Congress Watch

Three members of Congress have sent a letter to President Obama supporting his intentions to ease travel restrictions on U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba. The speculated changes can only liberalize already existing categories of travel. Ending the travel ban entirely can only occur by an act of Congress.

After a momentous week in the nation’s capital, advocates of lifting restrictions on U.S. citizens’ travel to Cuba have reason to celebrate.

On Wednesday, June 30, the House Committee on Agriculture held a mark-up session of H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act. While out-of-touch hardliners on the committee tried to amend and motion Ag Committee Chairman Peterson and Congressman Jerry Moran’s bill to death, it ultimately received a favorable 25 to 20 vote, putting Congress on the verge of voting on ending the travel ban, rather than simply shutting down its checking account, for the first time in history.

Here is a list of how members on the House Committee on Agriculture voted on H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, landmark legislation championed by Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) that restores U.S. citizens' right to travel to Cuba, helps U.S. farmers sell their products to Cuba, and puts food on the tables of ordinary Cubans. The bill was passed out of the Ag Committee 25 to 20 with a favorable recommendation to the House on Wednesday, June 30.

*These reps. aren't co-sponsors of either H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, or H.R. 874, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act. Some reps. don’t appear because there is little hope of converting them; send them a note anyway.

Rep Alexander, Rodney (LA-5) - 5/4/2009
Rep Baird, Brian (WA-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Baldwin, Tammy (WI-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Berman, Howard L. (CA-28) - 1/12/2010
Rep Berry, Marion (AR-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Biggert, Judy (IL-13) - 3/30/2009
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. (GA-2) - 5/7/2009
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. (NY-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Blumenauer, Earl (OR-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Boozman, John (AR-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Boren, Dan (OK-2) - 9/30/2009
Rep Boswell, Leonard L. (IA-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Boucher, Rick (VA-9) - 5/7/2009
Rep Brady, Robert A. (PA-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. (SC-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Capps, Lois (CA-23) - 3/30/2009
Rep Capuano, Michael E. (MA-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Cassidy, Bill (LA-6) - 9/30/2009
Rep Chaffetz, Jason (UT-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Chu, Judy (CA-32) - 9/30/2009
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. (NY-11) - 3/30/2009
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy (MO-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel (MO-5) - 3/30/2009
Rep Clyburn, James E. (SC-6) - 5/20/2009
Rep Cohen, Steve (TN-9) - 3/30/2009
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. (MI-14) - 3/30/2009
Rep Cooper, Jim (TN-5) - 3/30/2009
Rep Costa, Jim (CA-20) - 3/30/2009
Rep Costello, Jerry F. (IL-12) - 3/30/2009
Rep Courtney, Joe (CT-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Crowley, Joseph (NY-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. (MD-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep Davis, Danny K. (IL-7) - 4/30/2009
Rep Davis, Lincoln (TN-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Davis, Susan A. (CA-53) - 4/22/2009
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. (OR-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep DeGette, Diana (CO-1) - 4/2/2009
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. (CT-3) - 2/4/2009
Rep Dicks, Norman D. (WA-6) - 5/21/2009
Rep Doggett, Lloyd (TX-25) - 3/30/2009
Rep Doyle, Michael F. (PA-14) - 3/30/2009
Rep Driehaus, Steve (OH-1) - 5/13/2009
Rep Edwards, Donna F. (MD-4) - 2/4/2009
Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. (MI-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Ellison, Keith (MN-5) - 3/30/2009
Rep Emerson, Jo Ann (MO-8) - 2/4/2009
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. (CA-14) - 3/30/2009
Rep Etheridge, Bob (NC-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Faleomavaega, Eni F.H. (AS) - 9/30/2009
Rep Farr, Sam (CA-17) - 2/4/2009
Rep Fattah, Chaka (PA-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Filner, Bob (CA-51) - 3/30/2009
Rep Flake, Jeff (AZ-6) - 2/4/2009
Rep Frank, Barney (MA-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Fudge, Marcia L. (OH-11) - 4/22/2009
Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. (TX-20) - 3/30/2009
Rep Gordon, Bart (TN-6) - 3/30/2009
Rep Green, Al (TX-9) - 9/30/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. (AZ-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. (IL-4) - 5/7/2009
Rep Hall, John J. (NY-19) - 7/9/2009
Rep Harman, Jane (CA-36) - 3/30/2009
Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD) - 5/7/2009
Rep Hill, Baron P. (IN-9) - 9/30/2009
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. (NY-22) - 3/30/2009
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. (HI-2) - 9/30/2009
Rep Holden, Tim (PA-17) - 5/7/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. (NJ-12) - 4/22/2009
Rep Honda, Michael M. (CA-15) - 3/30/2009
Rep Inslee, Jay (WA-1) - 5/7/2009
