Serrano Tries to Block Use of Military Aircraft for Broadcasts into Cuba
Washington, DC, May 20, 2004-Concerned that scarce US military resources are being used to advance the Bush administration's politically-driven agenda on Cuba, Congressman José E. Serrano (D-NY) submitted an amendment to today's Defense Authorization Bill that sought to prohibit the use of military aircraft for purposes of broadcasts into Cuba by Radio Marti and TV Marti. The amendment was nixed by the Republican leadership of the House Rules Committee, preventing the issue from coming to a floor vote.
"Our military has been stretched and stretched by this administration, and now President Bush has launched a plan that forces the military to get involved with our political broadcasts to Cuba," said Serrano. "This sets a dangerous precedent for the military while jeopardizing the credibility of our broadcasts. While it is very disappointing that the Republicans are unwilling to let this issue come to a House-wide debate, it is not surprising. They are not anxious for people to know that they are using the military's scarce resources-which should be devoted to fighting real threats-to help make the Bush administration look tough on Cuba during a close election year.
"TV Marti has never been successfully seen by anyone in Cuba, and we continue to waste taxpayer dollars trying to transmit this programming into Cuba," said Serrano. "So now we want to bring our military into the fray, risking our airmen by flying them dangerously close to Cuban airspace so that we can broadcast our propaganda to them? The use of military aircraft for this purpose moves beyond rhetoric to a concrete escalation of tensions and a firm provocation against the Cuban government. How would we feel if the Cubans flew military aircraft as close as possible to our airspace, while technically remaining in international airspace, so that they could transmit into the United States their thoughts on how our government should be run? Is this in fact a deliberate attempt on the part of our government to provoke a crisis that will require a military response? It is time to bring some sense into our relationship with Cuba and this is clearly not the way to proceed."