Cuba Provision In Farm Bill Likely To Be In Language Sent To President Trump For His Signature
/The "Last Cuba-Related Legislation Signed Into Law" Clock May Soon Be Reset To Zero
The United States House of Representatives has appointed forty-seven (47) conferees (29 R/18D) and the United States Senate has appointed nine (9) conferees (5R/4D) for H.R. 2/S.3042 (the "Farm Bill")..
The United States Senate version of the Farm Bill includes a provision [Link To Text] authored by Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D- ND): “To provide for the use of market access program and foreign market development cooperator program funds in Cuba.” In Fiscal Year 2018, the total expenditures for these two programs was US$200,287,394.00.
For the United States House of Representatives, there are twenty-nine (29) members of the Republican caucus and eighteen (18) members of the Democrat caucus. Seven of the Republican conferees are co-sponsors (including Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX), Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture) of previous Republic of Cuba-related legislation introduced by Representative Rick Crawford (R- AR); twenty-two conferees are not co-sponsors of the legislation.
Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (R- FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R- FL) and Carlos Curbelo (R- FL) are not conferees. They may believe unnecessary to seek to be conferees as the amendment is structured in a manner which, if the Heitkamp/Rubio amendment becomes law, may result in further restrictive rule-making which could impact overall travel to the Republic of Cuba by individuals subject to United States jurisdiction; which is their overall goal.
Eight (8) of the nine (9) members of the conference committee from the United States Senate support the amendment of Senator Heitkamp. The position of Senator Mitch McConnell (R- KY) is unknown.
There are fifty-six (56) members of the conference committee; If twenty-nine (29) support S. 3042 as written, then the amendment included by Senator Heitkamp (and the related amendment by Senator Marco Rubio (R- FL)) will be in the legislation submitted to President Donald Trump for his signature to become law. Link to Senator Rubio’s amendment
There will likely be a bipartisan majority among the United States Senate conferees and United States House of Representatives conferees who support S. 3042 as written and likely oppose any effort to remove the Republic of Cuba-related provisions in S. 3042.
Link to previous Blog post about amendments: https://www.cubatrade.org/blog/2018/6/29/fherk61dt99b6qfguvbdu503vcy9i5
Republican Senate Conferees
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/majority-news
Mitch McConnell (R- KY)
Pat Roberts (R- KS)
John Boozman (R- AR)
John Hoeven (R- ND)
Jodi Ernest (R- IA)
Democrat Senate Conferees
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/majority-news
Sherrod Brown (D- OH)
Debbie Stabenow (D- MI)
Patrick Leahy (D- VT)
Heidi Heitkamp (D- ND)
Republican House Conferees (as formatted)
https://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-ryan-names-farm-bill-conference-committee-members
House Agriculture Committee
Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX)
2. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
3. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
4. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK)
5. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)
6. Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)
7. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)
8. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO)
9. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)
10. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)
11. Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)
12. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS)
13. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX)
House Education and the Workforce Committee
1. Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
2. Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA)
House Energy and Commerce Committee
1. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)
2. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
House Financial Services Committee
1. Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
2. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI)
House Foreign Affairs Committee
1. Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA)
2. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
1. Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC)
2. Rep. James Comer (R-KY)
House Natural Resources Committee
1. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT)
2. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR)
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
1. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA)
2. Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL)
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
1. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA)
2. Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH)
Democrat House Conferees (as formatted)
https://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/71818/
House Committee on Agriculture:
Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota
Congressman David Scott of Georgia
Congressman Jim Costa of California
Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio
Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts
Congressman Filemon Vela of Texas
Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico
Congresswoman Ann Kuster of New Hampshire
Congressman Tom O’Halleran of Arizona
Education and Workforce:
Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina
Energy and Commerce:
Congressman Paul Tonko of New York
Financial Services:
Ranking Member Maxine Waters of California
Foreign Affairs:
Ranking Member Eliot Engel of New York
Natural Resources:
Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva of Arizona
Oversight and Government Reform:
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands
Science, Space and Technology:
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas
Transportation and Infrastructure:
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos of Illinois
