FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on U.S.-Cuba Policy Shift

Original title: CUBA: ASSESSING THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUDDEN SHIFT

January 1, 2015

Cuba Foreign Policy Diplomacy Executive Branch Oversight International Relations

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing examines the executive branch's decision-making process regarding international relations and the extent to which Congress is informed of significant shifts in foreign policy.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Congress

Members of Congress were involved in oversight of the administration's foreign policy decisions.

Obama Administration

The administration was required to provide testimony and justify its diplomatic process regarding Cuba.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2015.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a February 4, 2015, House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing regarding the Obama administration's change in diplomatic policy toward Cuba. The hearing focused on the lack of congressional consultation and the process by which the administration negotiated with the Cuban government.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on February 4, 2015, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The committee investigated the Obama administration's policy shift toward Cuba.
Chairman Ed Royce stated that members of Congress and parts of the State Department were not informed of the negotiations prior to the policy shift.
Negotiations with the Cuban government were conducted by two White House officials.
Witnesses included officials from the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce.
The hearing record includes letters from the White House, articles regarding national security, and statements from various members of Congress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to assess the Obama administration's sudden change in policy toward Cuba and to examine the process used to reach that decision.

Who testified at the hearing?

Officials from the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce provided testimony.

Why It Matters

The hearing examines the executive branch's decision-making process regarding international relations and the extent to which Congress is informed of significant shifts in foreign policy.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Executive-Led Diplomacy

The hearing highlights a shift where foreign policy negotiations were centralized within the White House, bypassing traditional State Department and Congressional channels.

Barack Obama House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Connected Entities

organizationHouse Committee on Foreign Affairs“Congressional committee conducting the hearing”Map →

personMatthew S. Borman“Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration”Map →

personEdward R. Royce“Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs”Map →

personJohn E. Smith“Deputy Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasu”Map →

personRoberta S. Jacobson“Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of St”Map →

personBarack Obama“President of the United States”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy75
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment40
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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