit the island to carry out his human rights work. Regardless of the differences of opinion some may have on U.S. trade sanctions against Havana, it is my hope that we do not turn a deaf ear to the cries for help from Castro's political prisoners. We must all work to obtain the prompt and unconditional release of all political prisoners in the island. Their suffering for their Democratic convictions is an undeniable part of Cuba today. Here are just a few of the more than a thousand names that appear on the list of political prisoners and the made up crimes they were charged with by the Castro regime: Alfonso Eduardo Agueda Perez, sentenced to 4 years for being considered dangerous; Arnaldo Pascual Acevedo Blanco, sentenced to 5 years for spreading enemy propaganda and rebellion; Antonio Guillermo Acevedo Labrada, sentenced to 7 years for spreading enemy propaganda; Ricardo Acosta Alvarez, sentenced to 3 years for air piracy; Humberto Dorga Acosta, sentenced to 3 years for disorderly conduct in public; David Aguilar Montero, sentenced to 30 years for piracy; Rafael Juan Alfonso Leyva, sentenced to 30 years for espionage; Alberto Guevara Aguilera, sentenced to 10 years for distributing enemy propaganda and attempted attacks against state officials and property; Ernesto Verto Aguilera, sentenced to 2 years for falsifying documents; and Arturo Aguirre Acuna, sentenced to 10 years for illegal exit from the island and piracy. In the weeks to come, I will discuss other political prisoners languishing in Castro's gulags.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Certainly the bill before us, H.R. 927, represents a new battlefront in our commitment for freedom for the Cuban people. Yesterday I showed the House--and many of our colleagues did as well--a letter signed by dozens of Cuban dissidents on the island, who, at great personal risk to their safety, sent this letter to Senator Helms. Let us not let down those dissidents and the other millions of Cubans who daily fight against the dictatorship. Mr. Chairman, as all of us know, Castro's repression does not go down at all. It does not diminish in any way. His power mongering continually increases. Firm and swift policies are needed to eliminate this dictator, and this bill, H.R. 927, contains those swift policies. This substitute appears to be humanitarian in nature but it could very well constitute an economic windfall for Fidel Castro. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton] has pointed out, food and medicine are allowed to go to Cuba now, from the United States to Cuba. No prohibition. There is no prohibition. If you want to send an aspirin from Washington to Havana, go ahead. There is no embargo on aspirin. Asthma medicine. Whatever you want. Food and medicine is not prohibited. There is no embargo. I have said it five times, we will continue to say it for the entire hour. There is no prohibition on food and medicine going from the United States to Cuba. Also, Castro can get anything he wants, as Mr. Burton pointed out, from every other country in the world anyway. Even if we were to have an embargo on food and medicine--which there is no embargo on--he can get it from any other country. Is the United States the only maker of aspirin in the world? I think not. What does Castro do? He takes the food and medicine and he sells it to the tourists. He sells it to the Communist Party officials. If the people cannot get aspirin, if the people cannot get asthma medicine, it is not because it is not there in Cuba, it is because Castro takes it and sells it to the tourists. The best hospital facilities in the Caribbean are in Cuba for the tourists and for the Communist Party officials. But for the starving, needy people of Cuba, Castro decides-- even if they want these supplies--he will not give it to them. It is his way of making sure that they know that he is their supreme ruler. It is clear, Mr. Chairman, the goals of this bill. And once again let us restate them. The goals of the bill are simple. No. 1, let us try to have an end to the Castro regime. No. 2, let us plan for a democratic transition for Cuba. And No. 3, let us protect property of United States citizens in Cuba. Let us bring an end to this Castro regime and let us make sure that we understand the human rights situation in Cuba. We have said it over and over again. Organizations like Human Rights Watch Americas, Amnesty International, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, what do they say? The Cuban Government continues to violate the rights of freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom against arbitrary detention, security of the person, among others. Hundreds of political prisoners remain incarcerated under difficult conditions charged with political offenses that include handing out flyers, expressing their opinions, calling out for freedom in their island. That is a crime against the repressive police state. Castro wants and again rejects any kind of democratic approaches that these helpful ideologues want to give them. He has rejected them from Mexico, he has rejected them from Spain, he will reject them time and time again. Let us not get confused. Once again, well-meaning substitute, it is not based on facts. There is no prohibition about food and medicine. Castro has to lift the embargo that he has on the Cuban people for food, medicine, and expression of ideas. That is the embargo that we must lift.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to talk about this healing process that will take place if food and medicine go to Cuba. Castro has food now, and he feeds the tourists. Castro has medicine now, and he heals the tourists. He starves the Cuban people. He has the Cuban people suffering in pain. There is no prohibition on feed and medicine going to the Cuban people. If you want your family to have medicine, you can send them the medicine. If charitable organizations want to send food and medicine now to nongovernment agencies in Cuba, they can do so. If you sell goods to Castro, he will sell the goods to the tourists. If you send food, he will give it to the tourists. Because Americans are a generous people, we want all nations to belong to this humanitarian family, and we naively and foolishly believe that Castro wants the Cuban people to prosper, that he wants them to fulfill their dreams. What Castro wants is to remain in power, so he has the Cuban people suffering for their daily sustenance. It will go to the tourists. Reject the substitute.