Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, it is unconscionable that after the recent arrest and the sentencing of close to 80 dissident human right activists and opposition leaders by the Castro regime, that we would be here seeking to reward the dictatorship for its deplorable action, because, make no mistake, that is what this amendment seeks to do. It is going to provide it with much needed currency to continue this reign of terror. It defies all understanding that as the most recent prisoners of conscience languish in squalid sells, devoid of any light, malnourished, denied medical attention, the response of the United States Congress to this would be to bestow to this pariah state another victory. In the past, as we heard from the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart), the Castro dictatorship, Fidel Castro himself, has publicly thanked the U.S. House of Representatives for passing this amendment. I wonder if Hector Raul Valle Hernandez, a political prisoner at Guantanamo, would be as understanding. Hector languishes in a tiny, dark, squalid isolation cell. He is malnourished. He is given contaminated water. As a result, he has an increasing number of parasites in his system and is denied any medical treatment. Since his arrest of March of this year, he has lost over 40 pounds. However, he does not succumb to this torture. He remains true to his principles and beliefs. Would he be as understanding about this vote?”