5581 (Dodd) to S. 3001 , H.R. 6913 (Flake), and H.R. On May 21, 2008, the Senate passed S.Res. 573 (Martinez) by unanimous consent, which recognized Cuba Solidarity Day and the struggle of the Cuban people. Unless the regime changes, our policy will not. 2764 , the Senate approved S.Amdt. 707 (Rangel) to H.R. 2419 , the 2007 farm bill. It would fully fund the Administration's request for $45.7 million in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for Cuba democracy programs. Political Conditions

On February 24, 2008, Cuba's legislature selected Raúl Castro as President of the 31-member Council of State, a position that officially made him Cuba's head of government and state. For background, also see CRS Report RS22742, Cuba ' s Political Succession: From Fidel to Raul Castro , and CRS Report RL33622, Cuba ' s Future Political Scenarios and U.S. Policy Approaches , written in the aftermath of Fidel Castro's stepping down because of poor health in 2006. Since the early 1960s, U.S. policy toward Cuba has consisted largely of isolating the island nation through comprehensive economic sanctions, including an embargo on trade and financial transactions. This includes U.S. private humanitarian donations, medical exports to Cuba under the terms of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, U.S. government support for democracy-building efforts, and U.S.-sponsored radio and television broadcasting to Cuba. Under the current Bush Administration, enforcement of U.S. restrictions on Cuba travel has increased, and restrictions on travel and on private remittances to Cuba have been tightened. In the first session of the 110 th Congress, two Senate Appropriations Committee reported-versions of appropriations bills had provisions that would have eased restrictions on travel to Cuba for the marketing and sale of agricultural and medical goods, but ultimately these provisions were not included in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act ( P.L. H.R. Two bills that would have lifted overall economic sanctions— H.R. 217 (Serrano) and H.R. In addition, as noted above, several initiative introduced in the aftermath of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike would temporarily ease U.S. embargo restrictions in several areas, including travel and remittances, but no action was taken on these measures. In other first session action, on July 27, 2007, the House rejected (by a vote of 182-245) H.Amdt. Several other legislative initiatives introduced in the 110 th Congress would have eased restrictions on the sale of U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba, but none of these were considered:
H.R. Two broader bills that would have lifted economic sanctions on Cuba— H.R. 217 (Serrano) and H.R. In the 110 th Congress, five initiatives— H.R. 2819 (Rangel), S. 1673 (Baucus), and S. 1806 (Leahy)—had provisions that would have repealed the Section 211 trademark sanction from law, while two other initiatives— H.R. 1679 (Ros-Lehtinen), S. 876 (Martinez), and S. 2503 (Nelson, Bill)—would have imposed sanctions related to Cuba's offshore oil development on its northern coast, but no action was taken on the measures. In contrast, several legislative initiatives – S. 1268 (Dorgan), S. 2953 (Craig), H.R. Over the years, there have been varying levels of cooperation with Cuba on anti-drug efforts. Ultimately, none of these provisions were included in enacted measures. 110 - 161 ( H.R. H.R. Would facilitate the sale of U.S. agricultural products to Cuba by providing for general license authority for travel-related expenditures for persons engaging in sales and marketing activities for agricultural products or in the transportation by sea or air of such products; authorizing a consular officer to issue a temporary visa for a Cuban national conducting activities related to the purchase of U.S. agricultural goods, including phytosanitary inspections; clarifying the "payment of cash in advance" term used in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA) to mean that the payment by the purchaser and the receipt of such payment to the seller occurs prior to the transfer of title of the commodity or product to the purchaser and the release of control of such commodity or product to the purchaser; and prohibiting the President from restricting direct transfers from a Cuban financial institution to a U.S. financial institution for U.S. agricultural sales under TSRA. H.R. 1306 (Wexler)/ S. 749 (Nelson). H.R. 2819 (Rangel)/ S. 1673 (Baucus). H.R. H.R. H.R. 3161 (DeLauro)/ S. 1859 (Kohl). H.R. 5627 (Diaz - Balart, Lincoln)/ S. 2777 (Martinez). Similar bills to award the congressional gold medal to Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, in recognition of his courageous and unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights in Cuba. H.R. S. 554 (Dorgan). Title I, Section 101 would terminate U.S. government-sponsored television broadcasting to Cuba and prohibit funding. S. 721 (Enzi). S. 3260 (Durbin). S. 3288 (Leahy). H.R. The House would have funded Cuba broadcasting in H.R. H.Res.
Since the early 1960s, U.S. policy toward Cuba 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 was how to best support political and economic change in one of the world's remaining communist nations. Unlike past years, however, Congress examined policy toward Cuba in the context of Fidel Castro's departure from heading the government because of poor health. Raúl Castro, who had served as provision head of government since July 2006, was selected on February 24, 2008 by Cuba's legislature to continue in that role officially.
In the first session of the 110th Congress, Congress fully funded the Administration's FY2008 request for $45.7 million for Cuba democracy programs in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2008 (P.L. 110-161). In other first session 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 the second session, the Senate approved S.Res. 573 on May 21, 2008, which recognized the struggle of the Cuban people. In both sessions, there were Cuba provisions in several House and Senate appropriations measures (H.R. 2829, H.R. 3161, S. 1859, H.R. 7323, and S. 3260) that would have eased restrictions on travel and on U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba, but none of these provisions were included in enacted measures.
Numerous other legislative initiatives on Cuba were introduced in the 110th Congress, but were not considered. Several of these initiatives would have eased 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, S. 2953, H.R. 3182, and H.R. 3435 (development of Cuba's offshore oil). S. 554 would have terminated U.S.-government sponsored television broadcasting to Cuba. Several initiatives would have tightened 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 have amended 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 have repealed the trademark sanction. H.R. 5627 and S. 2777 would have awarded the congressional gold medal to Cuban political prisoner Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. H.Res. 995 would have commemorated the 1996 shootdown of two U.S. civilian planes by Cuba. S. 3288 had a provision that would have funded U.S. work to establish anti-drug cooperation with Cuba. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, several initiatives would have temporarily eased some U.S. economic sanctions on Cuba: H.R. 6913, H.R. 6962, and S.Amdt. 5581 to S. 3001.
This report reflects legislative developments through the 110th Congress, and will not be updated. For additional information on Cuba, see CRS Report RL31139, Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances, and CRS Report RS22742, Cuba's Political Succession: From Fidel to Raul Castro