'Not on his watch': Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart strikes down socialist Rep. Rashida Tlaib amendment that favored Cuban dictatorship

Yesterday, the House of Representatives struck down an amendment proposed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) that would have granted unilateral concessions to the Castro regime in Cuba; the vote stood at 260 to 163.

On behalf of his constituents, Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart  gave a floor speech thanking the House for its bi-partisan rejection of Rep. Tlaib’s proposed amendment: 

"While Marxist dictatorships have their apologists within the Democrat majority, I am grateful for the support of colleagues on both sides of the aisle who stood with the Cuban people in their struggle for freedom today. Because of their firm, bipartisan support, we were able to defeat an amendment that would have extended credit to the Cuban people's oppressors."

The amendment failed to pass on Wednesday when 205 House Republicans and 55 of their Democratic counterparts, including all 11 of Florida's representatives in the lower chamber of Congress, voted against it. 

Eight out of 10 New Jersey democrats also voted against the measure, which would have benefitted the Cuban regime at a time when the island continues to hold more than 900 political prisoners, and systematically crushes dissent. 

Tlaib's (D-Mich.) amendment to H.R. 8294, which funds the U.S. Treasury Department and its Office of Foreign Assets Control, would have suspended enforcement of the U.S. government's ban on financing agricultural sales to Cuba. 

Diaz-Balart also pointed out during his comments he will “continue to oppose any unilateral concessions to the brutal, anti-American regime in Cuba.”

Adding that “while hundreds of political prisoners remain imprisoned, we must not lessen pressure on a regime that uses its revenue to further oppress the Cuban people. The Cuban people will be free, and I am proud of the U.S. Congress for standing with them today."

Tlaib is a democratic socialist and DSA member, an organization that has declared its solidarity with the "Revolution" – the term used by the communist regime – "in this moment of unrest,” referring to the July 11 protests. 

At the time of protests, The DSA's national arm also echoed Cuba's president in blaming America's trade embargo with the communist regime for the unrest.