Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) participated in a House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on the Historic Protests in Cuba and the Crackdown on Free Expression.

In his remarks, Pfluger highlighted the hypocrisy of the Biden Administration’s decision to turn away Cuban refugees while throwing “open the southern border to cartels, coyotes, and others.”

He also commented on the dangers of communism by remarking, “massive government control over societies simply does not work. Cuba is showing us in real-time and the world how quickly a communism collapses and leads to a spiral of deadly conditions of poverty, starvation, and hopelessness—causing enough desperation that, right now, Cubans are staring down their oppressors in the streets and risking their lives to cross treacherous waters on homemade rafts to reach the shores of liberty, the symbol of freedom, the United States of America.”

Pfluger’s questioning can be viewed here. Transcript of remarks below.

“For over sixty years, the Cuban people have been oppressed by the worst impulses of a brutal regime and failed promises of communist propaganda. What we are seeing today is those people saying enough is enough. We must stand with them and finally rid the Western Hemisphere of this hegemon of oppression.

“Unfortunately, the Biden Administration is sending very dangerous and mixed signals through both policy and rhetoric to those that wish to flee this brutal regime – ‘If you’re fleeing a communist regime where defectors are silenced or shot, and every day citizens are starving to death—you’re not welcome in America.’

“This is the message DHS Secretary Mayorkas — who himself was born in Havana — gave last week when he remarked that Cuban refugees attempting to flee by the sea “will not be permitted in the United States.”

“That message was echoed again by acting Assistant Secretary at the State Department when [s]he remarked that the protests were peaceful and rooted only in concerns about rising COVID cases and medicine shortages. This is false. The Cuban people, as you’ve mentioned, are shouting “Libertad,” they’re waving American flags, they’re standing for freedom—they’re not shouting, “down with an embargo.”

“While our Administration downplays the severity of the crisis in Cuba and pledges to turn away Cuban refugees, President Biden has simultaneously thrown open the southern border to cartels, coyotes, and others.

“Meanwhile the Administration is advocating for socialist policies right here in the United States when we see massive government control over societies simply does not work.

“Cuba is showing us in real-time and the world how quickly a communism collapses and leads to a spiral of deadly conditions of poverty, starvation, and hopelessness—causing enough desperation that, right now, Cubans are staring down their oppressors in the streets and risking their lives to cross treacherous waters on homemade rafts to reach the shores of liberty, the symbol of freedom, the United States of America.

“The United States remains the beacon of freedom and democracy around the world, and we must do everything within our power to support those who are valiantly standing up for liberty, and we must do it right here at home.  There have been a chorus of this very body right here in Congress supporting the Cuban people in their efforts, and I certainly support that effort as well.

“Instead of throwing our doors open to drug and human traffickers on our southern border, President Biden must take decisive action to bolster the pro-democracy movement and support the brave Cubans who are fighting in their own streets for liberty.”