Administration Highlights Efforts to Get Cubans Internet Access

The Biden administration "stands ready" to enable Cubans to have “safe and secure access to the free flow of information on the Internet,” it announced Wednesday. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the state's Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez (R) and other Republicans urged President Joe Biden to enable U.S. businesses to provide internet service to Cubans (see 2107160065). Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a joint fact sheet Wednesday detailing the actions. OFAC and BIS “stand ready to engage” with stakeholders to provide “guidance and respond to applications for specific licenses” under relevant regulations which help support Cuban internet access, said the fact sheet. It encourages interested parties to take advantage of general license exemptions for software and services for Cuban internet users and BIS license exemptions for the export and re-export of commodities, software and technology. The Senate’s 50-49 approval Wednesday of Senate Concurrent Resolution 14, the blueprint for a coming $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation measure (see 2108100062), followed voice passage Tuesday of an amendment from Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; and Rick Scott, R-Fla., aimed at pressing Biden administration facilitation of internet access to Cuba. The nonbinding Rubio-led amendment would create a Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund in the next reconciliation bill that would be used to develop and deploy tech to facilitate internet access to Cuba. Senators frequently propose DNRFs amid a budget reconciliation process to make a statement about myriad issues. “My colleagues sent a clear, bipartisan message that the United States is committed to getting uncensored and unrestricted internet access to the people of Cuba,” Rubio said.