Bill Delahunt: “In response to the ranking member, I don't disagree when he suggests that we listen to the dissidents because they're on…”

“In response to the ranking member, I don't disagree when he suggests that we listen to the dissidents because they're on the island, they're fighting the good fight, not from the safety of Washington or Boston or Miami, but they're there. Let's start to listen to them. This was a statement that was released by four of them, prominent and well respected, on the island. It is a statement that was signed by Marta Beatriz Roque, Jisela Delgado, Elizardo Sanchez and Vladimiro Roca. Let's listen to what they say. Let's not reach our own conclusions here in this House without listening to what they say. 'We consider it very important to achieve greater efficiency in the use of these funds. We believe that one possible way to achieve this would be the elimination of a series of existing restrictions on the sending of aid and travel to Cuba, which doesn't at all help the pro-democracy struggle that we are carrying out inside our country.' With all due respect to the gentleman from Virginia, it is about travel, it is about the embargo, because that's what the dissidents are saying to us here, and we ought to listen to them.”