RL33819
Cuba: Issues for the 110th Congress
January 24, 2008

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Summary

Since the early 1960s, U.S. policy toward Cuba under Fidel Castro has consisted largely of isolating the communist nation through economic sanctions, which the Bush Administration has tightened significantly. A second policy component has consisted of support measures for the Cuban people, including private humanitarian donations and U.S.-sponsored radio and television broadcasting to Cuba. As in past years, the main issue for U.S. policy toward Cuba in the 110th Congress is how to best support political and economic change in one of the world's remaining communist nations. Unlike past years, however, Congress is now examining policy toward Cuba in the context of Fidel Castro's potentially permanent departure from the political scene because of health conditions. In the first session of the 110th Congress, Congress fully funded the Administration's request for $45.7 million for Cuba democracy programs in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2008 (P.L. 110-161). The act also provided $33.7 million for Radio and TV Marti broadcasting to Cuba, and added Cuba to the list of countries requiring a special notification to the Appropriations Committees for funds obligated under the act. The act did not include provisions easing restrictions on U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba that had been included in the House-passed and Senate-committee versions of H.R. 2829, the FY2008 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, and in the Senate-committee version of S. 1859, the FY2008 agriculture appropriations bill. In other action, on July 27, 2007, the House rejected H.Amdt. 707 to H.R. 2419, the 2007 farm bill, that would have facilitated the export of U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba in several ways. Several other legislative initiatives introduced in the 110th Congress would ease sanctions: H.R. 177 (educational travel); H.R. 216 (Cuban baseball players); H.R. 217 and H.R. 624 (overall sanctions); H.R. 654, S. 554, and S. 721 (travel); H.R. 757 (family travel and remittances); H.R. 1026 (sale of U.S. agricultural products); H.R. 2819/S. 1673 (sale of U.S. agricultural and medical products and travel); and S. 1268 and H.R. 3182 (development of Cuba's offshore oil). S. 554 would terminate U.S.government sponsored television broadcasting to Cuba. Several initiatives would tighten sanctions: H.R. 525 (related to U.S. fugitives in Cuba), and H.R. 1679/S. 876 and S. 2503 (related to Cuba's offshore oil development). Two initiatives, H.R. 1306 and S. 749, would amend a provision of law restricting the registration or enforcement of certain Cuban trademarks; five initiatives ­ H.R. 217, H.R. 624, H.R. 2819, S. 1673, and S. 1806 ­ would repeal the trademark sanction. This report will be updated regularly. Also see CRS Report RL31139, Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances; CRS Report RS20468, Cuban Migration Policy and Issues; CRS Report RS22742, Cuba's Political Succession: From Fidel to Raúl Castro; and CRS Report RL33622, Cuba's Future Political Scenarios and U.S. Policy Approaches.

    Related Legislation:
  • H.R.2829
  • S.1859
  • H.R.2419
  • H.R.177
  • H.R.216
  • H.R.217
  • H.R.624
  • H.R.654
  • S.554
  • S.721
  • H.R.757
  • H.R.1026
  • H.R.2819
  • S.1673
  • S.1268
  • H.R.3182
  • H.R.525
  • H.R.1679
  • S.876
  • S.2503
  • H.R.1306
  • S.749
  • S.1806
  • S.2046
  • S.2274

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