; Whereas the 1,113 members of Assault Brigade 2506 who finally returned to the United States after the operation have made significant and valuable contributions to the United States, while never forgetting their beloved homeland; Whereas, on December 29, 1962, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was presented with the banner of Assault Brigade 2506 that had reached the shores of Cuba during the operation, and the President pledged, I can assure you that this flag will be returned to this brigade in a free Havana. ; Whereas, on April 24, 1986, a joint resolution ( Public Law 99–279 ; 100 Stat. 398) was approved Commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion to liberate Cuba from Communist tyranny. ; Whereas Cuba’s authoritarian regime continues to arbitrarily detain thousands of critics, activists, and opponents and continues to deny the people of Cuba the ability to vote in free, fair, multiparty elections with independent and opposition candidates; Whereas Cuba's authoritarian regime has actively fostered and supported anti-democratic parties and actors throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the regimes of Nicaragua and Venezuela; Whereas Cuba is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the Department of State; and Whereas the Cuban people continue to struggle and demand respect for democratic values, civil liberties, freedom, and justice: Now, therefore, be it