José E. Serrano: “Well, Mr. Chairman, it finally happened, the last speaker let the cat out of the bag. Cuba is a small island, not a…”

“Well, Mr. Chairman, it finally happened, the last speaker let the cat out of the bag. Cuba is a small island, not a large European country. That is the problem. If it was a large European country or an Asian country, he would be lobbying, as he did, for free trade with Cuba, because he was the chief sponsor of lobbying on behalf of President Clinton for free trade with China. But he said it. Cuba is a small island, and for 41 years, we have been saying, you are a small island, you are insignificant, you speak another language, we are going to step all over you. Well, the big news tonight is that it is no longer a Serrano amendment, it is a Sanford-Campbell-Serrano amendment, and even the chairman of the subcommittee, who I respect tremendously said, it does not belong in this bill, but he never said the amendment stinks, he said we should debate it. Mr. Chairman, that is the change, that we want to begin to debate it, and it is a matter of time before this policy falls apart. Because it was improper, and it finally came out. It was never about what was right, it was about Cuba being a small little island, and China being a big country, and Russia being a big country. Well, Cuba will remain a small, little island, but the small children of Cuba should be able to greet and meet the children of America. Contact is the best way. Of all the things we have done to try to isolate Cuba, the travel ban is the most unconstitutional. It is unheard of.…”