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, the debate here tonight reminds me of the remarks by Benjamin Franklin, who once said, ``There is nothing so tragic as the murder of a beautiful theory by a gang of brutal facts.'' What the opponents of this bill have is a beautiful theory: that Castro will reform if only you treat him nicely, that repression is easing in Cuba, and that economic liberalization is commencing. But the brutal facts are that the repression is increasing, that worker exploitation in Cuba has returned serfdom to our hemisphere, and that the struggle for freedom for the Cuban people against the Castro dictatorship remains as difficult as ever. But do not take my word for it. Listen to Castro's own spokesmen. Castro's Foreign Minister, Roberto Robaina, who said just recently, ``For our enemies, the ideal would be to see us multiseparated, multidivided, and for that, they demand that we return to a multiparty system. That will not happen.'' Trabajadores, one of Castro's journalistic puppets, recently said about the new foreign investment law in the country, ``There is nothing in the investment law which weakens the leading role of our communist party.'' Clearly, these new cosmetic steps by Castro are not toward political or economic liberalization, but toward the extension of his cruel regime. Opponents of this legislation talk about investments in Cuba, the millions of American dollars that should be going out to the investment market in Cuba. However, such talk misses the point, for the bottom line is that the situation in Cuba is not about investment or profiteering. It is, and should be, about the lack of freedom and human rights for the people of that island nation just 100 miles from my community of Miami. What is the reality of Cuba? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is quite simple. For Cuba, under the Castro dictatorship, instead of progressing is regressing, not only economically but in the development of freedoms and liberties for its people. The Castro regime attracts investment by highlighting its repression of their workers. A Castro economic minister recently said, ``We are free from labor conflict. Nowhere else in the world could you get this tranquility.'' Mr. Chairman, Cuba has become one of the last bastions of tyranny in the world. Amnesty International describes the human rights situation in Cuba as ``Members of unofficial political, human rights and trade union groups continued to face imprisonment, short-term detention, and frequent harassment.'' The State Department and Human Rights report states that, ``The authorities were responsible for the extrajudicial killings of citizens fleeing the country. The government sharply restricts basic political and civil rights, including the rights of citizens to change their government; the freedom of speech, press, association, assembly and movement; as well as the right to privacy and various workers rights.'' These are just 2 examples of the human rights situation on the island, but Castro's long list of dubious achievements does not stop here. We should not forget that Castro's regime remains listed by our State Department as a state that promotes terrorism, and the FBI has acknowledged that the tyrant holds dozens of fugitives from American justice. For decades the United Nations and foreign nations have refused to hear the cries of the desperate Cuban people. Even some of our colleagues who have supported economic embargoes to help [[Page H 9342]] the aspirations of freedom in other nations turn a blind eye toward Cuba. This Congress, this country, should not engage in similar immoral conduct. This bill that we propose here today signals that the Congress of the United States will not sit idly by as unscrupulous investors and nations choose to make a quick dollar and conduct their dirty business with Castro, at the expense of the freedom and livelihood of the suffering people of Cuba. As I have said, this legislation sends a clear and simple message. If you invest in Cuba by trafficking in confiscated American property, you can forget about doing business in the United States. Already, Mr. Chairman, this legislation even before it has been implemented is having the desired effect. The June 23 edition of the Miami Herald reported that investment in Cuba has been decreasing because of the threat that investors feel about this legislation. No wonder that the Castro regime has mounted an unprecedented international propaganda campaign against this bill. The reason is because it threatens to cut its lifeline that maintains this evil regime in existence. Mr. Chairman, it is highly cynical to believe that Castro and his henchmen, after more than three decades of absolute rule, will transform overnight into George Washingtons. This simply is not reality, it is a pure fantasy. I urge my colleagues to support freedom and democracy in Cuba by supporting this legislation.