Rep Israel, Steve (NY-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. (IL-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila (TX-18) - 3/30/2009
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice (TX-30) - 3/30/2009
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. (GA-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Johnson, Timothy V. (IL-15) - 3/30/2009
Rep Kagen, Steve (WI-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Kanjorski, Paul E. (PA-11) - 5/7/2009
Rep Kaptur, Marcy (OH-9) - 3/30/2009
Rep Kildee, Dale E. (MI-5) - 4/28/2009
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. (MI-13) - 3/30/2009
Rep Kilroy, Mary Jo (OH-15) - 3/30/2009
Rep Kind, Ron (WI-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann (AZ-1) - 9/30/2009
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. (OH-10) - 3/30/2009
Rep Langevin, James R. (RI-2) - 5/14/2009
Rep Larsen, Rick (WA-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Larson, John B. (CT-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara (CA-9) - 3/30/2009
Rep Levin, Sander M. (MI-12) - 5/20/2009
Rep Lewis, John (GA-5) - 4/30/2009
Rep Loebsack, David (IA-2) - 5/20/2009
Rep Lofgren, Zoe (CA-16) - 3/30/2009
Rep Lowey, Nita M. (NY-18) - 3/30/2009
Rep Lummis, Cynthia M. (WY) - 3/30/2009
Rep Lynch, Stephen F. (MA-9) - 3/30/2009
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. (NY-14) - 3/30/2009
Rep Markey, Edward J. (MA-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep Matheson, Jim (UT-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Matsui, Doris O. (CA-5) - 3/30/2009
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn (NY-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep McCollum, Betty (MN-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep McDermott, Jim (WA-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep McGovern, James P. (MA-3) - 2/4/2009
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. (NY-6) - 3/30/2009
Rep Michaud, Michael H. (ME-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Miller, George (CA-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep Minnick, Walter (ID-1) - 9/30/2009
Rep Mitchell, Harry E. (AZ-5) - 9/30/2009
Rep Mollohan, Alan B. (WV-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Moore, Dennis (KS-3) - 3/30/2009
Rep Moore, Gwen (WI-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Moran, James P. (VA-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Moran, Jerry (KS-1) - 2/4/2009
Rep Murphy, Christopher S. (CT-5) - 9/30/2009
Rep Nadler, Jerrold (NY-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. (CA-38) - 5/14/2009
Rep Neal, Richard E. (MA-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes (DC) - 3/30/2009
Rep Oberstar, James L. (MN-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Olver, John W. (MA-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. (TX-27) - 3/30/2009
Rep Pastor, Ed (AZ-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Paul, Ron (TX-14) - 2/4/2009
Rep Payne, Donald M. (NJ-10) - 3/30/2009
Rep Peterson, Collin C. (MN-7) - 3/30/2009
Rep Pingree, Chellie (ME-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Polis, Jared (CO-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Pomeroy, Earl (ND) - 4/30/2009
Rep Price, David E. (NC-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II (WV-3) - 5/14/2009
Rep Rangel, Charles B. (NY-15) - 3/30/2009
Rep Richardson, Laura (CA-37) - 5/6/2009
Rep Ross, Mike (AR-4) - 3/30/2009
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille (CA-34) - 5/14/2009
Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch (MD-2) - 5/7/2009
Rep Rush, Bobby L. (IL-1) - 4/2/2009
Rep Ryan, Tim (OH-17) - 3/30/2009
Rep Sablan, Gregorio (MP) - 9/30/2009
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. (CA-39) - 4/30/2009
Rep Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47) - 3/30/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. (IL-9) - 3/30/2009
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. (PA-13) - 3/30/2009
Rep Scott, David (GA-13) - 4/1/2009
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" (VA-3) - 5/12/2009
Rep Serrano, Jose E. (NY-16) - 3/30/2009
Rep Sestak, Joe (PA-7) - 7/30/2009
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol (NH-1) - 9/30/2009
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh (NY-28) - 3/30/2009
Rep Smith, Adam (WA-9) - 3/30/2009
Rep Snyder, Vic (AR-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Speier, Jackie (CA-12) - 7/7/2009
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete (CA-13) - 3/30/2009
Rep Stupak, Bart (MI-1) - 5/21/2009
Rep Tanner, John S. (TN-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. (CA-10) - 3/30/2009
Rep Taylor, Gene (MS-4) - 5/7/2009
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. (MS-2) - 3/30/2009
Rep Thompson, Mike (CA-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Tierney, John F. (MA-6) - 3/30/2009
Rep Titus, Dina (NV-3) - 9/30/2009
Rep Tonko, Paul D. (NY-21) - 9/30/2009
Rep Towns, Edolphus (NY-10) - 3/30/2009
Rep Tsongas, Niki (MA-5) - 5/12/2009
Rep Van Hollen, Chris (MD-8) - 3/30/2009
Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. (NY-12) - 3/30/2009
Rep Walz, Timothy J. (MN-1) - 3/30/2009
Rep Waters, Maxine (CA-35) - 3/30/2009
Rep Watson, Diane E. (CA-33) - 3/30/2009
Rep Watt, Melvin L. (NC-12) - 5/7/2009
Rep Waxman, Henry A. (CA-30) - 3/30/2009
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. (NY-9) - 5/4/2009
Rep Welch, Peter (VT) - 3/30/2009
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. (CA-6) - 3/30/2009

