Dec. 16 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2014

Letter to Congressional Leaders Designating Funds for Overseas Contingency Operations and Global Counterterrorism December 16, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) amended, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts. In accordance with section 6 of the Consol- The details of this action are set forth in the idated and Further Continuing Appropria- enclosed memorandum from the Director of tions Act, 2015 (the “Act”), I hereby designate the Office of Management and Budget. for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global Sincerely, War on Terrorism all funding (including the rescission of funds) and contributions from BARACK OBAMA foreign governments so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section NOTE: Identical letters were sent to John A. Boeh- 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and ner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the Senate.

Letter to Congressional Leaders Regarding Designation of Emergency Funding Under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as Amended December 16, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Director of In accordance with section 6 of the Consoli- the Office of Management and Budget. dated and Further Continuing Appropriations Sincerely, Act, 2015 (the “Act”), I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding so desig- BARACK OBAMA nated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget NOTE: Identical letters were sent to John A. and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representa- amended, as outlined in the enclosed list of ac- tives, and Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the counts. Senate.

Address to the Nation on United States Policy Toward Cuba December 17, 2014

Good afternoon. Today the United States of Cuban people and begin a new chapter among America is changing its relationship with the the nations of the Americas. people of Cuba. There’s a complicated history between the In the most significant changes in our policy United States and Cuba. I was born in 1961, in more than 50 years, we will end an outdated just over 2 years after Fidel Castro took power approach that, for decades, has failed to ad- in Cuba and just a few months after the Bay of vance our interests, and instead, we will begin Pigs invasion, which tried to overthrow his re- to normalize relations between our two coun- gime. Over the next several decades, the rela- tries. Through these changes, we intend to cre- tionship between our countries played out ate more opportunities for the American and against the backdrop of the cold war and

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America’s steadfast opposition to communism. While I’ve been prepared to take additional We are separated by just over 90 miles. But steps for some time, a major obstacle stood in year after year, an ideological and economic our way: the wrongful imprisonment, in Cuba, barrier hardened between our two countries. of a U.S. citizen and USAID subcontractor, Al- Meanwhile, the Cuban exile community in an Gross, for 5 years. Over many months, my the United States made enormous contribu- administration has held discussions with the tions to our country: in politics and business, Cuban Government about Alan’s case and oth- culture and sports. Like immigrants before, er aspects of our relationship. His Holiness Cubans helped remake America, even as they Pope Francis issued a personal appeal to me, felt a painful yearning for the land and families and to Cuba’s President Raul Castro, urging us they left behind. All of this bound America and to resolve Alan’s case and to address Cuba’s in- Cuba in a unique relationship, at once family terest in the release of three Cuban agents and foe. who’ve been jailed in the United States for Proudly, the United States has supported over 15 years. democracy and human rights in Cuba through Today Alan returned home, reunited with these five decades. We’ve done so primarily his family at long last. Alan was released by the through policies that aimed to isolate the is- Cuban Government on humanitarian grounds. land, preventing the most basic travel and Separately, in exchange for the three Cuban commerce that Americans can enjoy anyplace agents, Cuba today released one of the most else. And though this policy has been rooted in important intelligence agents that the United the best of intentions, no other nation joins us States has ever had in Cuba, and who has been in imposing these sanctions, and it has had lit- imprisoned for nearly two decades. This man, tle effect beyond providing the Cuban Govern- whose sacrifice has been known to only a few, ment with a rationale for restrictions on its provided America with the information that al- people. Today, Cuba is still governed by the lowed us to arrest the network of Cuban agents Castros and the Communist Party that came to that included the men transferred to Cuba to- power half a century ago. day, as well as other spies in the United States. Neither the American nor Cuban people are This man is now safely on our shores. well served by a rigid policy that’s rooted in Having recovered these two men who sacri- events that took place before most of us were ficed for our country, I’m now taking steps to born. Consider that for more than 35 years, place the interests of the people of both coun- we’ve had relations with China, a far larger tries at the heart of our policy. country also governed by a Communist Party. First, I’ve instructed Secretary Kerry to im- Nearly two decades ago, we reestablished rela- mediately begin discussions with Cuba to rees- tions with Vietnam, where we fought a war that tablish diplomatic relations that have been sev- claimed more Americans than any cold war ered since January of 1961. Going forward, the confrontation. United States will reestablish an Embassy in That’s why, when I came into office, I prom- Havana, and high-ranking officials will visit ised to reexamine our Cuba policy. As a start, Cuba. we lifted restrictions for Cuban Americans to Where we can advance shared interests, we travel and send remittances to their families in will: on issues like health, migration, counter- Cuba. These changes, once controversial, now terrorism, drug trafficking, and disaster re- seem obvious. Cuban Americans have been re- sponse. Indeed, we’ve seen the benefits of co- united with their families and are the best pos- operation between our countries before. It was sible ambassadors for our values. And through a Cuban, Carlos Finlay, who discovered that these exchanges, a younger generation of Cu- mosquitoes carry yellow fever; his work helped ban Americans has increasingly questioned an Walter Reed fight it. Cuba has sent hundreds approach that does more to keep Cuba closed of health care workers to Africa to fight Ebola, off from an interconnected world. and I believe American and Cuban health care

