International Trade Law News /title <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <meta name="verify-v1" content="6kFGcaEvnPNJ6heBYemQKQasNtyHRZrl1qGh38P0b6M=" /> <head> <title>International Trade Law News

« Home | Today's Import and Export News and Notes » | OFAC Issues Final Rule Prohibiting Importation int... » | Summary of Xe Services LLC's Settlement Agreement ... » | President's Export Council to Meet Today/Export Pr... » | Commerce Department's Proposed Changes to AD/CVD P... » | U.S. Representatives Send Letter Asking President ... » | Date of First Meeting and Structure of President's... » | State Department Imposes $42 Million in Civil Pena... » | September NCITD Meeting to Focus on Export Control... » | Trade Compliance Certificates vs. Certification: B... » 

September 28, 2010 

House Foreign Affairs Committee Indefinitely Postpones Markup of Cuba Travel Bill

House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today announced that the Committee's markup of H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, a bill that would lift the ban on Americans traveling to Cuba, has been postponed indefinitely.

The following is the text of his statement explaining the delay:

For a very long time, I have either led or supported efforts to repeal restrictions on the freedom of Americans to travel. The current prohibition on Americans traveling to Cuba is the last obstacle to the full enjoyment of this right. I strongly support H.R.4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, which would eliminate the Cuba travel restrictions.

The Committee had been scheduled to consider this legislation tomorrow, but it now appears that Wednesday will be the last day that Congress is in session before an extended district work period. That makes it increasingly likely that our discussion of the bill will be disrupted or cut short by votes or other activity on the House floor. Accordingly, I am postponing consideration of H.R. 4645 until a time when the Committee will be able to hold the robust and uninterrupted debate this important issue deserves. I firmly believe that when we debate and vote on the merits of this legislation, and I intend for it to be soon, the right to travel will be restored to all Americans.

In July, the House Agricultural Committee voted 25-20 to report H.R. 4645 to the full House, but the House Foreign Affairs Committee has asserted primary jurisdiction over the bill bill due to the foreign policy-related aspects of sanctions on Cuba.

The agriculture-related provisions in H.R. 4645 include restoring the ability of U.S. exporters to receive payment of licensed agricultural products to Cuba by cash in advance. In addition, the bill would authorize Cuban banks to transfer funds directly to U.S. banks for sales of products authorized for sale under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (includes medical and agricultural products).

Given the political sensitivity of this issue in some jurisdictions, it appears that there were not enough votes on either side of the aisle to get this bill passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee during this session of Congress.  

Labels: ,


Editor

Subscribe

Subscribe to our confidential mailing list

Mobile Version

Search Trade Law News

International Trade and Compliance Jobs

Jobs from Indeed

Archives

Categories

Disclaimer

  • This Site is presented for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed when you use this Site. Do not consider the Site to be a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney. The information on this Site may be changed without notice and is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up-to-date. While we try to revise this Site on a regular basis, it may not reflect the most current legal developments. The opinions expressed on this Site are the opinions of the individual author.
  • The content on this Site may be reproduced and/or distributed in whole or in part, provided that its source is indicated as "International Trade Law News, www.tradelawnews.com".
  • ©2003-2015. All rights reserved.

Translate This Site


Powered by Blogger