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule. This legislation is critical if we are to help the Cuban people break the chains that have denied them the most basic freedom for 36 years. Today the situation in Cuba seems to belong in the pages of a novel of terror. The millions of people who inhabit the island have no civil or human rights. They do not have the opportunity to freely elect their representatives. Instead, they are forced to belong to a failed Communist party which controls all activities. While tourists and foreigners enjoy lavish foods and amenities, the Cuban people are left to struggle daily for simple sustenance. Castro feeds the tourists. He starves the natives. The people hunger for the truth. He feeds them lies. Dissidents are systematically persecuted, harassed and arrested. All this to satisfy the thirst for power of one man, Fidel Castro. For 36 years, this dictator and his Communist thugs have turned a once prosperous and developing nation into what analysts called an ``undeveloping nation.'' The roads which were once filled with new cars are now invaded by inferior bicycles. The soil, once plentiful with food, is now desolate and barren, a tragic symbol of Castro's failed Marxist ideology. In Cuba today, the repression of the regime remains unabated in all sectors of society. Religious persecution has increased in recent months. One of the most notable victims is Reverend Orson Vila Santoyo, a prominent evangelical leader who was arrested and sentenced to 2 years in prison for allowing religious services in his home. He was simply one of the victims in a large-scale harassment of religious institutions in that island. And persecution and harassment against journalists have also increased in Cuba. July saw a crackdown by the Castro dictatorship on independent journalists. During the first 2 weeks of that month, it was reported that Rafael Solano Morales, the founder of a clandestine independent news agency, Havanas Press, and Jose Rivero Garcia, of the Cuban Council of Independent Journalists, were arrested by Castro's police state. Solano Morales stated, ``This is harassment and attempted intimidation of the free press in Cuba, but it will not have the desired effect.'' He is one of the 47 dissident leaders inside Cuba who have publicly endorsed this bill. In a letter which Jesse Helms received from Elizardo Sampedro Marin, and I quote, We support the alternative you propose. Its approval will mean a definite turn in our favor. We thank you sincerely for what you are doing and we are sure that those who criticize you today will congratulate you tomorrow for your contribution to the process of democratic transformation in Cuba. It is valiantly signed by 47 dissidents of 30 groups at great personal risk to these individuals. We know that more groups would like to come out and more voices would like to be heard but, similarly, harassment against human rights activists has also increased. Last May we saw a nationwide harassment and detainment of these activists and this crackdown was described by the Human Rights/American Watch organization as ``a kind of serious crackdown. It seems they, the Castro regime, is trying to scare them into leaving the country.'' Mr. Speaker, it is clear that Castro will not change voluntarily. He will [[Page H 9334]] not reform himself if it means reducing his absolute power. Castro has to be eliminated, not by redundant dialogue but through swift and firm policies against him as embodied in this bill. Today we will hear from opponents of this legislation that Castro is reforming. We may hear about foreign investments in Cuba and how these investors are gaining a windfall from these investments and how us in the United States, we are losing millions. But what you will not hear from them is who benefits from these investments or the conditions under which the Cuban people must work in order to satisfy these unscrupulous and immoral investors. The reality is that Cuba today has brought back serfdom to our hemisphere. This is the best way to describe the slave-like conditions of the Cuban worker, for while Castro obtains the hard currency he needs from foreign investors, he pays the Cuban worker, at his whim, sometimes less than 5 percent of this money. Moreover, Castro is attracting foreign investors by promoting the repression that subjugates the Cuban worker. And that is why, Mr. Speaker, we must pass this rule and we must pass this bill today, in order to affirm the rights of these individuals, to say we are against this repression, and we dedicate this bill in their memory tonight.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the substitute amendment and in favor of the important functions served by television broadcasting to Cuba. Mr. Chairman, for decades Castro has been a master at manipulating information inside Cuba to serve his evil purposes. This information monopoly went unchallenged until the creation of Radio and TV Marti which effectively broke the information embargo that Castro has imposed on the people of Cuba. The reality is, Mr. Chairman, that both Radio and TV Marti have been invaluable in providing the enslaved Cuban people access to information they would otherwise not obtain. In Europe and Asia, American broadcasts played a critical role in freeing the enslaved countries of those continents against their Communist rulers. In Cuba, the broadcast of these two stations have made similar breakthrough impacts in the short number of years they have been in operation. Moreover, the importance of the broadcasts of Radio and TV Marti have dramatically increased, given the newly enhanced repression by Castro's poilce state against journalists who try to act as independent sources of information. Just 2 weeks ago, it was reported that Rafael Solana Morales, the founder of a clandestine independent news agency, Havana Press, was arrested by Castro's police state. That same day, July 12, Jose Rivero Garcia, of the Council of Cuban Independent Journalist, was likewise arrested and detained. Similarly, other independent journalists from the Association of Cuban Independent Journalists were also arrested, detained, and interrogated in early July by Castro's thugs. As one of the victims of Castro's repression, Solano Morales, stated: ``This is harassment and attempted intimidation of the free press in Cuba, but it will not have the desired effect.'' The words of Mr. Solana Morales symbolize the determination of these journalists to continue working against the Castro regime. What message will we be sending to these journalist dissidents if we move to eliminate broadcasting to Cuba? Mr. Chairman, Castro has recently been working overtime to