[House Report 104-253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    104-253
_______________________________________________________________________



         PROVIDING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 927,
 
   THE CUBAN LIBERTY AND DEMOCRATIC SOLIDARITY (LIBERTAD) ACT OF 1995

                                _______


 September 19, 1995.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

_______________________________________________________________________


 Mr. Diaz-Balart, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 225]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 225, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to 
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be 
adopted.

               brief summary of provisions of resolution

    The resolution provides for the consideration of H.R. 927, 
the ``Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1995'' 
under a modified closed rule. The rule provides two and one-
half hours of general debate divided equally between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
International Relations.
    The rule waives clause 2(l)(2)(B) of rule XI (requiring the 
publication of rollcall votes in committee reports) against 
consideration of the bill. The rule also makes in order as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five 
minute rule as an amendment in the nature of a substitute the 
text of H.R. 2347.
    Under the rule, clause 7 of rule XVI (prohibiting 
consideration of nongermane amendments) is also waived against 
consideration of that amendment in the nature of a substitute.
    Furthermore, it provides that prior to the consideration of 
any other amendment, it shall be in order to consider a further 
amendment in the nature of a substitute if offered by 
Representative Hamilton of Indiana or his designee. This 
amendment is debatable for one hour, equally divided between a 
proponent and an opponent and provides that the amendment be 
considered as read and not be subject to amendment.
    The rule makes in order only the amendments printed in Part 
1 of the Rules Committee report, in the order specified, by 
Members designated in the report, debatable for the time 
specified in the report (20 minutes of debate for each 
amendment) and equally divided between a proponent and an 
opponent. Finally, the rule provides that the amendments be 
considered as read.
    In addition, the rule permits the Chairman of the Committee 
of the Whole to postpone and cluster votes on amendments.
    Finally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with 
or without instructions.

  brief summary of amendments made in order by the rule for h.r. 927 
      printed in part i of the rules committee report on the rule

    1. Hamilton (Ind.)--Amendment in nature of a substitute 
(not submitted). (one hour)
    2. Wynn (Md.)--Attempts to provide the President the 
flexibility to support Cuba's membership in international 
financial institutions once a transition government is in 
power; strikes the language requiring the U.S. to withhold 
payment to an IFI an amount equal to any loan that such an 
institution might make to Cuba over the opposition of the U.S. 
government. (20 minutes)
    3. Burton (Ind.)--Seeks to ensure that reciprocal news 
bureaus operating in Cuba and the United States are free to 
operate in an unhindered manner. (20 minutes)
    4. Stearns (Fla.)--Prohibits the President from expending 
any funds on activities that relate to the normalization of 
relations between the United States and Cuba without consulting 
the leadership of the House. (20 minutes)

                                 PART I

   I.-1 An Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute To Be Offered by 
 Representative Hamilton of Indiana or His Designee, Debatable for One 
                                  Hour

    The rule does not require that the amendment be preprinted 
in this report or in the Congressional Record.
                              ----------                              


I.-2 An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Wynn of Maryland or a 
                   Designee, Debatable for 20 Minutes

    Page 22, strike line 4 and all that follows through page 
23, line 7 and insert the following:
    (a) Oppositionh to Cuban Membership in International 
Financial Institutions.--(1) Until such time as the President 
determines that a transition government in Cuba is in power, 
the Secretary of the Treasury should instruct the United States 
executive director to each international financial institution 
to use the voice and vote of the United States to oppose the 
admission of Cuba as a member of such institution.
    (2) Once a transition government in Cuba is in power, the 
President is encouraged to take steps to support the processing 
of Cuba's application for membership in any financial 
institution subject to the membership taking effect at such 
time as the President deems most likely to facilitate the 
transition to a democratically elected government in Cuba.
    Page 23, line 8, strike ``(c)'' and insert ``(b)''.
                              ----------                              


I.-3 An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Burton of Indiana or 
                  a Designee, Debatable for 20 Minutes

    Page 29, add the following after line 25:

SEC. 112. AUTHORIZATION FOR RECIPROCAL NEWS BUREAUS.

    (a) Establishment of Reciprocal News Bureaus.--The 
President is authorized to establish and implement an exchange 
of news bureaus between the United States and Cuba, if--
          (1) the exchange is fully reciprocal;
          (2) the Cuban Government agrees not to interfere with 
        the establishment of news bureaus or with the movement 
        in Cuba of journalists of any United States-based news 
        organizations;
          (3) the Cuban Government agrees not to interfere with 
        the news-gathering activities of individuals assigned 
        to work as journalists in the news bureaus in Cuba of 
        United States-based news organizations;
          (4) the United States Government is able to ensure 
        that only accredited journalists regularly employed 
        with a news gathering organization travel to Cuba under 
        this section; and
          (5) the Cuban Government agrees not to interfere with 
        the transmission of telecommunications signals of news 
        bureaus or with the distribution within Cuba of any 
        United States-based news organization that has a news 
        bureau in Cuba.
    (b) Assurance Against Espionage.--In implementing this 
section, the President shall take all necessary steps to ensure 
the safety and security of the United States against espionage 
by Cuban journalists it believes to be working for the 
intelligence agencies of the Cuban Government.
                              ----------                              


 I.-4. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Stearns of Florida 
                or a Designee, Debatable for 20 Minutes

    Add at the end of title I the following:

SEC. 112. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION OF CONTACTS WITH CUBAN GOVERNMENT 
                    OFFICIALS.

    (a) Advanced Notification Required.--No funds made 
available under any provision of law may be used for the costs 
and expenses of negotiations, meetings, discussions, or 
contacts between United States Government officials or 
representatives and officials or representatives of the Cuban 
Government relating to normalization of relations between the 
United States and Cuba unless 15 days in advance the President 
has notified the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate in accordance with procedures applicable to 
reprogramming notifications under section 634A of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961.
    (b) Reports.--Within 15 days of any negotiations, meetings, 
discussions, or contacts between individuals described in 
subsection (a), with respect to any matter, the President shall 
submit a report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate detailing the individuals involved, the matters 
discussed, and any agreements made, including agreements to 
conduct future negotiations, meetings, discussions, or 
contacts.

                                
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