[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 205 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 205
Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering
from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2025
Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Gimenez, and Mr.
Moskowitz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on
the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering
from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.
Whereas the Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report
designates Cuba as a Tier 3 country that does not fully meet the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report cites Cuban regime policy or pattern to profit from
forced labor in Cuba's labor export program, which included foreign
medical missions;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report notes the Cuban regime kept a significant amount of
wages of workers, confiscated passports and professional credentials of
workers, subjected workers to surveillance and strict curfews, and did
not consistently inform participants of the terms of their contracts;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report states the Cuban regime failed to address
trafficking crimes despite an increasing number of allegations from
survivors, credible nongovernmental organizations, international
organizations, and foreign governments of the involvement of Cuban
officials in facilitating serious human rights abuses and forced labor;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report charges that the Cuban regime threatened, coerced,
and punished government-affiliated workers, including medical
professionals, and their family members if participants left the
program;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report concludes regime authorities did not make efforts to
address labor trafficking crimes;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress, ``Human
Trafficking In Cuba's Labor Export Program'', as mandated by section
7045(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), cites sources
that estimate the Cuban regime reaps annual profits of between
$6,000,000,000 and $8,000,000,000 from the labor export program;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress lists 72
countries that may have had government-affiliated Cuban workers in their
territories in the last 5 years;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress states that
host governments should use transparent and fair recruitment practices
in the hiring of foreign workers and have a responsibility to
proactively identify victims of exploitation and human trafficking in
their country, and to protect such victims from further exploitation,
yet Cuba maintains overwhelming levels of control over its workers
deployed abroad;
Whereas foreign governments continue to rebuff diplomatic efforts of the United
States to ensure the protection of Cuban medical personnel working
within their territories;
Whereas section 7045(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), states
that the Secretary of State shall apply the requirements of section
7031(c) of this Act (visa revocation authorities) to officials from
countries and organizations identified in the June 24 report; and
Whereas the Department of State has acknowledged that in Brazil, the Cuban
medical mission, known as ``Mais Medicos'', was ``facilitated'' by the
Pan American Health Organization, which augments ample public
information that Brazilian, Pan American Health Organization, and Cuban
officials are responsible for designing, implementing, and perpetuating
the trafficking of Cuban doctors in the Mais Medicos program: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes that the human trafficking and forced labor
of Cuban medical personnel abroad by the Cuban regime are gross
violations of international human trafficking and forced labor
treaties and protocols;
(2) recognizes that the signatories to these agreements
have a solemn responsibility to abide by their obligations
under these accords to ensure the working conditions of Cuban
medical personnel meet international standards for foreign
laborers;
(3) urges foreign governments to reject the exploitation,
profiteering, and wage garnishment of the Cuban regime by
paying the Cuban medical personnel directly;
(4) urges the President of the United States to utilize
visa revocation authorities against foreign and organization
officials who have participated in Cuba's human trafficking
schemes, including the Brazilian, Cuban, and Pan American
Health Organization officials involved in Mais Medicos, and the
Honduran and Mexican officials involved in other schemes until
such time as the host government fulfills its obligations under
international human trafficking and forced labor treaties and
protocols to protect the rights of those workers; and
(5) approves of the policy changes outlined in the press
statement issued on February 25, 2025, by Secretary of State
Marco Rubio, entitled, ``Expansion of Visa Restrictions Policy
for Individuals Exploiting Cuban Labor''.
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