Byron Dorgan: “on Friday I brought to the floor a picture of a wonderful young soldier. This soldier is a man who fled from Cuba on a…”

“on Friday I brought to the floor a picture of a wonderful young soldier. This soldier is a man who fled from Cuba on a raft in 1992. His name is Carlos Lazo. Sergeant Lazo has not been able to bring his family to this country from Cuba. He kept in contact with them, visiting them a number of times under the rules that allow Cuban Americans to visit close relatives in Cuba once a year. In 1998, Carlos joined the National Guard. They were mobilized in 2003, deployed to Iraq in March of 2004. In June of 2004, Sergeant Lazo came back to the United States from Iraq on a 2-week R&R. He hoped to use that time to make his annual visit to Cuba to see his sons. But just before Sergeant Lazo came home on leave, the President announced new regulations that would limit Cuban-American family visits to once every 3 years. Even though Sergeant Lazo got to the Miami airport a day before the new regulation went into effect, our State Department prohibited him from boarding a charter flight to Cuba to visit his children. Mr. Lazo, in the country of Iraq wearing America's uniform, won the Bronze Star award. Let me show you the award, the Bronze Star medal given SPC Carlos Lazo, Charlie Company, 181st Support Battalion, for exceptionally meritorious service while serving as a combat medic with Charlie Company. It goes on to talk about his heroism and courage. Here is an American soldier who went to fight in Iraq because his country asked him to fight in Iraq.…”