portray a reformist image of the island. However, Cuba remains to this day a totalitarian state where no freedoms of expression, press, assembly and all others that we in this country enjoy, exist. A human rights activist of the organization America's Watch recently phrased it perfectly when referring to the Castro regime, ``They've been working hard since about November to improve their image, but this shows there's no real change in the structure of human rights limitations.'' Without Radio and TV Marti the Cuban people might have never found out about the intentional sinking by Castro's thugs of a tugboat filled with refugees and the resulting death toll of dozens of Cuban citizens, mostly women and children. Without Radio and TV Marti the Cuban people would have been blind to the massive demonstration in Havana last year, or the refugees crisis that followed it. TV and Radio Marti allow the Cuban people to differentiate the facts from the fiction that Castro promotes inside the island. This is critical to help the dissident movement on the island obtain the information necessary to continue with their courageous activities against Castro. Mr. Chairman, let us not hand Castro a victory or buy into his cheap image enhancement. TV Marti is an important tool in our battle to bring freedom and democracy to the Cuban people. Its elimination would undermine the efforts of those inside the island who look toward us as partners in their struggle to eliminate tyranny in Cuba. I urge my colleagues to support the substitute amendment and reject attempts to eliminate TV Marti and its message of freedom.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by Mr. Serrano to eliminate the President's Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting [PAB]. Mr. Chairman, the Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting is important in assuring the continued efficient operation of Radio and TV Marti: two essential tools in our battle to eliminate the Castro tyranny in Cuba. The board seeks to make these two overseas broadcast services more efficient by eliminating redundant duties within their operations and its management. Moreover, the members of the board offer important expert advice on unique issues inside Cuba, in order to assure that accurate and independent news is reaching the island. The Board is critical in assuring that Radio and TV Marti continue to offer the people of Cuba the facts instead of the fantasy and fiction which Castro's propaganda promote inside the island. Both broadcast services have been successful in achieving this purpose by undermining Castro's propaganda. Radio and TV Marti provide the Cuban people with accurate, up-to-date information that they would otherwise be denied by Castro's information embargo. Mr. Chairman, Fidel Castro and his regime proceed to set aside all critics and continue their repression of the Cuban people. The Department of State's Human Rights Report described the regime as ``* * * sharply restricting basic political and civil rights, including the right of citizens to change their government; the freedoms of speech, press, association, assembly and movement; as well as the right to privacy and various workers rights.'' Amnesty International's recently released international human rights reports echoed the view of the State Department: ``Members of unofficial political, human rights and trade union groups continued to face imprisonment, short term detention, and frequent harassment.'' Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, many of those who suffer from the evil actions described above are journalists who dare to challenge the state line which Castro and his information ministers publicly release. This amendment, Mr. Chairman, goes further than simply abolishing this board. It is part of a concerted effort by some to change the path of United States policy toward Cuba. Do not pacify Castro by moving United States policy toward reconciliation with the Cuban tyrant. To that end, they attack those persons and institutions which work toward the elimination of Castro and his totalitarian regime. To them, I remind them of the millions of Cubans who continue living without freedoms. Cubans like Rev. Orson Vila Santoyo who remains in prison after being arrested and sentenced to almost 2 years in jail for allowing religious services in his home. Cubans like Lt. Col. Nilvio Labrada, a former high ranking official of the Interior Ministry in Cuba who was recently sent to a psychiatric hospital for expressing publicly his views against Castro. Or the thousands of political prisoners who continue to dwell in Castro's prisons and the dissidents who suffer daily the harassment and persecution of the Castro regime. These are the Cubans we should be striving to aid in their struggle-- not Castro. This amendment would play into the hands who would rather flirt with the Cuban dictator rather than stand firm against his repression. The PAB is an institution designed to make Radio and TV Marti work and operate effectively. I urge my colleagues to break Castro's information embargo by supporting the PAB and rejecting this misguided amendment. Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Menendez]. (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, under the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Pastor] and the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Gutierrez] the Hispanic Caucus has undertaken an ambitious, nationwide program to get more naturalized Americans. As a naturalized American myself, I know how important this process can be. One of the problems, a serious problem that we have had, is the incredible backlog in every major urban center, whether it is Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago. Freeing up more money and making sure that INS, as the gentleman from California, [Mr. Becerra] points out, puts the ``N'' back in INS, is very important to clear up this backlog. Mr. Chairman, I congratulate the gentleman from California for highlighting this concern.