March 9, 2007

Two Bills to End the Travel Ban

1. HR 654, introduced in January by Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) – with the following original co-sponsors: McGovern (D-MA), Emerson (R-MO), Delahunt (D-MA), Ramstad (R-MN), Snyder (D-AR), Moran (R-KS) – continues to collect new cosponsors, en route to a goal of at least 100 cosponsors. This bill allows the freedom of travel between the United States and Cuba; it ends all restrictions on travel to Cuba. You may view the full text of the bill at: http://thomas.loc.gov/. From there, type HR 654 in the "Search Bill Text" and check the "Bill Number" circle.

Congressman Charlie Rangel, the principle sponsor of this bill, is the "man of the hour." He is the new chair of the Ways and Means Committee, and he is our ally in changing Cuba policy. The fact that this bill has been submitted by him, along with Rep. Flake (who has been working for years to end the travel ban), is very significant. We have the momentum; key Democrats who are supportive of a change in policy have control of the committee process; this is our moment.

ACTION: Here's what we must do now. In order to "create a buzz" about this bill and demonstrate the strength of congressional support to end the travel ban, we need to get as many cosponsors as possible in as short a time period as possible. That's where your help is critical.

Success depends upon constituents contacting their member of Congress and urging her/him to cosponsor this important bill. Please call your member of Congress as soon as possible (and as often as possible, if that is needed to get her/his attention) to ask for cosponsorship of HR 654 to restore the fundamental right of all U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba. You may reach your member of Congress by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121 and asking to be transferred to your congressperson's office. Or you may go to www.house.gov to find that information. To see a listing of new members of Congress and their phone numbers, see http://www.lawg.org/docs/newmembers.pdf. To see a listing of current cosponsors, see http://www.lawg.org/countries/cuba/co-sponsors_hr654.htm.

To sign on to the bill, Democratic members should call Vivian Catalino in Rep. Rangel's office; Republican members should call Lance Walker in Rep. Flake's office.

Even members of Congress who you know to be supportive of travel to Cuba should be called to be sure they sign on as cosponsors. A nudge from constituents may be the only way to bring this bill to the attention of each member.

Cosponsorship doesn’t happen automatically, and we can take no one for granted.

Sign up for our low-volume email updates on Cuba policy (www.lawg.org, left side of home page), and we'll keep you apprised of the progress made toward the goal of 100 cosponsors. And of members who still need to be contacted.

And please let us know what action you take, and the response you get. Click here to e-mail us. Or call us at 202.546.7010. We'll keep track of the new sponsors to be sure the list matches what you have told us.

2. S 721, introduced in February by Senators Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), has these additional cosponsors: Baucus (D-MT), Bingaman (D-NM), Craig (R-ID), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Hagel (R-NE), Harkin (D-IA), Leahy (D-VT), and Thomas (R-WY). It is a companion bill to HR 654, and seeks to end the ban on travel to Cuba. You may view the full text of the bill at: http://thomas.loc.gov/. From there, type S 721 in the "Search Bill Text" and check the "Bill Number" circle.

ACTION: Call your two senators and ask them to support the fundamental right of Americans to travel to Cuba by cosponsoring S 721. To sign on to the bill, senators should call Wendy Gnehm in Senator Enzi’s office.

Other Cuba Bills

A number of other bills related to U.S.-Cuba policy have also been introduced in the House. While we would support the passage of each of the following bills, our immediate attention should be on HR 654 and S 721, whose passage would cover both Cuban-American family travel and educational travel and are the bills where we anticipate the action to be focused. HR 654 and S 721 are ideal vehicles for congressional work and have great prospects for passing with strong bipartisan support. Passage would signal the beginning of the end of the full embargo.

HR 1026, introduced February 13 by Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS), along with Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), and Mike Ross (D-AR). To facilitate the sale of United States agricultural products to Cuba, as authorized by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000.

HR 757, introduced January 31 by Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL), with seven additional cosponsors. To allow United States nationals and permanent residents to visit family members in Cuba, and for other purposes. [This is a bill we will energetically support when it sees floor action; we continue to believe that immediate work should be done on HR 654, which would enact all the provisions of this bill also.]

HR 624, introduced January 22 by Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-MA) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). To lift the trade embargo on Cuba.

HR 217, introduced January 4 by Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY). To lift the trade embargo on Cuba.

HR 216, introduced January 4 by Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY). To waive certain prohibitions with respect to nationals of Cuba coming to the United States to play organized professional baseball.

HR 177, introduced January 4 by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), with three cosponsors. To provide that no funds made available to the Department of the Treasury may be used to implement, administer, or enforce regulations to require specific licenses for travel-related transactions directly related to educational activities in Cuba.

And one negative bill that we obviously do not support:

HR 525, introduced January 17 by Rep. Peter King (R-NY), with four cosponsors. To amend the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 [Helms-Burton law] to require that, in order to determine that a democratically elected government in Cuba exists, the government extradite to the United States convicted felon William Morales and all other individuals who are living in Cuba in order to escape prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses committed in the United States.