Countering ALBA Act of 2013
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Immigration and Border Security.
Countering ALBA Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of State to direct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to defend, protect, and strengthen the independent Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to advance the protection of human rights throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Directs the President to impose sanctions against certain listed officials of ALBA governments (Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Ecuador) or persons acting on behalf of ALBA governments who the President determines are responsible for, or complicit in, the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of ALBA countries or their family members on or after February 2, 1999. Includes among authorized sanctions ineligibility for a U.S. entry visa and sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Terminates such sanctions when the President determines and certifies to the congressional foreign relations committees that the ALBA governments have: (1) unconditionally released all political prisoners; (2) ceased violence, unlawful detention, torture, and abuse of its citizens; (3) conducted a transparent investigation into the killings, arrests, and abuse of peaceful political activists, and prosecuted those responsible; and (4) made public commitments to, and are making demonstrable progress toward, establishing an independent judiciary and respecting the human rights and basic freedoms recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Directs the President to impose sanctions against listed individuals who transfer goods or provide services to ALBA countries that are likely to be used to commit serious human rights abuses.
Directs the President to impose sanctions against listed persons who engage in censorship or other related activities against citizens of ALBA countries.
Directs the Secretary of State to submit to the foreign relations committees a comprehensive strategy: (1) to assist the people of ALBA countries in promoting Internet freedom and access to information, and (2) to ensure that ALBA governments are democratic governments.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on April 23, 2013. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on June 14, 2013: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL) introduced it on April 23, 2013, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 23, 2013, 4888 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4836 days ago, on June 14, 2013.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers