On the recordJanuary 12, 2015
I want to thank Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for arranging this important Special Order to show solidarity with the Cuban people as they continue to live under an oppressive regime. Mr. Speaker, President Obama has senselessly yielded ground, with no stipulations for reform, to the Cuban regime, with the announcements of a secret deal going around Congress to ``normalize'' relations. This misguided grab for a legacy item has cost our country and the Cuban people a valuable bargaining chip for their freedom. Of course, this is yet another foreign policy failure or, more accurately, unilateral surrender from this administration. From the bright red line in Syria, which was crossed with impunity, to sending a secret message to President Putin that, ``After the election, I will be more flexible,'' to now rewarding tyrants in Cuba who continue to deny basic human rights to their oppressed citizens, President Obama has chosen wrong policies. The despotic government the President would normalize relations with has, for decades, sought to subjugate the Cuban people's appetite for freedom. The many realized American Dreams of Cuban refugees, including my mother, are a great testament to the greatness of the United States and our constitutional rights. As the beacon of freedom in the world, America must continue to use sensible policy to protect our values around the world and in our own backyard. {time} 2115
