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2020 HON. JERRY Mcnerney HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER HON

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2020 HON. JERRY Mcnerney HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER HON 2020 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 158, Pt. 2 February 16, 2012 the Cotton Council International; President of brant community. I ask my colleagues to join punished her with harassment, barbaric acts American Peanut Marketing; and Director of me in applauding Dublin on the occasion of its of repression, and beatings by hateful mobs in the Southern Cotton Growers. Thirtieth Anniversary. the days and weeks following her son’s mur- Due in large part to his successful farming f der. career and his unyielding advocacy on behalf Sadly, the two years since Orlando Zapata of America’s farmers, Mr. Webb has been rec- PERSONAL EXPLANATION Tamayo’s death have been years of increased ognized repeatedly for his agricultural achieve- repression and more murders by the Castro ments. In 1998, he was selected to participate HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER regime. The number of political arrests dou- in the National Cotton Council’s prestigious OF MISSOURI bled between 2010 and 2011. Furthermore, leadership program. A few years later, in IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES since Orlando Zapata Tamayo’s death, the 2005, he was selected as the Lancaster Geor- Thursday, February 16, 2012 Cuban regime has murdered three other brave gia Farmer of the Year at the Sunbelt Agri- prisoners of conscience—Juan Wilfredo Soto culture Expo Farm Show in Moultrie, Georgia. Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, due to a com- Garcia (d. May 8, 2011), Laura Pollan, inspira- Additionally, in 2009, he was named Georgia’s mitment in my district, I had to miss votes on tional leader of the Ladies in White (d. Octo- Outstanding Young Peanut Farmer of the H.R. 3408. Had I been present, I would have ber 14, 2011), and Wilman Willar Mendoza (d. Year. voted ‘‘aye’’ on Amendment 12, ‘‘aye’’ on January 19, 2012). They are all heroes, and Mr. Webb has achieved numerous suc- Amendment 11, and ‘‘aye’’ on Amendment 9. their deaths were all immeasurable losses. cesses in his life, but none of this would have f While we continue to mourn the loss of Or- been possible without the support of his loving lando Zapata Tamayo, and the senseless REMEMBERING ORLANDO ZAPATA wife of more than twenty-five years, Anjie deaths of so many other brave activists, his TAMAYO Webb. Mr. and Mrs. Webb are the proud par- spirit and mission have strengthened Cuba’s ents of three children—Parker, Devin and Har- courageous pro-democracy movement. Imme- ris. HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART diately following his death, other political pris- On a personal note, Mr. Webb has served OF FLORIDA oners picked up his cause and began hunger as an advisor and friend to me for many years IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES strikes of their own. Another great pro-democ- and he has frequently given me wise counsel Thursday, February 16, 2012 racy activist, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez and sound advice. (‘‘Antunez’’), renamed his pro-democracy or- Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, next week, ganization the ‘‘Orlando Zapata Tamayo Na- today in paying tribute to Mr. James L. we will commemorate the two-year anniver- tional Front for Civic Resistance and Civil Dis- ‘‘Jimmy’’ Webb for his outstanding contribu- sary of the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo. obedience,’’ which continues to organize pro- tions to America’s agricultural industry and his Orlando Zapata Tamayo was a member of tests and oppose the Castro dictatorship. On principled advocacy on behalf of our nation’s the pro-democracy organizations Movimiento June 30, 2011 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the Par- farmers. Alternativa Republicana and the Consejo liamentary Forum of the Community of De- ´ f Nacional de Resistencia Cıvica. He was ar- mocracies unanimously passed a resolution rested several times; the last arrest occurred honoring that organization and acknowledging RECOGNIZING THE THIRTIETH AN- on March 20, 2003 during Cuba’s notorious its importance to the pro-democracy move- NIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF ‘‘Black Spring,’’ while he was taking part in a ment in Cuba. DUBLIN hunger strike at the Jesu´s Ya´nez Pelletier