Rep Yarmuth, John A. (KY-3) - 3/30/2009

*175 co-sponsors (includes three non-voting delegates).

Mavis Anderson, senior associate for Cuba policy at the Latin America Working Group, gave the following remarks at a congressional briefing for House staff on February 24, 2010. The briefing's panelists included Former Secretary of Agriculture under President Ronald Reagan, John Block; Father Juan Molina of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops; Chris Garza of American Farm Bureau; and moderating, Tom Garofalo of the New American Foundation. The briefing took place on Thursday February 24, 2010.

Current Co-sponsors of H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act:

A list of co-sponsors of S. 428, "The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act."

If your senators have not co-sponsored this legislation, see our action alert for information on how to contact them and urge them to support this bill. 

*For the Library of Congress co-sponsor list, please visit www.thomas.gov , and search by bill number.

A list of co-sponsors of H.R. 874, "The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act." 

If your member of congress has not co-sponsored this legislation, see our action alert for information about how to contact him/her and urge him/her to support this bill. 

*For the Library of Congress co-sponsor list, please visit www.thomas.gov , and search by bill number.

111th Congress - New Member Contact Information

Senator Dodd's (D-CT) amendment calling for a temporary lifting of restrictions in response to damages caused by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav in August 2008. 

See a copy of the amendment S.3001 (PDF) 

110th CONGRESS 2d Session

H. R. 6962

To facilitate the provision of humanitarian relief to Cuba.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 18, 2008

Mr. DELAHUNT (for himself, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. BERMAN, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. LAHOOD, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PAUL, Mr. FARR, Ms. HARMAN, and Mr. MEEKS of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

---

A BILL

To facilitate the provision of humanitarian relief to Cuba.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Humanitarian Relief to Cuba Act'.

(b) Findings- Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Hurricane Gustav, which struck Cuba on September 1, 2008, was the worst hurricane to hit the island of Cuba in over 50 years. The Category Four storm displaced over 400,000 Cubans and damaged or destroyed 130,000 homes and caused severe damage to infrastructure.

(2) Hurricane Ike, which made landfall on Cuba on September 7, 2008, forced the evacuation of over 2,500,000 Cubans, damaged an additional 100,000 structures, and damaged local infrastructure.

(3) The number of Cubans left homeless is expected to reach 100,000, and the total economic losses of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike are expected to reach upwards of $10,000,000,000, with serious damage done to the island's agricultural industry.

(4) In the wake of past natural disasters, the United States eased restrictions to mobilize the generous spirit of many thousands of Americans by allowing humanitarian aid originating from the United States to be transported directly to Cuba to the benefit of the Cuban people.

(5) Allowing the people of the United States to assist the Cuban people in reclaiming their lives and livelihoods following a major natural disaster just 90 miles from the United States is an important aspect of United States national security and defense policy.

SEC. 2. EASING OF RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL TO CUBA FOR A PERIOD OF 180 DAYS.

(a) In General-

(1) FREEDOM OF TRAVEL FOR UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND CERTAIN OTHER PERSONS TO VISIT FAMILY MEMBERS IN CUBA- For the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the President may not prohibit or regulate, directly or indirectly--

(A) travel to or from Cuba by United States citizens or any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States with family currently residing in Cuba; or

(B) any of the transactions incident to such travel that are described in paragraph (2).