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 42d anniversary of Castro's nighttime attack on the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba, an event which led to the emergence of Castro's rebel army and his ultimate triumphant, yet, as we were later to learn, tragic ride into Havana in 1959. Little did many Cubans know that what occurred that night in 1953 was only the preamble to a tyranny that Cuba had not seen before. Tomorrow night my colleagues, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Diaz-Balart], the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Menendez], and I will host a dinner for our congressional colleagues with the participation of four victims of this 36-year-old tyranny. Among them will be three former Cuban political prisoners who combined spent over 50 years in prison, one of them being a veteran of the Moncada attack. Also joining us will be a survivor of the latest indiscriminate attack last year by Castro on a tugboat filled with Cuban refugees. These four individuals will offer firsthand accounts of Castro's thirst for political control of the island and the totalitarian methods he uses to maintain that control. I urge my colleagues to join us tomorrow night.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I believe in open markets and in a vibrant international marketplace in which the United States is an active trading partner with all nations. But, I have some real problems with extending most favored nation trading status to a country like China where the people who produce the goods that China exports to us are not free. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that while we prohibit the import from China of goods made using prison labor, the harsh fact is that all the goods produced there are the products of prison labor. The country is so unfree that it claims that the Government of China owns all the labor of all Chinese people. When you want to hire a Chinese person to work for an American company, you pay the Chinese Government a lot of money, but the person who does the work never sees the money. The government pockets maybe $20 a day for a factory worker, while the worker gets less than a dollar of that. This is not free trade. This is slavery. The Chinese exported this system to Cuba, where the same thing happens. The Castro dictatorship is more than happy to sell the services of Cuban workers to unscrupulous foreign investors, and to keep all the money for itself while tossing a few pennies a day to the person who actually has to do the work. Both in Cuba and in China, the system is a moral outrage and reeks of the slave trade of the 19th century. Unfree labor is not the only problem with doing business with China. It is a country where there is no respect whatsoever for the human rights of its citizens--nor for the human rights of American citizens. The arrest of Harry Wu, an American citizen, is only one example of this. It is just one small element in an abysmal Chinese human rights situation. Forced abortion. We all know this issue. We know it happens and it happens a lot. And we know that there are many killings of born and unborn little girls. And, we know that these practices violate every known standard of human rights since God made Man. There are reports that aborted fetuses are sold and eaten. The trafficking in human organs that is practiced in China is another outrage. One hears rumors of condemned prisoners being executed according to the marketing needs of those who have sold their organs to wealthy foreigners needing a heart, liver, kidney or other transplant. I could go on and on and on with one outrage after another that is taking place in China. I thank the gentleman for highlighting these outrages.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the 21st anniversary of a very sad event when a democratic country, Cyprus, fell victim to a foreign army. Today, all the people of that country continue to suffer the ill consequences of that intervention and a military occupation of part of Cyprus. The situation in Cyprus deserves our attention. As a country at the crossroads of the great civilizations of Europe and the Middle East, Cyprus has long been an island where people from all these civilizations and cultures mingled freely and in harmony. Twenty-one years ago, the population of Cyprus lived in peace and friendship despite the differences in religion, language, and national origin. The Greek Cypriots did not abuse their electoral strength, and despite being 80 percent of the Cypriot population, they did not use the opportunity to deny the other citizens and residents of Cyprus of their rights to full participation in that democratic system. Nonetheless, outside intervention led to the division of the country. Since then, all efforts to restore Cyprus to national sovereignty and to restore the legitimate government's authority over all the national territory have been to no avail. I sincerely hope that all parties to this conflict will heed the consensus among the democratic states of the world and put an end to its illegal occupation of the northern portion of Cyprus. A continuation of a divided Cyprus is not in the interest of any of the citizens of that country. Since the foreign occupation of the northern part of the island, the per capita income of the Cypriots living under the legitimate and recognized Government of the Republic of Cyprus in the south has soared from less than $1,500 in 1973 to $10,430 in 1993, while those who live in the occupied territory have seen their incomes stagnating. The European Union is moving toward a decision in which the residents of the area under the control of the legitimate Government of Cyprus will be offered membership in the European Union, while simultaneously taking measures to further isolate the residents of the occupied territory from their market opportunities in Europe. A settlement in Cyprus would be good for all countries in the region. As I understand it, the European Union is willing to negotiate a customs union with Turkey which would give Turkey duty free access to the 367 million residents of the European Union countries. Thus, both Greece and Turkey will be able to move beyond the misunderstandings and conflicts of the past and become part of a customs union that will bring increased prosperity to both countries. But that customs union cannot be achieved until there is a settlement in Cyprus to restore the legitimate government to full control of the island, and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from that island. The expansion of democracy throughout Cyprus is a noble goal, that I urge all Members to support.