Rep. McGovern: Cubans “Screwed Over” by “Arrogant Politicians in Washington”

"And what we are witnessing in Cuba, as some have characterized, is basically Gaza in slow motion. Man-made starvation with the help and complicity of the United States of America," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA).

"I rise today to talk about United States policy toward Cuba. Or rather, our lack of a coherent policy and our decades long failure to help the people of Cuba. Cuba is our neighbor. We have lived side by side for centuries. Our histories are intertwined. Our futures are too. Almost 10 million people live on the island of Cuba," McGovern said.

"They go to school and they work. They raise families and they go about their lives and they crave freedom and justice. But the people of Cuba struggle to realize their aspirations," he continued.

"The crushing U.S. embargo has stunted their economic development and caused immense hardship. These U.S. policies are human rights violations," McGovern said.

"America's cruel and illegal blockade is creating a severe humanitarian crisis, denying energy imports, which the Cuban people depend on for their healthcare, food distribution and livelihood. Cubans recently experienced the eighth collapse of their power grid since October 2024. Some 3 million Cubans experience water shortages every single day, and the UN reports that infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 per 1000 births," he added.

"Childhood cancer survival rates have fallen from 85% to 65%. Supplies of essential medicines are only 30% of normal. And what we are witnessing in Cuba, as some have characterized, is basically Gaza in slow motion. Man-made starvation with the help and complicity of the United States of America," McGovern said.

"Meanwhile, arrogant politicians in Washington tell Cubans on the island that they must suffer violations of their economic and social rights as the only way to restore their civil and political rights," he continued.

"This is an insult to their dignity, and it is wrong. The six decade embargo has been a miserable failure. Over and over we see that it does not work. It only emboldens hardliners and makes things worse for regular people. Now we hear that the administration is plotting military action against Cuba. This would be horrible, wasteful, inhumane and illegal," McGovern said.

"Cuba is not doing anything that would legitimize a war. Congress has approved no declaration of war, no authorization for the use of military force. Military action against Cuba would make America a rogue state, aligning us with Russia, China, Iran and others that believe that international rules don't matter. And if you want to know why invading Cuba would be such a disaster, look no further than Venezuela," he said.

"The people of Venezuela deserve better. And the people of Cuba do not deserve to be screwed over in the same undignified and illegal manner. Cubans deserve to shape their own future, not have it selected for them by arrogant politicians in Washington. And there's a better way," McGovern added.

"Ten years ago, the U.S. tried a better approach. We tried diplomacy. We tried engagement. We tried talking to each other, working through our differences. And guess what? It started working. American tourists went to Cuba. We dropped barriers. We opened up relations. Things started getting better for the Cuban people. And there was hope that someday they could shape their own future," he said.

"The future we must build is one of goodwill and diplomacy, reinforced by trade and exchange. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to consider a new approach to Cuba. It is time for a new path forward," McGovern concluded.