(2) TRANSACTIONS INCIDENT TO TRAVEL- The transactions referred to in paragraph (1) are--

(A) any transaction ordinarily incidental to travel to or from Cuba, including the importation into Cuba or the United States of accompanied baggage for personal or family use only;

(B) any transaction ordinarily incident to travel to or maintenance within Cuba, including the payment of living expenses and the acquisition of goods or services for personal and family use only; and

(C) any transaction ordinarily incident to the arrangement, promotion, or facilitation of scheduled and nonscheduled travel to, from, or within Cuba, including lodging and meals in an amount not to exceed the per diem amount authorized under chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

(b) Supersedes Other Provisions- This section supersedes any other provision of law, including section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6032(h)).

(c) Effective Date- This section applies to actions taken by the President before the date of the enactment of this Act that are in effect on such date and to actions taken on or after such date during the 180-day period beginning on such date of enactment.

SEC. 3. EASING RESTRICTIONS ON REMITTANCES FOR A PERIOD OF 180 DAYS.

(a) In General- Except as provided in subsection (b), for the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury may not limit the amount of remittances to Cuba that may be made by any person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the Secretary shall rescind, for such 180-day period, all regulations in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that so limit the amount of those remittances.

(b) Statutory Construction- Nothing in subsection (a) may be construed to prohibit the prosecution or conviction of any person committing an offense described in section 1956 of title 18, United States Code (relating to the laundering of monetary instruments), or section 1957 of such title (relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity).

SEC. 4. EASING RESTRICTIONS ON GIFT OR RELIEF PACKAGES FOR 180 DAYS.

(a) In General- Except as provided in subsection (d), for the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the President may not limit the size, quantity or frequency, or the carrying, transporting or shipping of personal gift items and relief supplies (not for sale or resale) that are eligible to be shipped through existing or new mechanisms established expressly for the delivery of such packages. Such items and supplies may be sent to Cuba by any person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and the President shall rescind, for such 180-day period, all regulations in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act that so limit such items.

(b) Personal Gift Items- For purposes of this section, the term `personal gift items' includes goods intended to improve the daily life of the Cuban people, including clothing, medication, foodstuffs, personal hygiene items, and other daily necessities.

(c) Relief Supplies- For the purposes of this section, the term `relief supplies' means any item intended to provide temporary or permanent comfort or shelter to hurricane victims in Cuba, or intended to facilitate repairs to personal dwellings in Cuba damaged during the 2008 hurricane season.

(d) Statutory Construction- Nothing in subsection (a) may be construed to prohibit the prosecution or conviction of any person committing an offense described in section 1956 of title 18, United States Code (relating to the laundering of monetary instruments), or section 1957 of such title (relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity).

END

Statements made by policy makers on Fidel Castro's resignation.

See a letter sent by members of Congress to Secretary Rice calling for a review of U.S. policy toward Cuba on occasion of the resignation of Fidel Castro here (PDF).

See a Senate version of this letter here (PDF).

 

On June 14, the House of Representatives approved an amendment to ease restrictions on agricultural sales to Cuba. Two other amendments, one which would have eased restrictions on educational travel and one which would have ended the embargo, failed to pass. A fourth amendment to protect religious travel to Cuba was withdrawn following the debate.

The amendment regarding agricultural sales to Cuba was introduced by Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS). Passed by voice vote, the amendment would undo tightened trade restrictions put in place by the Treasury Department last year. The current restrictions require Cuba to pay for agricultural products in cash, prior to the shipment to Havana. Opponents of the amendment argued that the “cash in advance” rule was necessary to ensure that U.S. farmers get paid, but in reality the restrictions have reduced sales by 22 percent. Congressman Moran spoke in defense of his amendment saying, “We clearly can reach the conclusion that unilateral sanctions by the United States are only harmful to our own agriculture sector, to our own farmers.”

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced an amendment which would protect the status of religious travel to Cuba which, though currently allowed, is increasingly being threatened and narrowed by the administration. Speaking in favor of the amendment, Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) argued, “Now they are preparing even more restrictions that will discriminate among the many religious organizations on the island and pick and choose who it is okay to break bread with in faith and fellowship. They will take it upon themselves the right to say what constitutes a church and who is a legitimate person of faith. The United States of America does not and must not take such actions against communities of faith.” The amendment was withdrawn following the debate, but sponsors of the amendment and religious organizations are currently in contact with the Department of State to protest and encourage reversal of the new restrictions.

