Cuba Policy Foundation Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday, October 14, 2002 Contact: Brian Alexander (202) 321-CUBA (2822)

CONGRESSMAN DOOLEY MOVES TO SUNSET HELMS-BURTON LAW

DOOLEY BILL SIGNAL OF GROWING CONGRESSIONAL ACTION AGAINST EMBARGO

Washington, D.C., October 12, 2002 – Representative Cal Dooley (D-CA 20th), on October 11, introduced a bill to sunset the 1996 “Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (LIBERTAD).” Action on the bill in 2002 is unlikely, as time runs out on Congress, but the Dooley bill marks an effort to make progress on another of the House Cuba Working Group’s nine-point legislative agenda toward easing the embargo, and is a signal of what is to come in 2003’s 108^th Congress.

Known, after its original cosponsors, as Helms-Burton, the 1996 LIBERTAD Act codified elements of the Cuban embargo which had previously existed as executive orders, set conditions on the necessary composition of a Cuban government in order for the United States to lift the embargo, gave Americans the right to sue foreign entities who’s business in Cuba may involve confiscated U.S. properties, and provided the President authority to ban from entry to the United States foreign executives and executives’ families who’s business in Cuba may involve confiscated U.S. properties. Presidents Clinton and Bush have each repeatedly waived the clause allowing Americans to sue foreign entities.

According to Cuba Policy Foundation spokesperson, Brian Alexander, “Dooley’s measure is another signal of eroding Congressional support for the embargo of Cuba. The Helms-Burton law has created more controversy for the United States than it has caused change in Cuba. Helms-Burton constrains the hands of the President in conducting foreign policy, as well as jeopardizes U.S. relations with its allies by threatening to impose penalties on foreign entities that engage Cuba.”

The Dooley bill, if passed, would terminate provisions of Helms-Burton, as well as expire existing rights of Americans to sue foreigners for confiscated properties and lift bans from entry into the United States currently in place against executives and their families because of their business in Cuba.

The Dooley sunset bill (H.R. 5616) currently has 22 cosponsors. It is anticipated that more cosponsors will be obtained when the bill is reintroduced in 2003. The bills cosponsors, as of October 14, are:

Rep Berman, Howard L. - 10/10/2002	Rep Berry, Marion - 10/10/2002
Rep Blumenauer, Earl - 10/10/2002	Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 10/10/2002
Rep Delahunt, William D. - 10/10/2002	Rep Emerson, Jo Ann - 10/10/2002
Rep Farr, Sam - 10/10/2002	Rep Flake, Jeff - 10/10/2002
Rep Hooley, Darlene - 10/10/2002	Rep Johnson, Timothy V. - 10/10/2002
Rep Lampson, Nick - 10/10/2002	Rep McGovern, James P. - 10/10/2002
Rep Miller, George - 10/10/2002	Rep Nethercutt, George R., Jr. - 10/10/2002
Rep Paul, Ron - 10/10/2002	Rep Rangel, Charles B. - 10/10/2002
Rep Shays, Christopher - 10/10/2002	Rep Snyder, Vic - 10/10/2002
Rep Solis, Hilda L. - 10/10/2002	Rep Stenholm, Charles W. - 10/10/2002
Rep Thompson, Mike - 10/10/2002	Rep Towns, Edolphus - 10/10/2002
Rep Waxman, Henry A. - 10/10/2002

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CUBA POLICY FOUNDATION.

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