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today marks the first anniversary of the indiscriminate murder by the Castro regime, of over 40 Cuban citizens, mostly women and children, while they were attempting to escape the island aboard the 13th of March tugboat. We do not forget the love of freedom which these Cuban nationals represented nor the risks they took to obtain that freedom. Today, hundreds of Cuban exiles sail toward those same waters where the massacre occurred in order to pay tribute in a solemn ceremony to those who perished on that day and to the thousands of Cubans who struggle daily against Castro's repressive apparatus. On this tragic anniversary, the White House and the State Department have acted as Castro's spokesman and have warned the flotilla participants that if attacked by Castro authorities, expect no help from their own national government. So it is that the saga continues in the Clinton administration's drive to coddle up to dictator's from Cuba to Vietnam while setting aside the aspirations of freedom of millions of citizens from around the world. On this day, let us remember that while in the United States we are blessed with countless freedoms, only 90 miles from our shores, in Cuba, life is marked by repression, persecution, and misery. Let us remember those who have perished and continue to suffer under the hand of Cuba's tyrant.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the Israeli Center for International Cooperation, and the 47-year-long United States- Israeli partnership. The center is known by its Hebrew initials as Mashav, and has developed a remarkable record in nation building all over the world. Thanks to Mashav, Israel has developed an international reputation for its leadership in agriculture, medicine, and education. I would like to especially note the impact that Mashav has had throughout Africa. In Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, eye-surgery clinics set up by Mashav have restored sight to thousands of people. Israeli irrigation technology helps to provide food and sustenance for millions. Mr. Speaker, I recall an old saying ``give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.'' This perfectly describes the influence that Israel, a small but dynamic friend of the United States, is having throughout the developing world. There is a reception at 5:30 today at 2168 Rayburn. Please join us to hear more about Mashav.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the American flag is a sacred symbol of freedom and justice, not just in the United States, but throughout the world. I know this in a very special way. I was born under a different flag. After a brutal dictatorship took control of Cuba, the land of my birth, I journeyed to freedom and came to the United States as a refugee. I remember well that day when I raised my right hand and swore allegiance to this great country. All of us who came to this country as refugees from a brutal tyranny know how much the American flag means for lovers of liberty and democracy. And we know jut how great and important are the American values that have led so many American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen over the centuries, to pick up our flag and march into battle against those who threaten our freedom. This year we have celebrated the 50th anniversary of the final year of World War II. One of the memorable occasions of that war, was when the marines climbed to the top of Mount Surabachi, to raise the American flag. Six thousand, eight hundred and fifty-five men gave their lives to place that flag on that mountain, and their sacrifice can never be forgotten. We have heard a lot from those who oppose protecting our flag from desecration and dishonor. We have heard words, and legalisms, and theories, and all the sort of things you find in books. I respect those words taken from books. Consult the book of America's heroes--patriotic young men who gave their lives for us. Put down your law books, and drive over to Arlington Cemetery, and gaze at the long rows of headstones of our fallen heroes. Then drive over to the Iwo Jima memorial, and stand there in silent tribute to America's heroes. Feel the wonder of what they have done for us. See beyond the cold bronze and the polished granite, and see those young men who were out there, thousands of miles from their loved ones, surrounded by the temporary graves of thousands of their fellow marines, and surrounded by field hospitals, where thousands more other marines lay wounded. See those young men, and then feel what they were feeling that day, knowing that any at a moment their lives could be taken. And then think about what it was that they felt that day about the American flag. Then you will understand this issue. Men have died under that flag. Those who served with them, those who loved them, and those who honor their memory today must stop those who dishonor them by burning or desecrating the American flag. And we can put a stop to this, by supporting an amendment to protect this sacred symbol from abuse.