The amendment to restrict the use of funds to enforce the full economic embargo was introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY). Though the amendment failed by a vote of 183-245, several members of Congress who have consistently opposed similar amendments in the past, voted in favor.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced the final amendment, which would restrict funds to enforce the newest restrictions on educational travel. The 2004 restrictions limit educational exchanges to a minimum of 10 weeks and a maximum of one year, and require that students travel to Cuba through their home university. As a result, nearly 90 percent of university study abroad programs to Cuba have been cancelled. Speaking for the amendment, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) recalled, “Throughout the Cold War, American students studied in the Soviet Union. Many of them went on to become diplomats, scholars and policymakers who used the knowledge they gained to contribute to the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy […] There is no reason to treat study in Cuba differently.” Opponents of the bill, led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), repeated a broad opposition to the Castro regime, but barely addressed the issue of educational exchange. Concluding the debate, Congresswoman Lee said, “Our young people are hopeful for the possibilities of a new world free of all the politics that we have heard today. So why don’t we give them a chance to participate?” The Lee amendment failed by a vote of 187-236.

All four amendments were attached to the Treasury and Transportation Appropriations Bill for 2007. Although similar versions of the amendments have been introduced and passed in previous years, they have been consistently removed in conference by the Republican leadership. The White House issued a statement on the morning of the votes which reiterated their commitment to veto the bill if it contained language to weaken the embargo.

Similar amendments introduced in previous years have passed and, until 2004, continued to gain votes; however, since 2005, anti-embargo amendments have lost support. Many representatives changed their votes after receiving campaign contributions from the US-Cuba Democracy PAC. The PAC, an anti-Casto, pro-embargo organization primarily funded by Cuban Americans in Florida, has given money to members of Congress and candidates across the country. (Click here for more information on 2004 contributions and the impact upon votes by members of Congress.) As of late March 2006, the US-Cuba Democracy PAC has already contributed $347,424 to federal candidates for the 2006 elections; many of the representatives have switched to a position that does not favor engagement with Cuba, a position that their constituents may not support. U.S. citizens have the right to expect that their members of Congress will cast votes that are in accord with their constituents’ views, rather than are influenced by big-money, out-of-state lobbyists.

The House Cuba Working Group Issues a Statement: What a Positive U.S. Cuba Policy Would Look Like

As the Administration’s Commission on Assistance to a Free Cuba prepares to issue a second report, and as founding members of the House Cuba Working Group, we offer a statement of principles for policies to serve American interests and values.
The embargo is a spent force, at odds with America’s strategic and diplomatic interests and our nation’s values.

Any hope that an ever-tightening American embargo could force political change has been wiped away by Cuba’s successful economic adjustment to the post-Soviet world. Cuba is not prosperous, but economic relations with Asia and Latin America, remittances from Cubans abroad, and development of the tourism, minerals, and energy industries have restored growth and ended the crisis of the early 1990’s.

By barring a free flow of people, commerce, and ideas, the embargo blocks contacts that would expand American influence in Cuba, including among those Cubans who will set their nation’s course after Castro leaves the scene.

The embargo is the precise opposite of the principled policies that we and the Western democracies pursued toward the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe through the Helsinki accords and other measures.

By deviating from those principles of engagement in the case of Cuba, even as we uphold them with regard to China and Vietnam, our policy blocks an international consensus on Cuba policy and mires the United States in a perpetual quarrel with countries with which we should be cooperating.

U.S. policy toward Cuba should uphold American humanitarian values.

Congress and the Administration are right to stand up for human rights in Cuba and to defend victims of human rights abuses. However, opposition to the Cuban government’s conduct should not lead to policies that hurt the Cuban people.

The new sanctions that limit or eliminate the ability of Cuban Americans to visit or assist their loved ones in Cuba are the first U.S. economic sanctions that directly target the well-being of families.

It serves no purpose in our foreign policy to send Cubans the message that reduced contact and fewer acts of charity among Cuban families will help solve their country’s political problems.

These measures place our values in question and have no strategic consequence. The Administration estimates that the new sanctions block the flow of $500 million annually in an economy that is growing, by Administration estimates, at a rate of 5.5 percent, or $2 billion per year.

American policy should heed Cuban history and respect Cuban sovereignty.

