Chris Smith: “I rise in support of H.R. 4118, the Russian-American Trust and Cooperation Act of 2000. I am proud to be an original…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 4118, the Russian-American Trust and Cooperation Act of 2000. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this measure, which was introduced by my good friend from Florida, Representative Ros-Lehtinen, in March of this year. The point of this bill is clear: United States taxpayers should not have to subsidize espionage activities directed against them, or help to fund the repressive Castro dictatorship. Right now, more than 1,500 Russian engineers, technicians, and military personnel are stationed at an intelligence base in Lourdes, Cuba where they are using tracking dishes, satellites, and other equipment to intercept telephone calls, faxes, and computer communications within the United States. This espionage facility--the largest operated by Russia outside the former Soviet Union--was used to obtain sensitive military information during Operation Desert Storm, and is now being used to collect personal information about U.S. citizens. The Russian government has spent more than $3 billion to modernize and operate that base. The Lourdes spy base is also a large source of revenue for the Castro regime. The Government of Russia pays Fidel Castro somewhere between $100 to $300 million per year to lease the facility. The bill before us today makes clear that the United States does not want to underwrite this highly improper and destructive activity.”