Carlos Gimenez: “Pardon me if I get a little emotional, this is actually personal for me since I was actually born in Cuba. Mr. Chair, I…”

“Pardon me if I get a little emotional, this is actually personal for me since I was actually born in Cuba. Mr. Chair, I rise to oppose Congresswoman Tlaib's FSGG amendment to exempt current prohibitions against U.S. assistance to Cuba. It is ironic that this amendment is being pushed on the week after we commemorated the bravery of the pro-freedom protesters in Cuba. Whether we are talking about the Biden administration's announcement last month to allow private travel to Cuba or allow Americans to invest in so-called private companies within Cuba, the regime takes advantage of these lifelines to fuel their butchery, their massacres, their jailings, their nonstop violations of human rights. Now, Congresswoman Tlaib wants to extend yet another pipeline of cash to the regime to directly fund the murdering, the raping, the jailing of the Cuban people. Quite frankly, anyone supporting this legislation really ought to be ashamed of themselves. If you believe in freedom and democracy, in capitalism, in the power of economic and social opportunity, I urge you to vote against this shameful and pathetic amendment.”