Just because Fidel Castro invokes the causes of Cuban sovereignty and nationalism does not mean that these values are not dearly held by the Cuban people. Indeed, they are deeply rooted in the island’s history, where the struggles for freedom from domestic oppression and foreign domination have been closely linked.

By declaring that “there will not be a succession” after Castro, naming a “Cuba transition coordinator” in the State Department, and issuing a detailed transition plan for nearly every aspect of Cuba’s public affairs, the Administration has led many Cubans to believe that it wants to design Cuba’s future. Cuba’s Catholic bishops stated that the Administration’s 2004 report “threatens” the Cuban nation, and nearly all dissidents expressed similar sentiments.

American policy should send signals that cause Cubans to welcome change rather than fear it.

The recommendations in the Commission’s 2004 report told Cubans that when change comes, they could be evicted from their homes by the former owners, they may have to pay for health care services, and retirees may have to return to work.

It is counterproductive for the United States to state opinions on these and other policies that Cubans alone will have to decide. These statements feed the perception that the United States is challenging Cuban sovereignty, and they increase fears among Cubans that “transition” implies loss and dislocation in their personal lives. The only ones who benefit are the Cuban propagandists who publicize these statements in articles, television spots, and billboards.

Current policies to promote “transition” place the United States at a strategic disadvantage.

Our influence in Cuba, as elsewhere, depends on communication. Greater contact with American diplomats, American ideas, and American society is a key element of the “transformational diplomacy” that Secretary of State Rice espouses.

Yet the Administration has progressively reduced communication between the United States and Cuba, in spite of its goal of influencing Cuba toward a complete political and economic transformation. This is precisely the wrong course. The Administration should encourage, rather than restrict, travel for religious and humanitarian programs, family visits, and academic and people-to-people contacts. Engagement does not equate with moral approval.

We would do well to emulate policies followed by friends and allies such as Canada, Mexico, Britain, and Spain. All stand firm on human rights while building contacts throughout Cuba’s government and society.

No one can predict how Cuba’s political future will evolve. But we can predict that regardless of America’s size and economic weight, our deliberate lack of contact and communication will reduce American influence. The time to remedy this problem is now.

JEFF FLAKE
Member of Congress

WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT
Member of Congress

JO ANN EMERSON
Member of Congress

JAMES P. McGOVERN
Member of Congress

The following press releases were sent out by the offices of the Senators who, on April 30, 2003 introduced "The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act" in the Senate. Original cosponsors were Senators Enzi, Baucus, Bingaman, Dorgan and Chafee. Below are press releases in support of that bill from organizations that work with the LAWG on ending the embargo on Cuba

As members of the Cuba Working Group, we condemn the Cuban government's detention and sentencing of many Cuban citizens who have been promoting civil, political, and human rights, hosting independent libraries, or practicing independent journalism. We call on the Cuban government to reverse this course of action and release these people immediately.

As a response to the arrests of dissidents in Cuba, members of the newly-formed Senate Cuba Working Group sent the following letter to the Chief of the Cuban Interests Section. It urges the Cuban government to release the dissidents and to work toward a de-escalation of tensions between the two nations.

On March 21, ten members of the Senate announced the formation of a bipartisan “Cuba Working Group.” According to their announcement, the purpose of this working group is to examine US policies toward Cuba, including current trade and travel restrictions. The group hopes to move in unison with the year-old House Cuba Working Group in this year’s legislative session. The groups will likely introduce identical bills on travel in the near future in their respective chambers, with the hope that this coordinated push will move the issue further legislatively than in past years and get travel legislation to the President’s desk.

In a show of growing interest to see changes made to US policy towards Cuba, a "Cuba Working Group" of 17 Republicans and 17 Democrats emerged in the House of Representatives. Group membership has since expanded to 44 members, evenly divided between the parties, and representing 23 different states. The members of this group have asserted that the embargo is a 40 year old failed policy, and have taken a stand against the Bush administration's attempts to further isolate the nation. The goals of this group, like many of those who have been working in the LAWG coalition, is to see an end to all restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba and an opening of travel for all Americans, as a "step-by-step" loosening of the trade embargo.

On May 15, the newly formed Cuba Working Group in the House of Representatives released its much anticipated review of U.S. policy toward Cuba. The bipartisan group of 40 members state their desire to see Cubans enjoy greater political and economic freedom, and feel that the 40 year old policy of embargo has been a failure. They further call on the President and Secretary of State to exercise consistency in their foreign policy - citing that the United States currently maintains a policy of engagement with communist China and North Korea.