Congressman Jeff Duncan Urges U.S. Delegation to United Nations to Uphold U.S. Sovereign Law

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, sent the following letter to Ambassador Samantha Power regarding reports that the U.S. delegation to the United Nations might refuse to oppose a resolution offered by Cuba that demands the end of the U.S.-Cuba embargo as outlined in U.S. law, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996.

Duncan -- "To me, this issue is greater than simply the issue of U.S. policy towards Cuba. Regardless of one's views on the U.S.-Cuba embargo, we should all be able to come together to uphold and defend U.S. sovereign law since this is the law of our country. The idea that the Administration would consider not supporting U.S. law in a multilateral body like the United Nations is stunning and dangerous to the foundation for the rule of law and democratic institutions in our country. Such an action would also undermine our foreign policy efforts to promote the rule of law, democracy, and freedom for repressed peoples around the world."

"My sentiments on the U.S.-Cuba policy are known. The Subcommittee that I chair has held two oversight hearings on the U.S.-Cuba policy shift, and I continue to have serious misgivings that the Administration's new policy creates additional U.S. national security vulnerabilities. Although the Obama Administration has given many benefits to the Castro regime since December, in return the new Cuba policy has failed to extract any noteworthy, sustained concessions on democracy, human rights, or justice for the nearly 6,000 American claimants whose property was stolen by the Castro regime."

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