September 17, 2015 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6085 Venezuela is not a crime.’’ Liberate animals, and he put the names of Fidel and we are approaching this in a Leopoldo. and Raul on them. For that, he has thoughtful manner, beginning these in- Sentenced along with Leopoldo as been imprisoned with no contact with vestigations as we look at life rights human rights activists were Cristian the outside world. and focus on the lives of these unborn Holdack, Angel Gonzalez, and Demian In January, another young man, a children and the mothers who have Martin, three students whose charge Cuban rapper named El Dkano, was gone through this process. sheets include public instigation, dam- sentenced to a year in prison just be- It is so interesting to me, as we have ages to property, and arson—all false cause he used music to criticize the this discussion of fetal tissue sales and charges. Their crimes were nothing Castro regime, a regime which has not what all has transpired in the selling of more than standing up to the regime— unclenched its fist against the Cuban these tissues, that we look to science. the corrupt, illegitimate regime—of people. What science has shown us is that Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and de- Yesterday, pro-democracy leader these are not blobs of tissue; these are manding a better country that would Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, also known as babies. have respect for human rights, that Antunez, and 10 of his activists of the This weekend, I had the opportunity would have freedom of the press, and organization National Civic Resistance to go to a baby shower, and a very ex- that would have free and fair elections Front announced that they have begun cited grandmother showed me the and other universally recognized a fast in an attempt to get a meeting sonogram, the picture of her unborn rights. with His Holiness to raise the plight of granddaughter already named and As this says, demanding a better the suffering Cuban people. being celebrated. As we looked at it, we Venezuela is not a crime, except it is in These are just a few of the prisoners, could distinguish these features of this Venezuela. Democracy advocates are Mr. Speaker, who have received harsh child yet unborn, but this child fully harassed; they are abused; they are im- sentences after President Obama formed and developing and sleeping in prisoned; they are beaten; and some are signed and announced this ill-fated her mother’s womb. even killed—yes, killed. We cannot deal with the Castro regime on Decem- There was great excitement to cele- stand idly by while democracy and due ber 17. brate this arrival, and we know that process are trampled on in our own Reports indicate that the Castro re- this is a fight worth having and a proc- hemisphere. gime is planning on releasing more ess worth ending as we look at the sell- Democracies like Brazil, Mexico, Co- than 3,000 prisoners in advance of the ing of these fetal organs and what has lombia, and Chile should join the U.S. Pope’s visit to Cuba, and you will transpired. in advocating for democracy and sta- think, hey, that sounds like a good Now, everyone is familiar with what bility for Venezuela, and freedom for idea, but let’s remember this: Many of happened with Kermit Gosnell in his the many political prisoners who are those prisoners should have never been house of horrors, and we know there languishing in Maduro’s gulags. I urge in jail in the first place. By the way, was a conviction, but what we have the Obama administration to imme- political prisoners like El Sexto, for learned is those convictions are very diately sanction the judge, prosecutors, doing an artwork, will not be included rare. We have moved now to the video and those who led this politically moti- in that number. No political prisoners footage that The Center for Medical vated kangaroo court against Leopoldo will be freed, but that is not anything Progress released, and we see that this Lopez, against these students, and new, Mr. Speaker. is absolutely sickening, abhorrent. against so many. In 1978, Fidel Castro released almost b 1100 The President can use the power 3,800 political prisoners ahead of granted to the executive branch when Jimmy Carter’s visit; in 1998, Fidel These videos have raised a lot of sus- we passed here in the U.S. House of Castro released 300 prisoners ahead of picion about what has transpired in Representatives and in the United Pope John Paul’s visit; in the year 2011, these Planned Parenthood affiliates States Senate the Venezuelan sanc- Raul Castro released nearly 3,100 ahead and clinics and questions as to whether tions legislation last year. The Presi- of Pope Benedict’s visit; yet the Castro they have systematically and repeat- dent must act. Mr. Speaker, let’s hope regime has detained an unprecedented edly broken laws. that he does. number of Cubans this year. With all of Obtaining informed consent for fetal Mr. Speaker, I rise to denounce so these people being freed, this year, tissue donation, how was that ap- many human rights violations that are there has been an unprecedented num- proached? Killing infants born alive occurring throughout the hemisphere, ber of arrests in Cuba of political activ- after an attempted induced abortion, whether it is in Venezuela or my native ists. who are the persons entitled to legal homeland of Cuba. As the Pope pre- We can be sure that before the Pope’s protection here? pares for his historic trip to Cuba this visit, during the Pope’s visit, and after As you look at a botched abortion weekend, he should meet with those the Pope’s visit, more innocent Cubans and you have a child born alive, all of people, like the political prisoners who will be detained—like El Sexto—by the a sudden you have got two patients share common interests of peace and regime and thrown into Castro’s there that you are considering. justice with the Catholic Church. The gulags. This tactic is nothing new, and Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Senior Direc- church stands for liberty; it defends it is not indicative of a change of pol- tor of Medical Services for Planned the freedoms of oppressed people, the icy by the evil, despotic, sadistic Cas- Parenthood Federation of America, de- freedoms to pursue one’s goals and tro regime. It is just a political propa- scribes harvesting human tissues. In dreams without having to live in fear. ganda farce. one of the videos, she talks about The Castro regime stands for the Will the Pope see this cynical move crushing this part or the other part of complete opposite. It stands for oppres- for what it is? We shall soon see, Mr. the baby in order to get a good speci- sion, for violence, for hatred, for injus- Speaker. men. tice, and I would urge His Holiness to f To listen to her callous description meet with those who truly defend the and her casual manner is sickening, values for which the church stands; INVESTIGATIONS INTO PLANNED but it also may violate some of the people like this young man, a graffiti PARENTHOOD Federal laws which prohibit alteration artist, a young man who has only The SPEAKER pro tempore. The of abortion procedures to obtain fetal known Communist Cuba as his govern- Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from tissue. ment. His name is El Sexto. It means Tennessee (Mrs. BLACKBURN) for 5 min- In another video, a technician says: the sixth one, in reference to some utes. I’m sitting here and I’m looking at this other charges. Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I fetus, and its heart is beating, and I don’t El Sexto has been behind bars for am here this morning to speak about know what to think. I don’t know if that nearly 9 months. He has been on a hun- the investigations into Planned Par- constitutes it’s technically dead or it’s alive. ger strike to protest the brutal Castro enthood and to the sale of fetal tissues. Imagine that. This baby, if it had ar- regime. What did he do? This is what We are beginning this process in our rived in a hospital with a NICU and he did. He had a picture of two farm Committee on Energy and Commerce; doctors surrounding it, there would VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Sep 17, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K17SE7.010 H17SEPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with HOUSE H6086 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 17, 2015 have been a rush to make certain that legal persons, including needed medical care PRAYER life was saved. and attention. This legislation requires the same care for a child born alive during an Reverend Brondon Reems, Center of And God bless those NICU specialists Hope Community Church, Oakland, who work with these preemie babies. abortion as a naturally premature baby born in a hospital. Any violation to this rule is a California, offered the following pray- We have all spent time with them and federal offense and must immediately be re- er: are grateful that they are there. ported to law enforcement. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is The cheap veneer of the left, the de- The bill also provides for criminal pen- thy name in all the Earth. We honor fense of abortion as a matter of repro- alties for providers who fail to provide care You.