Change in Our Interest:

Travel, Trade and Improved Relations with Cuba

The travel ban unilaterally disarms the United States, casting aside one of the greatest sources of American influence – unfettered contact with American society.The American approach toward the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, enshrined in the Helsinki accords and supported by Administrations of both parties, was to
encourage unrestricted travel so that we could share our ideas, values and culture. Download the PDF to read more of the information packet. 

Please print this packet and take it to your senators and representative in Congress! Click here to download (PDF).

The Cuba Travel Ban: A Background

Most U.S. citizens are legally prohibited from traveling to Cuba.

Restrictions on travel by Americans to Cuba are based on legislation granting the President statutory authority to regulate spending by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction in a foreign country during a national emergency or time of war.  Cuba is the only country in the world to which the United States government bans travel by its citizens.

See  U.S.-Cuba Policy in the 111th Congress (PDF)

U.S.-Cuba relations have been at a standstill for many years, but momentum for change is developing.

On March 11th, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized a general license for family travel to Cuba and expanded the definition of “family”, repealing the 2004 family travel restrictions put into place by the Bush administration.

The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations eliminated funding enforcement of the 2004 regulations on family travel, as well as for “cash-in-advance” provision that applies to all commercial sales of agricultural and medical supplies to Cuba. The omnibus also authorizes travel, on a general license, for individuals marketing or selling agricultural and medical goods to the island.

This is the first Cuba legislation to hit a U.S. president’s desk in more than 8 years.

In order for the United States to play a constructive role as Cubans determine their future, we need to engage with the people of Cuba and the Cuban government, in a variety of ways.  These might include bilateral talks on issues of mutual concern, action to permit closer ties between Cuban Americans and their families on the island, unfettered agricultural trade, expanded academic exchange, greater contact between faith communities, and unrestricted travel for all Americans.

The information included in this congressional education packet documents how existing restrictions on travel and trade harm the national interests of the United States, and why reforming this policy is consistent with our values, our economic interests and efforts to improve the U.S. image abroad.

We encourage you to use this information to talk to your representatives about making this important change in U.S.-Cuba policy.  The two bills called the "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act" are H.R. 874 in the House of Representatives and S. 428 in the Senate, ask your representative to Co-Sponsor these bills today.

This is an exciting time to be active in our country's decision-making process. There are certainly no shortage of opportunities to get involved in responding to our new President's call to "…pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

We need your support to turn these opportunities for remaking America's Cuba policy into real change. As you probably know, to end the travel ban on Cuba, Congress must act. This is something they were hesitant to do under the veto threats of the Bush Administration. Now, change has come to Washington, DC, and our allies in Congress are ready to act. Legislation calling for an end to the travel ban for ALL Americans will pass in Congress if we demand it.

We are reaching out to you because we need your representative to support this legislation.

DELIVER A PACKET: Our partners at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) will be sending every member of the 111th Congress (including the 58 new members of the House) a Cuba Policy Packet (a folder of educational materials about why the United States must end the travel ban to Cuba for all Americans). We want YOU to deliver this packet personally to your congressperson!

JOIN A DELEGATION: We need to show our policymakers that their constituents care about this issue. Are you willing to join a group of your community members in a meeting with your congressional office in the local district office? Your representative will be home for a district work week in February; and we would like to organize, with you and a few other constituents, a meeting with him or her in the district office. February 16 - 20 is the Congressional District Work Week.  We need to move fast to get on your representative's schedule. Contact us today to participate in and help organize a visit to your congressperson's office!  Call or e-mail Angelica Salazar:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202)797-2171.  Or write back to us at LAWG, and we'll connect you with Angelica, the organizer of this project.

CALL ANGELICA: We are geared up for a truly grassroots campaign to end the travel ban. We are pouring our efforts and resources into helping you establish a relationship with your member of Congress on Cuba issues. Call or e-mail Angelica today: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or 202-797-2171. LAWG, WOLA, and other Cuba policy partners are working around the clock here in Washington, but it will be you and your community that will make the difference in gaining the congressional support we need to change U.S. policy. 

We look forward to hearing from you! Our work remaking America starts now!

Call or e-mail Angelica Salazar: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202)797-2171
Call your member of Congress: (202)224-3121. E-mail your member of Congress: www.house.gov