1623 Dec. 17 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2014 workers should work side by side to stop the I believe in the free flow of information. Un- spread of this deadly disease. fortunately, our sanctions on Cuba have denied Now, where we disagree, we will raise those Cubans access to technology that has empow- differences directly, as we will continue to do ered individuals around the globe. So I’ve au- on issues related to democracy and human thorized increased telecommunications con- rights in Cuba. But I believe that we can do nections between the United States and Cuba. more to support the Cuban people and pro- Businesses will be able to sell goods that en- mote our values through engagement. After able Cubans to communicate with the United all, these 50 years have shown that isolation has States and other countries. not worked. It’s time for a new approach. These are the steps that I can take as Presi- Second, I’ve instructed Secretary Kerry to dent to change this policy. The embargo that’s review Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of been imposed for decades is now codified in terrorism. This review will be guided by the legislation. As these changes unfold, I look for- facts and the law. Terrorism has changed in the ward to engaging Congress in an honest and last several decades. At a time when we are fo- serious debate about lifting the embargo. cused on threats from Al Qaida to ISIL, a na- Yesterday I spoke with Raul Castro to final- tion that meets our conditions and renounces ize Alan Gross’s release and the exchange of the use of terrorism should not face this sanc- prisoners and to describe how we will move tion. forward. I made clear my strong belief that Cu- Third, we are taking steps to increase travel, ban society is constrained by restrictions on its citizens. In addition to the return of Alan Gross commerce, and the flow of information to and and the release of our intelligence agent, we from Cuba. This is fundamentally about free- welcome Cuba’s decision to release a substan- dom and openness and also expresses my belief tial number of prisoners whose cases were di- in the power of people-to-people engagement. rectly raised with the Cuban Government by With the changes I’m announcing today, it will my team. We welcome Cuba’s decision to pro- be easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, and vide more access to the Internet for its citizens Americans will be able to use American credit and to continue increasing engagement with and debit cards on the island. Nobody repre- international institutions like the United Na- sents America’s values better than the Ameri- tions and the International Committee of the can people, and I believe this contact will ulti- Red Cross that promote universal values. mately do more to empower the Cuban peo- But I’m under no illusion about the contin- ple. ued barriers to freedom that remain for ordi- I also believe that more resources should be nary Cubans. The United States believes that able to reach the Cuban people. So we’re sig- no Cuban should face harassment or arrest or nificantly increasing the amount of money that beatings simply because they’re exercising a can be sent to Cuba and removing limits on re- universal right to have their voices heard, and mittances that support humanitarian projects, we will continue to support civil society there. the Cuban people, and the emerging Cuban While Cuba has made reforms to gradually private sector. open up its economy, we continue to believe I believe that American businesses should that Cuban workers should be free to form not be put at a disadvantage and that increased unions, just as their citizens should be free to commerce is good for Americans and for Cu- participate in the political process. bans. So we will facilitate authorized transac- Moreover, given Cuba’s history, I expect it tions between the United States and Cuba. will continue to pursue foreign policies that U.S. financial institutions will be allowed to will at times be sharply at odds with American open accounts at Cuban financial institutions. interests. I do not expect the changes I’m an- And it will be easier for U.S. exporters to sell nouncing today to bring about a transformation goods in Cuba. of Cuban society overnight. But I am con-

