United States Cuba Policy & Business Blog
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Friday, April 23, 2010

U.S. Cuba Policy Congressional Hearing April 28, 2010

We encourage all readers interested in this issue to please submit written testimony. If you follow the guidelines, your testimony will be included in the official hearing record. It is essential to lay the logical, rational, and political arguments on the record why our policy needs to change with Cuba, how we can change it to actually improve relations and help the Cuban people and to respectfully request action instead of inaction, and negotiation instead of repudiation. - Editors
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Trade Subcommittee Chairman Tanner Announces Hearing on U.S.-Cuba Policy
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April 21, 2010
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House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman John S. Tanner today announced that the Trade Subcommittee will hold a hearing on U.S.-Cuba policy. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, in 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 A.M.
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In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing. A list of invited witnesses will follow.
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BACKGROUND:
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The Obama Administration has already taken certain steps to address the U.S.-Cuba relationship, including lifting restrictions on family travel and remittances. Commentators and policymakers have proposed various other steps the United States should consider taking to promote U.S. economic objectives and democracy and human rights in Cuba. This hearing will examine those possible options and others.
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In announcing this hearing, Chairman Tanner said, “It is clear to me that the United States’ policy toward Cuba is not working. The embargo has failed to achieve its objectives and has shut U.S. workers, farmers and businesses out of the Cuban market. The Administration has taken us in a new direction, but more needs to be done. It is time to expand our approach to promote U.S. economic interests and support democracy and human rights in Cuba as well.”
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FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
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The hearing will consider whether relaxing current Cuba travel and trade restrictions would advance U.S. economic objectives, as well as democracy and human rights in Cuba. In examining this question, the hearing will review U.S. policy toward Cuba and changes to that policy under the Obama Administration and evaluate possible policy options going forward.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
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Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage,http://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings”. Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.” Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. ATTACH your submission as a Word or WordPerfect document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by close of business Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721 or (202) 225-3625.
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FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
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The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record. As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee. The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines. Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
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1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word or WordPerfect format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
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2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
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3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons, and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears. A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.
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The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.
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Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/

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