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Wilson amendment and in strong support of the Menendez amendment. The Menendez amendment would cut aid to Russia by the same amount of money that it provides to the Castro regime for the construction and operation of the unsafe and dangerous Juragua nuclear plant in Cienfuegos, Cuba. This amendment is an important step to serve notice to Russia that the United States Congress will not tolerate its helping the tyrannical Castro regime introduce a national security threat of this magnitude just a few hundred miles from our shores. Mr. Chairman, on May 4 of this year, Russia and the tyrannical Castro regime announced that they were in the process of forming a multinational consortium that would finance the estimated $800 million needed to complete the Juragua plant. The completion of this plant would constitute the introduction of a grave threat to the national security of our United States. A 1992 GAO report detailed the numerous faults in the infrastructure and the serious equipment problems which former plant technicians and experts state that the plant suffers from. Among the most glaring deficiencies are the statements by former technician Vladimir Cervera, who states that up to 15 percent of the pipe welding in the Juragua plant's cooling system is deficient. Furthermore, the small resistance capability of the nuclear plant's containment dome can only resist pressure of up to 7 pounds per square inch, while U.S. reactors must sustain pressure of up to 50 pounds per square inch. These and other technicians as well as experts have denounced the lack of appropriate training of those Cubans who will monitor the plant, and the serious lack of infrastructure inside the island to operate the Juragua plant. Mr. Chairman, this type of VVER plant has already been banned in countries like Germany, where four similar plants were shut down after reunification and which environmental groups have called to be closed. When asked about the plant, Dr. Edward Purvis of the Department of Energy states, An accident in the reactor is probable. it's just a question of when . . . I don't know if they are the most dangerous reactors in the world, but they are the most dangerous reactors anywhere close to the United States. Although the technology is different from the infamous Chernobyl plant, the Cuban nuclear plant poses similar dangerous and indeed horrific risks and grave consequences. Do we want a Chernobyl in our backyard, subsidized with U.S. taxpayer dollars? I think not. Mr. Chairman, the Clinton administration has remained quiet and indeed deadly silent about the Juragua nuclear plant because it presents a roadblock on their path of normalization of relations with Castro. It is inconceivable that the administration has remained dangerously silent while this national security threat is constructed just 180 miles from our shores, a threat that would affect a large part of the United States with radiation if an accident or a provoked accident would take place. Indeed, studies by NOAA concluded that depending on the direction of the wind, radiation from the plant could affect Central America, the Caribbean, the United States, as far as Washington, DC, and Virginia, and, of course, Cuba itself. The threat of the Juragua plant is indeed further increased when we consider that it would be at the hands of a tyrant who has no respect for human life and who has not hesitated in the past to destroy human life to achieve his evil purposes. Already Castro has entered into an agreement with another pariah and terrorist state, Iran, to exchange information about these reactors. Yet, while the Clinton administration denounces Russia for transferring nuclear technology to that Middle Eastern country, it has not raised a finger to help stop construction of Juragua. The inaction of the administration raises the ante on us in Congress to take action and warn Russia that we will not stand idly by while Moscow helps Castro and his Communist thugs introduce a new threat to our hemisphere. Passage of this Menendez amendment will signal Moscow that American taxpayers will not be suckered into having their hard-earned money help in the completion of this national security threat. Castro once called the Juragua project Cuba's greatest accomplishment of this century. However, this plant could also become Castro's greatest security threat to our hemisphere unless we in the Congress take action to stop Russia from aiding and abetting the Cuban tyrant. I urge my colleagues to defeat the Wilson substitute and adopt the Menendez amendment.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. If the gentleman will continue to yield, that would be a determination?

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, if I could further ask the gentleman to yield, that would be an acceptable cut, $15 million, from my perspective. I am a cosponsor with my colleague, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Miller], if we could ask him for his response on this.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. If the gentleman will continue to yield, Mr. Chairman, I would ask, would the legislative language be clear in our debate? We have tried to make sure that it is understood that our intent is that Russia is the target of this. I realize that the way that the bill is drafted, and purposely and quite deliberately, it is drafted in a way that it has to be taken out of Russia and all the newly independent states. Would the gentleman agree that the target in this would be Russia, and of course, it is not up to us to determine this, I understand, in this bill?

