[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 5, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7637-S7638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF UNITED STATES CITIZEN ALAN
PHILLIP GROSS
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 609, which was submitted
earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 609) calling for the immediate and
unconditional release of United States citizen Alan Phillip
Gross from detention in Cuba and urging the Government of
Cuba to address his medical issues.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, 2 days ago--December 3, 2012--marked the
third anniversary of Alan Gross' arrest by the Cuban Government. Over
the past 3 years, Alan's case has been of deep personal concern to me
and many in my State. Alan, an American citizen and Marylander, was in
Cuba to help the small Jewish community there establish improved access
to the Internet, which would allow the community to go online without
fear of censorship or monitoring. After being held for 14 months
without charge and then a cursory 2-day trial, he was convicted and
sentenced to 15 years in prison. In August 2012, a petition to the
United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was filed on his
behalf.
Last week, officials with the Cuban Ministry for Foreign Affairs
claimed that Alan Gross is in good health. But the Cuban Government has
not allowed Mr. Gross to receive an independent medical evaluation. To
date, Alan has lost 105 pounds, suffers from degenerative arthritis,
and has a mass behind his shoulder. Alan also suffers from severe
mental anguish because of the separation from his family.
To say that the Gross family has been on a rollercoaster would be an
understatement. His mother and daughter are both battling cancer. His
wife Judy is struggling to make ends meet. Judy Gross has fought for
Alan's release every day for the last 3 years. Judy has called, e-
mailed, and met with everyone imaginable. She has been on news programs
and written letters. Judy has never given up hope; she has remained
strong for her family and for Alan. As many of our colleagues will
attest, she will stop at nothing to see Alan return home. Due in no
small part to Judy's perseverance, the U.S. Senate has been actively
involved in this matter.
Over the past 3 years, U.S. officials have traveled to Cuba, we have
written to numerous Cuban dignitaries, and we have employed other
creative means to encourage Mr. Gross' release. In September, my
colleague Senator Moran and I, along with a bipartisan group of 44
Senators, sent a letter to Raul Castro urging the Cuban Government in
the strongest possible terms to release Alan Gross immediately and
unconditionally. But these attempts have been futile. Alan Gross
remains in prison, caught in the middle of a conflict between two
nations with a complex, often frustrating relationship.
Tonight, the Senate is adopting a resolution unanimously, a
resolution Senator Moran and I have submitted with a long list of
bipartisan sponsors. The resolution calls for Mr. Gross' immediate and
unconditional release and urges the Cuban Government to address his
medical issues, including allowing an independent medical examination
to be completed. Alan's personal freedoms are being violated every day
that he continues to be incarcerated, and we can no longer tolerate his
being denied an independent medical evaluation. Alan Gross should no
longer be forced to suffer the consequences of political gamesmanship.
Enough is enough.
Today the Senate has spoken once again. Alan Gross is a husband, a
father, a son, and an American. We call on the Cuban Government to
release Alan Gross immediately.
Mr. President, I know of no further debate on this measure.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
If not, the question is on agreeing to the resolution.
The resolution (S. Res. 609) was agreed to.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the preamble
be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any
statements relating to the matter be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 609
Whereas, Alan Phillip Gross, a citizen of the United
States, was born in New York on May 2, 1949, and is a
resident of the State of Maryland;
Whereas Mr. Gross has devoted his professional life to
helping others through his work in international development
and has served in more than 50 countries and territories
worldwide;
Whereas, in 2001, Mr. Gross founded JBDC, LLC to support
Internet connectivity in locations with little or no access;
Whereas, on February 10, 2009, JBDC, LLC received a
subcontract with the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID);
Whereas, working as a subcontractor for the United States
Agency for International Development, Mr. Gross sought to
establish wireless networks and improve Internet and Intranet
access and connectivity for a small, peaceful, non-dissident,
Cuban Jewish community;
Whereas Mr. Gross made 5 trips to Cuba in furtherance of
the United States Agency for International Development
project he was subcontracted to support;
Whereas the last time Mr. Gross was in the United States
was on November 24, 2009;
[[Page S7638]]
Whereas Mr. Gross was arrested on December 3, 2009, in
Havana, Cuba;
Whereas Mr. Gross was detained without charge for 14
months;
Whereas Mr. Gross was charged in February 2011 with
``actions against the independence or the territorial
integrity of the state'';
Whereas Mr. Gross's trial lasted only 2 days, after which
he was sentenced to 15 years in prison;
Whereas Mr. Gross and his wife Judy have 2 daughters, one
of which was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010;
Whereas Mr. Gross's 90-year old mother was diagnosed with
inoperable cancer in February 2011;
Whereas, in 2011, Mr. Gross's wife Judy underwent surgery,
causing her to miss considerable time from work and putting
further financial strain on their family;
Whereas Mr. Gross is 63 years old and has lost more than
105 pounds since being detained in Cuba;
Whereas Mr. Gross has developed degenerative arthritis in
his leg and a mass behind his shoulder;
Whereas the Government of Cuba has denied requests by Mr.
Gross for an independent medical examination;
Whereas Mr. Gross's legal representative filed an appeal to
the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United
Nations in August 2012; and
Whereas, since Mr. Gross was detained by the Government of
Cuba on December 3, 2009, his health has severely
deteriorated and his family members have suffered health and
financial problems: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of
United States citizen Alan Phillip Gross; and
(2) urges the Government of Cuba in the meantime to provide
all appropriate diagnostic and medical treatment to address
the full range of medical issues facing Mr. Gross and to
allow him to choose a doctor to provide him with an
independent medical assessment.
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