Albio Sires

I urge you to support both the CDBG Program and the HOME Program as you continue your appropriations process.

I look forward to working with all of you in the new Congress.

There is a newspaper report out today that the new budget looks to cut 37 percent of the State Department's budget.

If Ortega continues with his current activities, perhaps instead it is a time for the administration to consider a re-think of its constructive engagement policy toward Nicaragua.

But he is doing much better than he has done before, right?

How has Ortega been able to concentrate his power?

It is always bewildering to me how the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, basically, is buying tanks, is buying planes, is buying all sorts of arms and yet, the need of the people seems to be ignored.

We need to see more concrete measures in terms of human rights, political freedoms, and the release of all political prisoners.

You want something for Cuba, give me something in return. Stop the abuses.

I want the best for Cuba. I just think we have different ways from my experience.

quite frankly, a lot of that force, a lot of those people were there before the engagement.

my biggest complaint is that we have given away pressure points where we could have drawn concessions from the Cuban Government.

It's a small group of people that are benefitting from the tourists, but it's not the island or the workforce of the island.

I think we need a new approach.

We need to do more to bring attention to the plight of the Cuban people and implore our neighbors to stand up to the Castro regime.

I came here when I was 11 years old, 1962, and I have been dealing with the Cuban community where I live ever since.

I urge the administration to finally make human rights in Cuba a top priority.

We have to start somewhere.

I am more concerned about the European countries.

the reputation and the efficiency of this Metro system has just gotten worse and worse and worse.

I think to worry about what Russia feels about this, the name of this bill, when they are just moving away from democracy and becoming more dictatorial every day, I really do not agree with removing this name.

I really want to thank you for taking a strong lead on this.

What type of assistance does the U.S. Government provide to the Venezuelan people to promote democracy?

What are we doing for those countries to speak up about the abuses in Cuba?

We certainly want to hear the testimony of the witnesses with regards to what we can be doing.