Good news! We won again on easing travel in the House of Representatives. Last nights win marked a turning point in the debate over travel because the Senate is expected to approve identical language on its version of the bill. This could lead to the next step--getting this bill to the President's desk. This is the third consecutive year that the House has voted to end restrictions on travel to Cuba and the second year it has voted to allow unrestricted remittances to the island.  For suggested actions click here

If the Senate approves the same amendment, it will be extremely hard for the Republican leadership to pull those sections out of the bill. That means the bill will most likely arrive on President Bush's desk, forcing him to make a painful decision.

The provisions were amendments to the Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill. The travel amendment was offered by Reps. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), and Bill Delahunt (D-MA); the remittance amendment by Reps. Delahunt and Flake; the educational travel amendment by Rep. Jim Davis (D-FL).

• To see how your Representative voted on the Flake Amendment to end travel restrictions: Click here This amendment passed 227-188.
  
• To see how your Representative voted on the Delahunt Amendment to end restrictions on remittances: Click here This amendment passed 222-196.
  
• To see how your Representative voted on the Davis Amendment to end educational travel restrictions: Click here This amendment passed 246-173.

The votes again showed strong bipartisan support for changing US policy toward Cuba. Rep. McGovern commented, "The House tonight recognized that for forty years, US-Cuba policy has violated the right of every American to travel freely. Now we move to the next stage in the process. For three consecutive years, the House has voted overwhelmingly to lift the ban on travel, only to have a small group of Members undermine the will of the House in Conference Committee. I hope that the House Leadership will respect democracy, respect tonight's vote, and join us in working to end the travel ban."

Rachel Farley, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, noted, “The wave of arrests in Cuba this spring appears to have reinforced many members’ belief that the current policy is doing nothing to improve the situation in Cuba. They believe that travel, trade and engagement are likely to have more of an impact than isolation.”

In recent years, bipartisan votes to ease the embargo have been stripped out of bills through parliamentary maneuvers because of pressure from House Republican leadership and the White House. Today’s Cuba vote took place under a veto threat from the White House, which is under pressure from hard-line Cuban American voters in Florida.

Many agriculture, business, humanitarian and religious organizations were pleased by the passage of the amendment. Some 116 organizations representing all of these sectors sent a letter to Congress days before the vote calling for an end to all travel restrictions. To see that letter and its signers click here.

Mavis Anderson of the Latin America Working Group, a coalition of over 65 national religious and grassroots organizations, said, “Congress has spoken out yet again about the embargo on Cuba: members clearly recognize the failure of the current policy and the need for change. We cannot control the events outside the United States, but we should be consistent and fair in our foreign policy. And we should grant US citizens their right to travel.”

Geoff Thale of the Washington Office on Latin America added, “An overwhelming majority of Americans, including the majority of Cuban-Americans, now support easing the outdated embargo against Cuba, and today’s votes in the House reflect this sentiment. We hope the White House will also recognize that engagement with Cuba would be a more effective approach to Cuba.”

This momentum will eventually wash over the Bush Administration, the Republican congressional leadership, and the hard-line Cuban-Americans. This year, the Senate will vote on an identical travel amendment in upcoming weeks; we will keep you informed.

Here are suggested actions to follow up on the vote. These follow up actions are important, please take a minute to do them.

1) Find out how your member voted on the three amendments and then call or email him/her (US Capitol Switchboard 202.224.3121 or www.house.gov). Thank those that voted positively and admonish those that didn't. This sincerely helps raise awareness in Congress that this issue matters to their constituent and that their votes are being scrutinized. Also let them know that you will be very upset if this amendment disappears in backroom deals.

2) Take special action to explain to first term members that they will be held accountable for their votes. We had the support of very few Republican freshmen members--a change from last year. We must let them know that they are out of step with their constituents with such votes.

3) Forward this message. Ask your friends and colleagues to call or write their representative about the freedom of travel to Cuba.

Talking Points:

1) The Flake amendment to Transportation/Treasury FY 2004 ends funding for enforcement of the decades-old and obsolete ban on travel to Cuba. The Cuba travel ban violates US civil liberties, damages the US economy, and prohibits US citizens from direct engagement with Cubans. Former Supreme Court Justice William Douglas: “Freedom of movement is the very essence of our free society, setting us apart . . . It often makes all other rights meaningful.”

2) Travel restrictions prevent exchange and understanding between our two nations. Increased contact between US and Cuban citizens would help dispel stereotypes and promote mutual understanding.

3) Restricting our freedoms is no way to address any grievances that our government has with the government of Cuba.

4) Let’s move beyond the status quo. US Cuba policy is a failed policy. Congressman Flake’s forward-looking amendment for change in US policy is widely supported in the Congress and among the US public, including the majority of Cuban-Americans. Any opposition effort therefore undermines the Congress and the US people. Why, in our democracy, is the will of the people being denied?

5) The Flake amendment helps the United States in the war on terrorism by preventing the Treasury Department funds from being used to fight tourism at a time that the Treasury Department should be fighting terrorism.

6) Engaging Cuba by travel and trade helps increase stability there and discourages illegal migration. There is no security benefit to be gained by restricting US citizens’ right to travel.

7) Restrictions on travel to Cuba are inconsistent with US policy on citizens’ travel to other countries, including North Korea, China, and Vietnam.

Thanks for any help you can give; please send us a quick email message letting us know what you have done. It helps us assess the impact of our work.