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Congressional Record—Senate S4949 April 8, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4949 supplemental appropriations bill that The hours that have been suggested tion—which said that if at least 10,000 would have an additional $600 million by my friend from Utah I appreciate people sign a petition, the issues in to go for emergency food assistance. very much, but there are productive that petition are then brought to the That will then be able to get to Africa things that could be done during those national assembly for action. Not only with all of its famine that is ravaging 10 hours, including the approval of did 10,000 brave, courageous Cuban the land. more judges. There could be at the end souls sign that petition, but over 11,000 It is my hope, as the Appropriations of this week 120 judges instead of 116. did. It called for actions that you and Committees are meeting in conference I object. I take for granted. right now on the emergency supple- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- It called for freedom of speech, free- mental to determine the final outcome, tion is heard. dom of the press, release of political that they will honor all those images Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask prisoners, and a free enterprise econ- they have seen on television of starv- if any number of hours would be suffi- omy. It called for them to be brought ing children and they will not reduce cient for the Senator from Nevada. before the Cuban National Assembly. that $600 million very much. Mr. REID. Speaking for the Senator The Varela Project embodies the It is with this spirit of thanks, of hu- from Nevada, there is not a number in principles upon which all the world mility, and thanksgiving that I come the universe that would be sufficient. agrees: the right of the Cuban people to to speak on behalf of this legislation f petition their government for civil and and to thank the Senate and the many human rights, including free and fair MORNING BUSINESS participants here who have worked out elections. all the kinks in this legislation so we Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask The leader of this project, Oswaldo could pass it in a unanimous fashion. unanimous consent that the Senate Paya, has continued to advance this I yield the floor. proceed to a period for morning busi- important project at great risk to him- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ness. self, his family, and his associates. ator from Utah. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without In May of 2002, Oswaldo Paya led a f objection, it is so ordered. group of Cuban citizens who delivered f exactly 11,020 verified signatures to the UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST— Cuban National Assembly supporting CUBAN OPPRESSION NOMINATION OF PRISCILLA OWEN that referendum on civil liberties and Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, as in Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. Presi- all of the issues I have mentioned. executive session, I ask unanimous dent, I wish to call the attention of the These are basic rights to which any- consent that there be an additional 6 Senate to the important events hap- one is entitled. Recent reports indicate hours for debate on the Owen nomina- pening right now in the island nation that the Varela network has been espe- tion, provided further that the time be of Cuba. Over the past several weeks, cially targeted in this crackdown by equally divided between the chairman Fidel Castro has been rounding up de- Fidel Castro. I take us back to last and ranking member of the Judiciary mocracy activists, independent jour- year, realizing the courageous effort by Committee, or their designees, and nalists, librarians, and signers of the Senor Paya and the signers of that pe- that following the conclusion of that Varela Project and throwing them in tition. time, the Senate proceed to a vote on jail. I sponsored and this Senate adopted the confirmation of the nomination, Fidel Castro has used the world’s the resolution 87 to 0, with the help of with no intervening action or debate. focus on the war in Iraq to divert at- other supporters of the resolution, Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- tention in order for him to brutally ator DODD and Senator Helms. That ator from Nevada. crack down and further oppress Cubans resolution commended the Varela Mr. REID. Reserving the right to ob- who yearn for freedom. It has been dif- Project and Oswaldo Paya. It was an ject, we on this side are perplexed. We ficult to get the exact number, but we early step to providing international have indicated to the majority leader think it is approximately 80 Cubans attention and support to Mr. Paya and that there are at least three circuit who have been arrested. Yesterday, a those who signed on to the Varela judges who, with just a little bit of number of those activists who had been Project. work, could be approved this week. The arrested were sentenced to terms of 15 The resolution that was adopted last average during the Clinton 8 years was to 25 years—if you can believe that—on year 87 to 0 was obviously bipartisan, eight circuit judges a year. If the three charges of ‘‘undermining the socialist and the resolution that was just adopt- were approved, that would be five al- state.’’ It is reported that at least 11 of ed last night is similarly bipartisan ready by Easter. those could get life sentences, and at and builds on that previous consensus One of those is Edward C. Prado of least one could get the death penalty. and highlights that upon which we can the Fifth Circuit. They could go to I take the floor of the Senate to call all agree. What is that? that tomorrow—tonight. So we believe to its attention that last night the The resolution that was adopted last there is more here than meets the eye. Senate passed S. Res. 97, a resolution night condemns the recent arrest and There are three circuit judges who are introduced by this Senator from Flor- other intimidation tactics against de- available with just a little bit of work. ida and cosponsored by the junior Sen- mocracy activists by the Castro re- This has all been discussed with the ator from Virginia, Mr. ALLEN. The res- gime, and it calls on the Cuban Govern- majority leader. olution passed the Senate unani- ment to immediately release those im- So for these and many other reasons, mously. It condemns these actions, and prisoned during the most recent crack- I object. it calls for the release of the prisoners down for the acts that the Government The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- of conscience in Cuba. of Cuba wrongly deems ‘‘subversive, tion is heard. Why did the Senate want to take a counter revolutionary, and provoca- Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I mod- stand, and why do we want to bring tive.’’ ify the request to 10 additional hours. further attention to this other than The resolution adopted last night The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there has already been in the Nation’s news- also reaffirms S. Res. 272, the Varela objection? papers, pointing out that under the Project resolution, that the Senate Mr. REID. Yes. Mr. President, reserv- cloak of the world’s attention being di- unanimously agreed upon last year, ing the right to object, we have ap- verted to Iraq, Fidel Castro has started which calls for, among other things, proved, during the time President Bush this crackdown and these arrests and amnesty for all political prisoners. The has been President, 116 judges. Two these sentences, even possibly a death resolution we adopted last night have been turned down—116 to 2. One of sentence? Well, it goes back to the fact praises the bravery of those Cubans those who was turned down is back. that the Cuban Government does not who, because they had simply practiced Owen is back. This would be the first like the world’s attention that has free speech and signed the Varela time in the history of this country that been brought to the courageous 11,000 Project petition, have now been tar- a judge who has been turned down is people who signed the petition under geted in this most recent government back and would be approved. the Cuban law—the Cuban Constitu- crackdown. .
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