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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 03:37 PM Dec 2014

Republicans Look for Ways to Block Obama’s Cuba Policy in 2015

Source: Bloomberg

By Kathleen Hunter Dec 17, 2014 2:12 PM ET

Republicans in the U.S. Congress denounced President Barack Obama’s decision to begin normalizing relations with Cuba, and some said they’ll do everything in their power to block the move.

The president announced today that the U.S. will open an embassy in Havana and loosen a half-century-old trade and travel embargo. Lifting the full trade embargo would require action by Congress, where both chambers will be controlled by Republicans starting in January.

“This Congress is not going to lift the embargo,” Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, whose parents left Cuba in 1956, said at a news conference in Washington today. “I intend to use every tool at our disposal in the majority to unravel as many of these changes as possible.”

South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, set to become chairman in January of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on state and foreign operations, said on Twitter, “I will do all in my power to block the use of funds to open an embassy in Cuba. Normalizing relations with Cuba is bad idea at a bad time.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-17/republicans-look-for-ways-to-block-obama-s-cuba-policy-in-2015.html



Not just republicans...

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) Blasts Obama On Cuba

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), whose parents immigrated from Cuba and who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a blistering critique Tuesday of the Obama administration’s decision to release Cuban spies as the Castro regime freed American Alan Gross from imprisonment.

“President Obama's actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government,” Menendez said in a news release. “There is no equivalence between an international aid worker and convicted spies who were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage against our nation.”

Menendez added, “Trading Mr. Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent. It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips.”

more...

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/Menendez-blasts-Obama-on-Cuba.html
19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Republicans Look for Ways to Block Obama’s Cuba Policy in 2015 (Original Post) Purveyor Dec 2014 OP
Well, that was fast. CottonBear Dec 2014 #1
I'm afraid they're going to do the same with every Obama policy and proposal from now on. George II Dec 2014 #2
Unfortunately, it may not be hard to block it: Keefer Dec 2014 #3
Republicans are marionettes to business interests cosmicone Dec 2014 #14
See! There is the bipartisanship we have been hoping for! lol! nt kelly1mm Dec 2014 #3
Bob Menendez sounds like a piece of shit. Arkana Dec 2014 #5
He is not the by product you say he is. On this issue he is just wrong, his personal history is Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #8
IS WhiteTara Dec 2014 #11
What are we up to now BumRushDaShow Dec 2014 #6
If Obama said he was proposing to take a crap the GOP would be looking for ways to block passage. Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #7
Alternet: The real implications - 1. Obama’s Worsening Relationship with the GOP Congress. pampango Dec 2014 #9
Republicans have kept FORMERLY RICH Cuban business owners going for decades.... Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2014 #10
The crowd turbinetree Dec 2014 #12
Obama grew a pair too late cosmicone Dec 2014 #13
Of course the Republicans had no problem with China LiberalLovinLug Dec 2014 #15
Screw them. WTF good has our Cuba policy been so far? Adrahil Dec 2014 #16
Menendez is way off here The Wizard Dec 2014 #17
This was low hanging fruit for the POTUS Ruby the Liberal Dec 2014 #18
Although I approve of the President’s proposal, I will be sorry Buenaventura Dec 2014 #19

Keefer

(713 posts)
3. Unfortunately, it may not be hard to block it:
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 03:43 PM
Dec 2014
Despite the monumental shift on Wednesday toward U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba after more than half a century, a cornerstone of American policy is here to stay for the foreseeable future: the economic embargo.

Lifting the embargo is a two-step process that requires approval from the executive branch as well as Congress, experts say.

First there would have to be inter-agency approval for lifting the designation of Cuba as a terrorist state, something that President Barack Obama said Wednesday he has asked his administration to review. Then Congress would have to remove the embargo in order to pave the way for the U.S. to establish treaties or trade agreements on Cuba.

"On the trade issue, the beginning of that conversation would have to do with changing Cuba's designation as a terrorist country," said Carl Meacham, the director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "As far lifting the embargo, that would have to be through Congress. ... You need legislative action in order to lift the embargo."


More here:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/cuba-embargo

 

cosmicone

(11,014 posts)
14. Republicans are marionettes to business interests
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:35 PM
Dec 2014

and business is on the side of Obama on this one. It has been a corporate wet dream to open up Cuban trade and the corporations will tell the repukes to sit down and stomach it.

Arkana

(24,347 posts)
5. Bob Menendez sounds like a piece of shit.
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 03:44 PM
Dec 2014

I get that his parents are old enough to remember the beginning of the Castro regime, but it's been over 50 years. The best way to stop the Castros would be to lift the embargo. Let them get a taste of American investment and trade again.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
8. He is not the by product you say he is. On this issue he is just wrong, his personal history is
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 03:56 PM
Dec 2014

interfering with his objective judgment. On this issue.
He is a good man, sorry to shatter your personal attack.

BumRushDaShow

(127,327 posts)
6. What are we up to now
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 03:50 PM
Dec 2014

for things they "plan to block"?

