H.Res. 179: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime, calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and supporting respect for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba.

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H.Res. 179: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime, calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and supporting respect for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba.

108th Congress · introduced 2003-04-07 · International Affairs · Latest: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

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Official title

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime, calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and supporting respect for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba.

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced on April 7, 2003. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Condemns the brutal crackdown of the Cuban Government on the island's peaceful pro-democracy movement. Calls for the immediate release of all Cuban political prisoners. Supports the right of the Cuban people to exercise fundamental political and civil liberties, including freedom of expression, assembly, association, movement, press, and the right to multiparty elections. Calls on the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, to work with the member countries of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to ensure a resolution that includes the strongest possible condemnation of the current crackdown of dissidents and of the gross human rights violations committed by the Cuban Government. Calls on the Latin American and Caribbean group (GRULAC) at the Commission to exclude Cuba from its slate of candidates for the Commission, and urges all member nations to oppose renewing Cuba's membership on the Commission until the Government of Cuba adheres to international human rights standards, such as those delineated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [R-FL-21] · 15 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)

Recorded votes

• House roll call 117 (2003): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, HRES179 (2003-04-08): Passed

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hres179.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hres>

Record fed-us-cong108-hres179 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108