A bill to designate the area between the intersections of 16th Street, Northwest and Fuller Street, Northwest and 16th Street, Northwest and Euclid Street, Northwest in Washington, District of Columbia, as "Oswaldo Paya Way".

Senate Bill

S. 218

119th Congress

A bill to designate the area between the intersections of 16th Street, Northwest and Fuller Street, Northwest and 16th Street, Northwest and Euclid Street, Northwest in Washington, District of Columbia, as "Oswaldo Paya Way".

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 23, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Ted Cruz

Senator

Republican

TX

Cosponsors

3

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Summary

This bill designates the street area in front of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. as Oswaldo Paya Way. The designation honors Oswaldo Paya, a Cuban pro-democracy activist who led the Varela Project advocating for democratic reforms in Cuba. He died in a 2012 car crash that supporters believe was caused by Cuban state security forces.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill designates the street area in front of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. as Oswaldo Paya Way. The designation honors Oswaldo Paya, a Cuban pro-democracy activist who led the Varela Project advocating for democratic reforms in Cuba. He died in a 2012 car crash that supporters believe was caused by Cuban state security forces.

Last updated: 1/4/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

<p>This bill designates the area in front of the Cuban embassy in the District of Columbia as Oswaldo Payá Way. (Oswaldo Payá was a pro-democracy activist in Cuba.)</p>

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Designates area near Cuban embassy as Oswaldo Paya Way
Honors Cuban pro-democracy activist
Location: 16th Street NW between Fuller and Euclid Streets
Symbolic protest against Cuban government
Part of tradition of renaming embassy streets for dissidents

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This symbolic designation sends a diplomatic message by forcing Cuban embassy correspondence to bear the name of a prominent dissident. Similar designations have been made near other embassies, such as naming the street near the Russian embassy after Boris Nemtsov. The gesture honors human rights advocates while making a public statement about the host countrys values.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Related Subjects

Congressional tributes

District of Columbia

Roads and highways

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

218, 119th Congress (2025). "A bill to designate the area between the intersections of 16th Street, Northwest and Fuller Street, Northwest and 16th Street, Northwest and Euclid Street, Northwest in Washington, District of Columbia, as "Oswaldo Paya Way".". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-218