Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005

TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 770 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, H.R. 5025.

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Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I just want to again clarify that, right now, you can go to Cuba for educational purposes; you just have to get a license. So the only reason for this amendment is to symbolically tell the Castro anti-American dictatorship, terrorist dictatorship, that we like you. That is all this amendment does. Students can go to Cuba if they get a license.

So despite the fact that the Castro regime continues to imprison and despite the fact that the Castro regime has murdered Americans, murdered American citizens, has American blood on his hands, this amendment would just like to give him a nice pat on the back and say, even though Americans can go with a permit, with a license to get education, go for educational purposes to Cuba, we want to give you a gift, Mr. Castro. Despite the fact that you murder Americans, we want to give you a gift, and here is a little token gift. Because, again, it is not going to happen. It is not going to pass the process, but we just want to show that we support that anti-American dictator who has American blood on his hands. It is a very sad statement.

Again, fortunately, none of these issues ever happen. But, again, that is all this amendment is. It is to show that anti-American dictator, that terrorist 90 miles away, that this amendment supports, still supports that dictatorship. That is all this does, Mr. Chairman.

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