Becerra butted heads on Cuba

President-elect Obama’s expected choice as trade
representative voted to end the trade embargo with Cuba and butted heads with
members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus after a meeting more than a decade
ago with Fidel Castro.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who has reportedly been
offered the job of U.S. trade representative, clashed with Cuban-American
members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in 1997, when he was chairman of
the group.

{mosads}Florida GOP Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lincoln
Diaz-Balart resigned from the caucus at time, saying they were “personally
insulted” by Becerra’s four-day trip to Cuba. Both members said they were upset
that Becerra visited the nation while campaigning to head the CHC, which was
then bipartisan. The CHC now only includes Democrats.

Becerra’s office responded to the criticism by saying
that, during the Cuba visit, the lawmaker talked to people with different
perspectives, including Castro and dissidents to the regime.

Neither the Obama transition team nor Becerra’s office
has confirmed that the lawmaker has been offered the trade post. His office did
not respond to a request for comment on the decade-old flap.

Becerra has repeatedly voted in favor of softening the
trade embargo, most recently in 2007, when he supported an amendment backed by
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to make it easier to ship farm goods to Cuba.

In the 109th Congress, Becerra voted in favor of a
separate amendment by Rangel that would have prohibited funding for
implementing the trade embargo with Cuba.

Still, Becerra would not have a great influence in
setting Cuban trade policy even if he becomes the U.S. trade representative.
Policy experts on both sides of the debate agreed that the power players on
Cuba in the administration would be at the White House and in the State
Department.

“USTR is the last agency where Cuba policy is made,” said
Jake Colvin, vice president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which
supports lifting the embargo. Colvin’s group will release a report on Thursday
making the case for a new policy on Cuba.

A leading supporter of the embargo agreed with Colvin,
adding that from his perspective it would be good to see Becerra leave a
leadership position in the House for USTR. Becerra recently was elected vice
chairman of the Democratic caucus.

“I think the best thing that could happen is for him to
become USTR and leave Congress,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone of the U.S.-Cuba
Democracy Political Action Committee, which has lobbied intensely to preserve a
tough embargo. “USTR has zero domain over Cuba policy.”

The Treasury Department bears responsibility for
implementing the day-to-day regulations enforcing the embargo. USTR negotiates
with foreign countries and could be involved in talks with Cuba at the World
Trade Organization, but does not oversee policies affecting the embargo.

Lifting the embargo would require action by Congress,
although the administration has much flexibility in implementing restrictive
policies affecting Cuban trade.

In general, Becerra has a mixed voting record on trade
issues, and has often voted with his party’s leadership. He supported the Peru
trade agreement in 2007, but voted against the Central American Free Trade
Agreement and a relatively small deal with Oman in 2006.

He also voted in 2002 against granting President Bush
fast-track authority, which makes it easier for the administration to negotiate
trade deals by setting rules for the talks in exchange for preventing
congressional amendments.

Becerra has received Bs in recent years from the National
Foreign Trade Council for his voting record on trade — partly because of his
opposition to the Cuban embargo. He also holds a 93 percent lifetime rating
from the AFL-CIO, suggesting an ability to please both sides in the trade wars.

“We like him,” said AFL-CIO lobbyist Thea Lee. “I think
it’s a good choice.”

While she said the labor group does not agree with
Becerra on every point, they believe they will get a fair hearing from him and
will have a voice in the process.