Bush blocks travels of lawmakers.

[Susma_Rio_Sep]

What law empowers Bush to block elected legislators to travel to North Korea?

Rep. Curt Weldon says North Korean trip off over White House opposition

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press

Last Updated 5:25 p.m. PST Sunday, October 26, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Republican congressman said Sunday that opposition from the White House caused him to scrub plans to lead a group of U.S. lawmakers to the site of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

“At the 11th hour, the White House withdrew its support for our bipartisan visit to North Korea,” Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., said in a statement. It said Sunday’s scheduled departure has been delayed temporarily.

[…]

Anyone here know of any law or any party discipline enabling Bush to prevent elected lawmakers from making a trip to North Korea?

Susma Rio Sep

[Don’t post the full text of copyrighted articles, Susma, post a link or short excerpts ONLY. --Gaudere]

[Otto]

I’m not aware of any such law (which isn’t to say there isn’t one, there certainly is for Cuba) but the disapproval of the executive branch and the concommitant use of executive powers to express that disapproval can be a powerful deterrent. “Well, Congresswoman Jones, the President would like to release the funds for that pet program of yours in your district which would guarantee your re-election, but there’s that troubling trip to North Korea you’re planning this month…”

[toadspittle]

Susma:

First: Before the Mods open some whoop-ass on you, I would suggest you stop quoting more than a paragraph or two of articles such as this (as you did in the Mahathir thread, too).

Newspapers and websites have to PAY the AP for the use of such material, and unauthorized reproduction is theft. The Chicago Reader (owners of the SDMB) don’t like that.

Second: Re: the OP–Although I don’t know the exact law, I believe that the Executive Branch has the power to restrict the travel of any of its citizens to foreign countries. Just b/c they’re lawmakers doesn’t make them immune to this. They’re not allowed to break any other laws just b/c they’re lawmakers (well … in theory … there are all of those stories of congressmen getting stopped for DUI all the time and being let go …).

[toadspittle]

Here’s more:

The U.S. Treasury Dept.'s (part of the executive branch) Office of Foreign Assets Control

http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/

http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/nkorea.txt

Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury

NORTH KOREA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SANCTIONS

An overview of the Foreign Assets Control Regulations as they
relate to North Korea–Title 31 Part 500 of the U.S. Code of
Federal Regulations

INTRODUCTION - The Foreign Assets Control Regulations, authorized
under the Trading with the Enemy Act, established economic
sanctions against the Democratic Peoplefis Republic of Korea
(“North Korea”) in 1950. They have been modified on several
occasions, most recently on June 19, 2000, as a result of
President Clintonfis September 17, 1999 decision to ease economic
sanctions against North Korea in order to improve relations, to
support the Agreed Framework, and to encourage North Korea to
continue to refrain from testing long-range missles. The
Regulations affect all U.S. citizens and permanent residents
wherever they are located, all people and organizations
physically in the United States, and all branches, subsidiaries
and controlled affiliates of U.S. organizations throughout the
world. They are administered by the U.S. Treasury Departmentfis
Office of Foreign Assets Control. Penalties for violating the
sanctions range up to 10 years in prison, $1,000,000 in corporate
fines, and $250,000 in individual fines. Civil penalties of up
to $55,000 per count may also be imposed.

[toadspittle]

Here’s more:

The U.S. Treasury Dept.'s (part of the executive branch) Office of Foreign Assets Control

http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/
http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/legal/regs/31cfr500.pdf

§ 500.563 Transactions incident to
travel to and within North Korea.
(a) All transactions of persons sub-ject
to U.S. jurisdiction, including
travel service providers, ordinarily in-cident
to travel to, from, and within
North Korea and to maintenance with-in
North Korea are authorized. This au-thorization
extends to transactions
with North Korean carriers and those
involving group tours, payment of liv-ing
expenses, the acquisition of goods
in North Korea for personal use, and
normal banking transactions involving
currency drafts, charge, debit or credit
cards, traveler’s checks, or other finan-cial
instruments negotiated incident to
personal travel.
(b) The purchase of merchandise in
North Korea by persons subject to U.S.
jurisdiction, and importation as ac-companied
baggage, is limited to goods
with a foreign market value not to ex-ceed
$100 per person for personal use
only. Such merchandise may not be re-sold.
This authorization may be used
only once in every six consecutive
months. As provided in § 500.206 of this
part, information and informational
materials are exempt from this restric-tion.

So it looks as though travel is technically legal, so long as you don’t buy more than $100 worth of personal goods while there. I guess it’s just political pressure on Bush’s part, to keep the shaky diplomatic efforts focused.

[AskNott]

The Bush administration is in the midst of ticklish negotiations with the N. Koreans over nuclear weapons and such. Rep. Weldon, being a Republican, graciously agreed not to barge into the touchy situation. I don’t think there’s any more to it than that.