About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 [1] (May 18, 2015)

handle is hein.crs/crsuntaagyt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con res ionai Re e rch Service I forn g he legi ~Iati ~ debat ince 1914 S May 18, 2015 Cuba: President Obama's New Policy Approach On December 17, 2014, President Obama announced major developments in U.S.-Cuban relations. First, he announced that the Cuban government had released USAID subcontractor Alan Gross on humanitarian grounds after five years imprisonment. Gross's imprisonment since 2009 was an impediment to an improvement in relations. The President also announced that, in a separate action, the Cuban government released one of the most important intelligence assets that the United States has ever had in Cuba in exchange for three Cuban intelligence agents who had been imprisoned in the United States since 1998. Most significantly, in the aftermath of having secured the release of Gross and the U.S. intelligence asset, President Obama announced a major shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba, moving away from a sanctions-based policy aimed at isolating Cuba toward a policy of engagement and a normalization of relations. In the most significant changes in our policy in more than fifty years, we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people, and begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas. President Barack Obama, December 17, 2014 The President outlined three major steps to move toward normalization: Reestablishment of diplomatic relations. As U.S.-Cuban relations deteriorated in the early 1960s, relations were severed by the Eisenhower Administration in January 1961 in response to the Cuban government's demand to decrease the number of U.S. Embassy staff within 48 hours. In 1977, under the Carter Administration, both countries established Interests Sections in each other's capitals. Since January 2015, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson has participated in three rounds of talks with Cuba on reestablishing relations; another round will be held on May 21, 2015, in Washington. The talks have included the logistics of reopening embassies and embassy operations, such as giving diplomats privileges to carry out the full range of their roles as diplomats. Review of Cuba's designation by the Department of State as a state sponsor of international terrorism. Cuba has been on the so-called terrorism list since 1982 because of its alleged ties to international terrorism and support for terrorist groups in Latin America. President Obama directed Secretary of State Kerry to review Cuba's designation guided by the facts and the law. The State Department completed its review on April 8, 2015, and on April 14, the President transmitted a report to Congress rescinding Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism pursuant to provisions in three statutes-Section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979; Section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961; and Section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). According to those laws, the rescission is to take effect 45 days after the report is submitted. Of the three statutes, only the AECA has an explicit provision allowing Congress to block, via the enactment of a joint resolution, a removal of a country on the list within the 45-day period. The Administration's report to Congress maintained that Cuba provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism. Increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to and from Cuba. The White House announced a number of policy changes to implement this third step. The changes build upon previous steps that President Obama took in 2009, when he lifted all restrictions on family travel and remittances to family members in Cuba, and in 2011, when he took action to increase purposeful travel to Cuba. Just as in 2009 and 2011, the President's new initiative required changes to U.S. embargo regulations administered by the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (Cuban Assets Control Regulations; 31 C.F.R. Part 515) and the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (Export Administration Regulations; 15 C.F.R. Parts 730-774). Such changes fall within the scope of the President's discretionary licensing authority to make changes to the embargo regulations. On January 15, 2015, the two agencies issued the new regulations. These included: * Travel. The regulations authorize a general license for the existing 12 categories of authorized travel, meaning that travelers who fall under these categories do not have to apply to the Treasury Department for permission as in the past when a specific license was required for a number of these categories. Both travel agents and airlines will also be able to provide services for travel to Cuba without the need to obtain a specific license. Authorized travelers can also bring back up to $400 worth of goods from Cuba, with no more than $100 for tobacco products and alcohol combined, and will be permitted to use U.S. credit and debit cards. The changes do not allow travel to Cuba for tourism, which remains prohibited by law. * Remittances. The regulations increase the amount of permissible remittances by U.S. persons to Cuban nationals from $500 to $2,000 per quarter. Up to $10,000 in remittances can be carried to Cuba by authorized travelers compared to $3,000 before. Certain www.crs.gov 7-5700

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most