There has been a positive initiative in U.S.-Cuba policy. This development begs for your assistance! On Wednesday, April 30, a group of senators, spearheaded by members of the new Senate Cuba Working Group, introduced the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003”, S. 950. This free-standing bill calls for an end to all restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba; the text of the bill follows this message. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) introduced the bill with co-sponsoring Senators Max Baucus (D-MT); Byron Dorgan (D-ND); Lincoln Chafee (R-RI); Mark Dayton (D-MN); Tim Johnson (D-SD); Jeff Bingaman, (D-NM); Larry Craig (R-ID); and Patty Murray (D-WA).

Please support these senators’ efforts to add co-sponsors of the bill by sending letters and making phone calls to your senators. A large number of co-sponsors will help build momentum for a summer vote on a travel amendment in the Senate. Grassroots pressure can and will make a difference. See the Actions section below.

An identical companion bill to end the travel ban is expected in the House of Representatives very shortly—expect to see something before May 20.

Many of the senators who introduced the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act” are members of the recently-formed Senate Cuba Working Group, whose membership is now up to 12 (see below for a full list of members). This group remains energized and deeply committed to working toward ending the embargo, now more than ever. Many members of the Senate Cuba Working Group condemned the arrests, trials and sentences of dissidents, along with the summary trial and execution of three hijackers. However, the senators have made it clear that they believe -- as do many working on the Cuba policy debate -- that further engagement is the best way to work for the benefit of both the Cuban and U.S. people.

Current members of the Senate Cuba Working Group:

Republicans
Mike Enzi (WY)
Chuck Hagel (NE)
Norm Coleman (MN)
Lincoln Chafee (RI)
Jim Talent (MO)
Pat Roberts (KS)

Democrats
Max Baucus (MT)
Byron Dorgan (ND)
Christopher Dodd (CT)
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Maria Cantwell (WA)

Actions:

1) Call your senators as soon as possible with this message “As a constituent, I urge you to co-sponsor and actively support the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003, S. 950, which would return to the U.S. people their constitutional right to unrestricted travel to Cuba. Now more than ever, broadening contact between our two peoples is the best way to build a more constructive and coherent policy.” Your senators may co-sponsor the bill by calling Wendy Gnehm in Senator Enzi’s (R-WY) office (202.224.3424), or by calling Tim Punke or John Gilliland in Senator Baucus’ (D-MT) office (202.224.2651).

You may contact your senators’ Washington, DC, office by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121 and asking to be transferred to your senator’s office. Or, you may call them in their state office; phone numbers may be found on their websites by visiting www.senate.gov. Email addresses are also available on these websites.

2) Help us recruit people to sign the petition to President Bush on travel to Cuba found at www.cubacentral.com . We currently have over 9,500 signatures; at 10,000 signatures, the petition will be hand-delivered to the White House by a member of Congress. Also, we would like to reach 10,000 signatures before an up-coming House/Senate press conference on travel to Cuba. The media impact would be significant if a member of Congress could hold up a sheaf of pages with over 10,000 signatures asking the President to open travel to Cuba. Please sign the petition if you haven’t, and let others know about the website. This web site is updated regularly with developments on Cuba policy.

Thanks for all your help. You make a difference! Please let us know if you contact your senators. Senators Enzi and Baucus have asked for our help, and we'd like to respond with a lot of new co-sponsors.

Sincerely,

Mavis Anderson
Philip Schmidt
Latin America Working Group
www.lawg.org

Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)
S 950 IS
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 950
To allow travel between the United States and Cuba.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 30, 2003

Mr. ENZI (for himself, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Craig, Mr. Johnson, and Mrs. Murray) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To allow travel between the United States and Cuba.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. TRAVEL TO CUBA.

(a) FREEDOM OF TRAVEL FOR UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND LEGAL RESIDENTS- Subject to section 3, the President shall not regulate or prohibit, directly or indirectly, travel to or from Cuba by United States citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions incident to such travel that are set forth in subsection (b).
(b) TRANSACTIONS INCIDENT TO TRAVEL- The transactions referred to in subsection (a) are--

(1) any transactions ordinarily incident to travel to or from Cuba, including the importation into Cuba or the United States of accompanied baggage for personal use only;
(2) any transactions ordinarily incident to travel or maintenance within Cuba, including the payment of living expenses and the acquisition of goods or services for personal use;
(3) any transactions ordinarily incident to the arrangement, promotion, or facilitation of travel to, from, or within Cuba;
(4) any transactions incident to nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyages, except that this paragraph does not authorize the carriage of articles into Cuba or the United States except accompanied baggage; and
(5) normal banking transactions incident to the activities described in the preceding provisions of this subsection, including the issuance, clearing, processing, or payment of checks, drafts, traveler's checks, credit or debit card instruments, or similar instruments.

SEC. 3. EXCEPTIONS.

(a) SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES- The restrictions on authority contained in section 2 do not apply in a case in which the United States is at war with Cuba, armed hostilities between the two countries are in progress, or there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of United States travelers.
(b) IMPORTATION OF GOODS FOR PERSONAL CONSUMPTION- Section 2 does not authorize the importation into the United States of any goods for personal consumption acquired in Cuba.

SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY.
This Act applies to actions taken by the President before the date of the enactment of this Act that are in effect on such date of enactment, and to actions taken on or after such date.

SEC. 5. INAPPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS.
This Act applies notwithstanding section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6032(h)) and section 910(b) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7210(b)).

END.