‘It Makes Me Ashamed’: Jim McGovern Calls Out Biden's Complicity In Food Insecurity In Cuba

4 months ago

During House floor remarks on Tuesday, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) spoke about food insecurity in Cuba.

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00:00 The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, for five minutes.

00:11 Mr. Speaker, last week the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Office

00:15 of the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights expressed

00:20 concern over the worsening of food insecurity in Cuba. They noted how this situation disproportionately

00:27 affects the most vulnerable, including older people, pregnant women, children and those

00:32 with chronic illnesses. This is not a problem just in Havana. Most of Cuba's provinces

00:38 are experiencing high levels of food insecurity. In March, the BBC reported that, for the first

00:43 time, the Cuban government has asked the World Food Program for help amid food shortages.

00:49 The WFP said it had received Cuba's request for help to provide powdered milk to children

00:54 under age seven. According to the Inter-American Commission, the Cuban government approached

00:59 the WFP for help to continue the monthly delivery of milk for children throughout the country

01:05 and to help with the delivery of flour for subsidized bread and the basic food basket.

01:12 The Commission went on to describe how hunger is increasing on the island due to a combination

01:16 of low economic growth, high inflation, reduced food production and distribution, and infrastructure

01:22 problems, especially interruptions in electricity. It also cited recent economic measures adopted

01:30 by the Cuban government, including higher prices for fuel and electricity, the elimination

01:34 of subsidies for the basic food basket, and the devaluation of the country's currency.

01:40 The Inter-American Commission and the Special Rapporteur then underscored that U.S. policies

01:46 and sanctions are intensifying and worsening the social and economic condition throughout

01:52 Cuba, and especially affecting the Cuban people's access to food, medicines and basic necessities.

01:59 In brief, Mr. Speaker, the United States is increasing hunger and poverty in Cuba. This

02:05 is being done deliberately and knowingly. It's a human rights violation. It also appears

02:11 that it is being done with a degree of indifference and callousness that I find shocking. It makes

02:16 me ashamed. During all my time as a member of Congress, I have fought to end hunger and

02:21 food insecurity here at home and around the world. I do not believe food and medicine

02:27 should ever, ever be used as weapons against innocent civilians, not in Sudan, not in Ukraine,

02:33 not in Gaza, not anywhere. And I have coordinated hearings that highlight how governments and

02:39 armed actors use food as a weapon against civilian populations that they view as adversaries.

02:45 And to see our own government deliberately imposing and maintaining sanctions that we

02:50 know make hunger worse in Cuba is unconscionable to me. It is also unconscionable, Mr. Speaker,

02:56 that some members of Congress who cling to Cold War policies appear eager to support

03:02 actions that punish and increase the suffering of ordinary people on the island. They actually

03:07 raise money off the Cuban people's suffering. They say they care about human rights, but

03:12 contribute to making the human rights situation worse. They deliberately create chaos because

03:18 they can, with absolutely no regard with how it hurts the Cuban people. Sadly, President

03:26 Biden has adopted and maintained Donald Trump's policies against Cuba, policies that he rightly

03:32 denounced as a candidate and when he was vice president, policies that hurt the very people

03:38 he says he most wants to help, independent entrepreneurs, young people, Afro-Cubans,

03:44 women and the poor. President Biden knows that keeping Cuba on the state sponsor of

03:49 terrorism list means no one in Cuba has access to the international financial system. Our

03:55 European and Latin American friends and allies are unable to provide help to the Cuban people

04:01 out of fear of being punished by U.S. sanctions. And then we wonder why hundreds of thousands

04:08 of Cubans are leaving the island and migrating to our borders. I am puzzled and deeply disappointed

04:15 by the president's inaction. And the situation has become desperate with little hope for

04:20 a better future. And U.S. stubbornness sends a clear signal to the Cuban people that there

04:25 is no reason to believe that change will happen. President Biden, your policies are hurting

04:31 not the Cuban government, but the Cuban people. Your policies are helping to drive mass migration

04:37 from the island. Mr. President, stop increasing hunger and poverty in Cuba. Remove Cuba from

04:44 the state sponsor of terrorism list and let's move toward normalizing relations between

04:48 our two countries. It is in the interest of both our peoples. Take action and please do

04:53 it now. I yield back my time.

‘It Makes Me Ashamed’: Jim McGovern Calls Out Biden's Complicity In Food Insecurity In Cuba

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