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I would ask the gentleman, is this then a $15 million cut from the same budget item on the appropriations bill? It was the 595, and the gentleman cut 15.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the following committees and their subcommittees be permitted to sit tomorrow while the House is meeting in the Committee of the Whole House under the 5-minute rule: The Committee on Agriculture; the Committee on Banking and Financial Services; the Committee on Commerce; the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities; the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight; the Committee on the Judiciary; the Committee on National Security; the Committee on Small Business; and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It is my understanding that the minority has been consulted and that there is no objection to these requests.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the gentleman from Alabama, Chairman Callahan, and especially Bill Englee from the chairman's staff, for their great help on this very important bill. The Menendez amendment which was granted a waiver from the Committee on Rules is a correct one and not a narrow interest amendment, because I believe that we must use all of the instruments at our disposal to pressure the Russian Government to immediately halt their intentions of aiding the Communist regime of Fidel Castro in finishing construction of the Juragua nuclear powerplant in Cienfuegos, Cuba. If completed, this nuclear plant will pose a serious threat to the safety of the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. Construction of the Juragua nuclear plant was halted in 1992 after the Castro regime was not able to obtain the foreign exchange necessary to finish construction. However, this past May, Russia and Cuba announced their intention to finish construction of this plant. Completion of this nuclear powerplant could constitute the introduction of a real and permanent threat to the health and safety of our hemisphere. Numerous experts, including former technicians at the plant now living in the United States, have denounced its inadequate construction, as well as inferior equipment that was used in its construction. Moreover, the General Accounting Office reported allegations in 1992 that the Juragua nuclear plant was unsafe, and similar Soviet style plants in Eastern Europe have already suffered accidents. In fact, four such plants were shut down by the German Government after reunification of that country. Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow this type of threat to the security of the United States to be present just a few hundred miles from our shores, especially in the hands of a totalitarian tyrant like Fidel Castro, who has no respect for the dignity of human life. We must pressure the Government of Russia to stop helping the Castro regime in finishing construction of this nuclear plant. There are several amendments presented in this bill to accomplish this. Do our constituents want their tax dollars to build a Chernobyl-style nuclear facility just miles from the coast of the United States? Do our constituents want an unsafe nuclear reactor operated by one of the last Communist strongholds being built with U.S. funds? I think the answer clearly is ``no.'' The Committee on Rules was correct in granting the waiver, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on this rule.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today at noon the Cuban-American community will hold a rally in front of the White House to protest the immoral policy of the Clinton administration of repatriating freedom- seeking Cubans who escaped their homeland for liberty in the United States. Through the accord, the Clinton administration once again has shown its foreign policy ineptitude, and specifically its lack of vision and effectiveness toward the formulation of a clear Cuba policy. Instead of supporting the desires for freedom for the Cuban people, the President has preferred to accept the empty promises from the ruler of a totalitarian state who promotes terrorism, and is about to finish construction of a potentially dangerous and unsafe nuclear powerplant just a few hundred miles from our shores. Yet, we hear only silence from the administration on these illicit acts by the Cuban dictator. I hope that the President takes a look from the White House at today's demonstration, so he can listen to the voices of those Cubans who were forced to leave their country in search of freedom, and from those who suffered from the oppressive hand of the Cuban dictator. Maybe then the President will realize the diabolical consequences of his failed policy and join us in implementing new sanctions against the Cuban tyrant.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the proposed rule for the final consideration of the American Overseas Interests Act should be adopted by the House. This bill is a very important step forward in our goal to reform Government to make it more efficient and more effective. To achieve this goal, the bill calls for the consolidation of three independent agencies--the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Information Agency-- into an enhanced Department of State. The consolidation of three independent agencies into the State Department has been endorsed by five former Secretaries of State who argue that it will improve foreign policy by clarifying lines of authority and responsibility. Secretary of State Warren Christopher also endorsed this concept earlier this year, but his proposal met strong bureaucratic opposition and was withdrawn. But the fundamental soundness of the proposal led to the leadership in both the House and Senate international relations committees, to study it and include it in our 1995 reform efforts. The bill also sets forth the spending priorities for our foreign operations during this time of fiscal austerity. There are protections in this bill for our efforts to promote democracy and freedom in Cuba through Radio and TV Marti. There is also a provision that supports our efforts to isolate the Castro regime by prohibiting aid to countries that provide economic aid or preferential trade benefits to the Castro regime. The bill also sets out Congress' desire that a priority be placed on economic and other assistance to the developing countries in Africa. While the Africa programs have had to bear a share of the overall effort to cut Government spending, they have been given more than they would have received under an across-the-board budget cut process. This bill represents a fair and responsible approach to the management of Government programs in foreign policy. Therefore I urge the adoption of this rule.