Trump Administration Takes Action on Cuba, Faces Funding Impasse, and Texas Declares Disaster
Washington D.C. - The Trump administration took several significant actions on Thursday, including threatening tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba, while also facing a potential government shutdown and a disaster declaration in Texas.
President Donald Trump announced a plan to impose additional tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba, declaring a national security emergency regarding the island nation, according to ABC News. In an executive order, Trump stated that the "policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The order includes retaliatory tariffs on products sold in the U.S. from "any other country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba," ABC News reported. Trump stated, "I think Cuba will not be able to survive."
This move could further cripple Cuba, which is already facing a deepening energy crisis fueled in part by strict U.S. economic sanctions, CBS News noted. Cuba has relied heavily on foreign assistance, particularly from Mexico, which has acted as an oil lifeline for the island nation. The order would primarily put pressure on Mexico, a government that has voiced solidarity for Cuba, even as President Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to build a strong relationship with Mr. Trump, according to CBS News.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., government funding negotiations hit a snag, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown. The Senate did not cast votes on a government funding deal on Thursday, with a little more than 24 hours until funding runs out, ABC News reported. Senate Democrats announced earlier in the day that they had struck an agreement with the White House to move forward with a plan that would see the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill separated from a package of five other bills. Programs funded by the five-bill package would be funded until the end of September, while DHS would be funded for two additional weeks, according to ABC News.
Separately, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration on Thursday to prevent the potential spread of the New World screwworm fly into the state, Fox News reported. The governor's declaration allows the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to use all state government prevention and response resources to prevent the spread of the parasite into Texas. The New World screwworm fly is spreading north from Mexico toward the border it shares with the U.S.
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