I remain outraged that the regime in Cuba Foundation in Havana, to demand the release robbed the world of such a remarkable and HON. JERRY McNERNEY of Dr. Oscar Biscet and other political pris- courageous leader. But, in many ways, Or- OF CALIFORNIA oners. lando Zapata Tamayo lives. Within the pro-de- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Amnesty International began calling for Or- mocracy movement that still honors him, and lando Zapata Tamayo’s release shortly after Thursday, February 16, 2012 among the courageous activists that were his arrest and referred to him as a prisoner of emboldened by his sacrifice, Orlando Zapata Mr. MCNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I today irise conscience who should be released imme- Tamayo has become a symbol of persever- to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring diately. He spent more than a year in prison ance in the face of crushing totalitarianism. the City of Dublin on the occasion of its Thir- before he was actually tried and sentenced in His life will forever be a blessing to Cuba’s tieth Anniversary. May of 2004. Although he was originally sen- brave pro-democracy movement, and his Although Dublin is celebrating its official tenced to three years in prison for ‘‘dis- memory will outlast the horrors of the dying Thirtieth Anniversary, it can trace its roots respect,’’ ‘‘public disorder,’’ and ‘‘resistance,’’ Castro regime. When the Cuban dictatorship back to 1772 when Spanish explorers first the length of his sentence was extended sev- is finally relegated to the ash heap of history, journeyed through the region. Dublin continues eral times so that he was serving a thirty-six Orlando Zapata Tamayo will be remembered to preserve and embrace its history and cul- year sentence at the time of his death. During as a hero who helped to lead Cuba into free- tural heritage by restoring parks and muse- his many years in prison, he suffered beat- dom. ums, hosting annual parades, and promoting ings, humiliation, and long periods of solitary f sustainable methods to build lasting and vital confinement. According to Amnesty Inter- community centers. I have enjoyed my fre- national, on October 20, 2003, he was INTRODUCTION OF THE quent visits to Dublin, including attending sev- dragged on the floor of Combinado del Este BANKRUPTCY EQUITY ACT eral of the city’s well-known St. Patrick’s Day Prison by his jailers after requesting medical parades. attention. The abuse left his back full of lac- HON. EARL BLUMENAUER The exemplary work and values of Dublin erations. OF OREGON are gaining notice. Even during these tough Orlando Zapata Tamayo began a hunger IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES economic times, Dublin has continued to pros- strike on December 3, 2009 to protest abhor- per by attracting new businesses and devel- rent prison conditions and the arbitrary exten- Thursday, February 16, 2012 oping new enterprises. In addition, Dublin re- sions of his sentences. His hunger strike Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, when ceived the honor of being named a 2011 ‘‘All- lasted more than 80 days. During that time, he nearly one in four homeowners owe more on America City’’ by the highly-regarded National was deprived of water and ultimately devel- their mortgage than their home is worth, I am Civic League, NCL. Dublin was given this rec- oped pneumonia after being kept naked un- pleased to introduce the Bankruptcy Equity ognition because of its ingenuity and resource- derneath an air conditioner. He died at the Act. ‘‘Underwater’’ mortgages are a tremen- fulness in finding solutions to some of its im- hands of the Castro regime on February 23, dous source of financial stress for families. mediate challenges as well as its continued 2010. While some are able to continue making their work to foster civic engagement among resi- Reina Luisa Tamayo, Orlando Zapata payments, others are so overwhelmed by debt dents. Tamayo’s mother, declared that the regime that they lose their home to foreclosure, to a Dublin serves as a model to the rest of the murdered her son and loudly condemned the ‘‘short sale,’’ or by simply walking away. Bank- nation, and I am honored to represent this vi- atrocity. As a consequence, Castro’s thugs ruptcy should offer a legal means to escape VerDate Sep 11 2014 11:55 Mar 21, 2017 Jkt 019102 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 9920 E:\BR12\E16FE2.000 E16FE2 rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD.
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