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 week Cuba made big headlines around the country, not once but twice. On Monday the White House announced the lifting of restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban Americans; see our alert here.

We're soooo close!  We are within reach of changing "travel-to-Cuba" policy.  Now we just need YOU to get us one more co-sponsor.  Will you?  There are specific members that we need; read on for details.  Within the last few short weeks we've seen some promising developments in U.S.-Cuba policy coming from the White House - on travel and remittances for Cuban Americans and on some limited diplomatic re-engagement.  This is good news, and we hope to see these changes continue in a positive direction.

But, as you probably know, only an act of Congress can actually end the full travel ban. That's why we are asking you to contact your members of Congress AGAIN today using a new advocacy tool that presents you with either a letter thanking your member of Congress for cosponsoring the "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act"; or, if they have not yet cosponsored the bill, the letter urges them to do so.

Contact all your members of Congress at once here!

The White House issued a statement today that lifted all restrictions on transactions related to the travel and remittances of family members to Cuba. Check our blog for details and comments. Here is the White House fact sheet on today's action.