Florida Senate - 2016                                    SM 1642
       
       
        
       By Senator Garcia
       
       38-01487A-16                                          20161642__
    1                           Senate Memorial                         
    2         A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
    3         urging Congress to review and revise the Cuban
    4         Adjustment Act of 1966.
    5  
    6         WHEREAS, the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, Pub. L. No. 89
    7  732, 80 Stat. 1161, was enacted and subsequently amended to
    8  allow certain Cubans physically present in the United States to
    9  be treated as aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence,
   10  creating what is often referred to as the “wet foot, dry foot”
   11  policy, and
   12         WHEREAS, this law provides Cuban immigrants with an
   13  advantage that immigrants of other nationalities do not have,
   14  and
   15         WHEREAS, at the time the law was enacted, the Cuban
   16  government was not recognized by the United States, the
   17  countries did not maintain diplomatic relations, travel between
   18  the countries was severely restricted, and Cuban immigrants were
   19  refugees from political oppression during the Cold War, and
   20         WHEREAS, the Cold War has ended, the United States has
   21  recognized the Cuban government, and both countries now maintain
   22  diplomatic relations, and
   23         WHEREAS, travel between the United States and Cuba is now
   24  considerably less restricted, NOW, THEREFORE,
   25  
   26  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   27  
   28         That the Congress of the United States is urged to review
   29  and revise the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 to reflect the
   30  changes in the relationship between the United States and Cuba
   31  in the half century since its enactment. Specifically, the
   32  Congress of the United States should consider the circumstances
   33  under which Cuban immigrants are eligible to apply for social
   34  benefits as refugees under the wet foot, dry foot policy, taking
   35  into consideration the renewed diplomatic relations between the
   36  two nations.
   37         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
   38  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
   39  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
   40  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
   41  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.