Lessee... "Obamacare", "revised immigration policy", "revised Cuba policy"... I expect we could probably add the "revised medical marijuana policy" too but that one got lost over the past couple days and they haven't had much chance to digest that one...

pampango

(24,692 posts)
9. Alternet: The real implications - 1. Obama’s Worsening Relationship with the GOP Congress.
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 03:59 PM
Dec 2014
The Real Implications of Obama's Groundbreaking 'New Approach' on Cuba

1. Obama’s Worsening Relationship with the GOP Congress. The new Cuba policy clearly has been months in the making, as the White House’s briefing papers detailed a long list of executive actions that will be taken to reestablish diplomatic relations, reopen embassies, roll back economic sanctions, and pave the way for major investments by American corporations, from Internet service providers and telecoms to the travel industry.

But the White House has now given Republicans even more reasons to fume about the administration, coming after the ongoing implementation of Obamacare and the latest executive actions that allow 4.3 million undocument immigrants to stay in the country free from the fear of deportation. Florida GOP Senator Marco Rubio, the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Wednesday that he would “make every effort to block this dangerous and desperate attempt” next year.

Some conservative Democrats also more than cringed, including the current Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair, New Jersey’s Robert Menendez. “President Obama's actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government,” he said, which makes one wonder how the upcoming GOP-majority Congress will react if Obama announces a deal with Iran early next year to curtail its nuclear arms program, end economic sanctions and resestablish diplomatic relations.

The White House and Congress will be at each others’ throats over Cuba and executive branch authority, not just because of clashing ideologies but because the punitive 1996 Helms-Burton Act, signed by President Clinton, gives Congress “authority to override an executive branch cancellation of the embargo,” as one bill summary noted.

http://www.alternet.org/world/real-implications-obamas-groundbreaking-new-approach-cuba
 

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)
10. Republicans have kept FORMERLY RICH Cuban business owners going for decades....
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:18 PM
Dec 2014

They've dangled the possibility of ousting the communists and told them they will return as kings. (Okay, more like "mattress king, burger king, appliance king,....you get the idea....) In return they've gotten their votes.

This is like abortion, it's one of those issues they don't WANT to go away.

turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
12. The crowd
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:29 PM
Dec 2014

Lets look at this from a different view point, the island sits in the waters that is dying from all of the pollution from oil, plastics, whatever, and there are disputes with Mexico on this pollution, and this so called 200 mile protection zone.
We have in this government / country been using Guantanamo as a bargaining chip on the rhetoric of using torture and terrorist fighting against on whoever disagrees with country.
And this caveat of rhetoric is only self serving to those that want to use anything and everything to keep in place this cr***p.
Its alright for these little war hawks to give aid and comfort to whoever is in Syria, but when it comes to normalizing relation to country that is basically toast is amazing.
They forget that corruption from a government there family was living under was just great, but when Castro and his form of corruption came in nope--outa here.
The normalizing of relations would eventually cause this country to throw out the corruption that Menendez and his family fled, and this goes for Rubio and any other self righteous hypocrites out there in the hate and fear land, they then do not have a leg to stand on, there position is to keep the status quo and then when something happens they can go on T.V. and get there 15 more minutes of what, hate and fear, demonize the entire population for political gain.
This just shows the outright hypocrisy of there demeanor and actions, they want to keep the communist government in power and this form of corruption, that is the bottom line.

 

cosmicone

(11,014 posts)
13. Obama grew a pair too late
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:32 PM
Dec 2014

This should have been done during his first month in office when he had 60 democratic senators and a democratic house.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,154 posts)
15. Of course the Republicans had no problem with China
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:38 PM
Dec 2014

And borrowing over a trillion to fund their pillaging of Iraq for no reason. (Other than to enrich themselves with no-bid contracts and oil reserves reserved for them). A country that still regards itself as "communist". A country that has a horrible human rights record.

Then there's Guatemala, Honduras which also have bad records on human rights.

What a bunch of hypocrites.

 

Adrahil

(13,340 posts)
16. Screw them. WTF good has our Cuba policy been so far?
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:39 PM
Dec 2014

It's time to grow up and heal this stupid rift.

Engagement makes it more likely Cuba will move away from a one-party system.

The Wizard

(12,482 posts)
17. Menendez is way off here
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 04:51 PM
Dec 2014

Castro wouldn't have outlasted 10 U.S Presidents without popular support. Most of those who fled Cuba when Castro took over did so because they were living high on the backs of peasant labor (indentured servants).

Ruby the Liberal

(26,217 posts)
18. This was low hanging fruit for the POTUS
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 06:04 PM
Dec 2014

He looks like the reasonable one, and the conversation is over before it even begins, so no consequences.

Buenaventura

(364 posts)
19. Although I approve of the President’s proposal, I will be sorry
Wed Dec 17, 2014, 06:14 PM
Dec 2014

to see US corporations - Marriott and others - destroy so much that is Cuban. Marco Rubio will likely change his tune as soon as the exploiters start paying him off.

¡Viva Cuba! ¡Viva el socialismo!

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