Cuban Relations Bill

[Ebowed]

Cuban Relations Bill

1. The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 is hereby repealed.
2. The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 is hereby repealed.
3. Cuban refugees shall be granted political asylum in Atlasia, conforming with the standard rules of asylum.
4. Radio and TV Marti shall be shut down, and every law related to them shall be repealed.
5. Trade sanctions against Cuba shall be repealed, except in what concerns military goods; Atlasian citizens and companies shall be free to visit and establish business in Cuba as they see fit.
6. The Secretary of External Affairs shall move to the normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba.


Sponsor: The President pro tempore

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I expect to have a number of amendments to this bill.

The first is purely a technical amendment intended to clarify the scope of this Bill.

The bill shall be amended by replacing sections 3 and 4 with:

3. Pub. L. 89-732 [8 U.S.C. 1255 note] is repealed, subject to the savings provision that any adjustment in immigration status made applied for under such law prior to repeal shall be made and maintained.

4. The Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act and the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act are repealed.

I may come up with a technical amendment to replace section 5, but at present I'm doubtful.  The laws repealed by sections 1 and 2 are as far as I know, the sole Cuba-specific laws that establish trade barriers with Cuba.  The rest of them are restrictions undertaken under authority of the Trading with the Enemy Act, a 1917 law of general application.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The following amendment will restructure section 1 so as to only repeal the portions that implement the sanctions on third party commerce in confiscated property.

Replace section 1 with:
Titles III and IV of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (LIBERTAD) of 1996 are hereby repealed.

Title II lists out various forms of assistance that Atlasia is willing to provide Cuba once a free and democratic government is in place, so I really can't see a reason to repeal it unless you think we shouldn't provided assistance in that case.

Title I has some good provisions, some bad provisions, but mostly some obsolete provisions.  I intend to offer an  amendment that would replace Title I with a slimmed down version.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

A third amendment.

Section 4 shall be stricken from this bill.

Radio and Television Marti are in need of reform, but I don't support elimination of them so long as the Castro's and their cronies are in charge of Cuba.

[Ebowed]

We are voting to amend Sections 3+4 as follows:

3. Pub. L. 89-732 [8 U.S.C. 1255 note] is repealed, subject to the savings provision that any adjustment in immigration status made applied for under such law prior to repeal shall be made and maintained.

4. The Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act and the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act are repealed.


Aye

[Јas]

Aye

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Aye

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Abstain. I'm not sure what the amendment does and the bill is fine in its current form.

[Brandon H]

Aye

[Colin]

Aye

[Ebowed]

The amendment has passed.  We will now vote on this amendment to Section 1:
Titles III and IV of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (LIBERTAD) of 1996 are hereby repealed.

---

Aye

[Colin]

Aye

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Aye

[Јas]

Aye

[Ebowed]

The amendment passes.

[Ebowed]

We will now vote on the following amendment:
Section 4 shall be stricken from this bill.

---

Nay

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Nay

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Aye

[Јas]

Nay

[Brandon H]

Aye

[DownWithTheLeft]

Aye

[Јas]

Aye

Your votes aren't valid until you swear in.

[Rob]

Nay.

[Colin]

Nay

[Ebowed]

The amendment fails.