1624 Administration of Barack Obama, 2014 / Dec. 17 vinced that through a policy of engagement, Gross’s release and for a new approach to ad- we can more effectively stand up for our values vancing our interests and values in Cuba. and help the Cuban people help themselves as Finally, our shift in policy towards Cuba they move into the 21st century. comes at a moment of renewed leadership in To those who oppose the steps I’m an- the Americas. This April, we are prepared to nouncing today, let me say that I respect your have Cuba join the other nations of the hemi- passion and share your commitment to liberty sphere at the Summit of the Americas. But we and democracy. The question is how we up- will insist that civil society join us so that citi- hold that commitment. I do not believe we can zens, not just leaders, are shaping our future. keep doing the same thing for over five de- And I call on all of my fellow leaders to give cades and expect a different result. Moreover, meaning to the commitment to democracy and it does not serve America’s interests or the Cu- human rights at the heart of the Inter-Ameri- ban people to try to push Cuba towards col- can Charter. Let us leave behind the legacy of lapse. Even if that worked—and it hasn’t for 50 both colonization and communism, the tyranny years—we know from hard-earned experience of drug cartels, dictators, and sham elections. A that countries are more likely to enjoy lasting future of greater peace, security, and demo- transformation if their people are not subject- cratic development is possible if we work to- ed to chaos. We are calling on Cuba to unleash gether, not to maintain power, not to secure the potential of 11 million Cubans by ending vested interests, but instead to advance the unnecessary restrictions on their political, so- dreams of our citizens. cial, and economic activities. In that spirit, we My fellow Americans, the city of Miami is should not allow U.S. sanctions to add to the only 200 miles or so from Havana. Countless burden of Cuban citizens that we seek to help. thousands of Cubans have come to Miami, on planes and makeshift rafts, some with little but To the Cuban people, America extends a the shirt on their back and hope in their hearts. hand of friendship. Some of you have looked to Today, Miami is often referred to as the capital us as a source of hope, and we will continue to of Latin America. But it is also a profoundly shine a light of freedom. Others have seen us American city, a place that reminds us that ide- as a former colonizer intent on controlling your als matter more than the color of our skin or future. José Martí once said, “Liberty is the the circumstances of our birth, a demonstra- right of every man to be honest.” Today I’m tion of what the Cuban people can achieve and being honest with you. We can never erase the the openness of the United States to our family history between us, but we believe that you to the South. Todos somos Americanos. should be empowered to live with dignity and Change is hard, in our own lives and in the self-determination. Cubans have a saying lives of nations. And change is even harder about daily life: “No es facil”—it’s not easy. To- when we carry the heavy weight of history on day the United States wants to be a partner in our shoulders. But today we are making these making the lives of ordinary Cubans a little bit changes because it is the right thing to do. To- easier, more free, more prosperous. day America chooses to cut loose the shackles To those who have supported these mea- of the past so as to reach for a better future, for sures, I thank you for being partners in our ef- the Cuban people, for the American people, forts. In particular, I want to thank His Holi- for our entire hemisphere, and for the world. ness Pope Francis, whose moral example Thank you. God bless you, and God bless shows us the importance of pursuing the world the United States of America. as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is; the Government of Canada, NOTE: The President spoke at 12:01 p.m. in which hosted our discussions with the Cuban the Cabinet Room at the White House. In his Government; and a bipartisan group of Con- remarks, he referred to former President Fi- gressmen who’ve worked tirelessly for Alan del Castro Ruz of Cuba; and Gerardo

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Hernández, Ramón Labañino (Luis Medina), born Central Intelligence Agency and Federal and Antonio Guerrero, the remaining mem- Bureau of Investigation intelligence asset de- bers of the original “Cuban Five” who were tained in Cuba. He also referred to the Islamic released from U.S. custody in exchange for the State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist return of Rolando Sarraf Trujillo, a Cuban- organization.

Remarks at a Hanukkah Reception December 17, 2014

Audience member. Happy Hanukkah, Mr. on the Internet. And ever since, those who President! have loved and cared for Alan never stopped The President. Well, Happy Hanukkah to working to bring him home: Judy, his wife of you! [Laughter] You stole my line. [Laughter] 44 years, and their daughters, including his Happy Hanukkah, everybody. oldest daughter, who walked down the aisle Audience members. Happy Hannukah. without her dad on her wedding day; his moth- The President. Welcome to the White er, who passed away this year without being House. I want to welcome the Members of able to see her son one last time; his whole Congress who are here today. We’ve got some family, including his sister-in-law Gwen Bronfman Fellows, here from the—[ap- Zuares, who joins us here today—where is plause]—who are here from the State of Israel. Gwen? Hey, Gwen—his rabbi, his friends at Obviously, the bonds between our two coun- his congregation in Maryland, Am Kolel, who tries are unbreakable, and with the help of kept him in their prayers every Shabbat; Jewish young people, they’re only going to grow stron- and other faith leaders across the country and ger in the years to come. around the world, including His Holiness Pope Every year, Michelle and I like to invite just Francis; and Members of Congress and those a few friends over for a little Hanukkah cele- of us in the United States Government. bration—[laughter]—nothing fancy. Actually, And Alan’s fought back. He spoke out from this is the second year we’ve invited so many his cell, he went on a hunger strike. With his friends that we’re hosting two parties instead health deteriorating, his family worried he of one. This is our first party. It is the best par- might not be able to make it out alive. But he ty. [Laughter] Don’t tell the others though. never gave up, and we never gave up. I want to begin with today’s wonderful news. As I explained earlier, after our many I’m told that in the Jewish tradition, one of the months of discussion with the Cuban Govern- great mitzvahs is pidyon shvuyim. [Applause] ment, Alan was finally released this morning No, no—my Hebrew is not perfect, but I get on humanitarian grounds. I spoke to him on his points for trying. But it describes the redemp- flight. He said he was willing to interrupt his tion, the freeing of captives. And that’s what corned beef sandwich to talk to me. [Laughter] we’re celebrating today, because after being I told him he had mustard in his mustache; I unjustly held in Cuba for more than 5 years, couldn’t actually see it. [Laughter] But need- American Alan Gross is free. less to say, he was thrilled. And he landed at Alan has dedicated his life to others, to help- Andrews in a plane marked “The United States ing people around the world develop their of America.” communities and improve their lives, including He’s going to be getting the medical atten- Israelis and Palestinians. He’s a man of deep tion that he needs. He’s back where he be- faith who once worked for the Jewish Federa- longs: in America, with his family, home for tion of Greater Washington. Five years ago, he Hanukkah. And I can’t think of a better way to was arrested by Cuban authorities simply for mark this holiday, with its message that free- helping ordinary Cubans, including Cuba’s dom is possible, than with the historic changes small Jewish community, access information that I announced today in our Cuba policy,

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