Action Alerts

On Tuesday, March 31 at noon, Senators Dorgan (D-ND), Enzi (R-WY), and Dodd (D-CT), along with representatives of the American Farm Bureau, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Human Rights Watch, publicly announced S. 428, "The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act" in a press conference so well attended that reporters were standing in the halls. LAWG was there capturing the excitement of the moment and representing all of you.

New OFAC regulations on travel to Cuba

On March 11, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) posted a new regulation, plus a guidance letter outlining how the provisions in the FY 09 omnibus spending bill would be implemented, as related to Cuban-American family travel and ag sales. See the pdf containing the regulation and the guidance letter here.

This is big news for all of us that have been fighting for change in Cuba policy; we should celebrate, and our job is not completed.  

S. 428, "Travel for All," is the Senate companion to H.R. 874 introduced two weeks ago by Representatives Delahunt (D-MA) and Flake (R-AZ). The Senate bill, introduced by Senator Dorgan (D-ND) with Senators  Enzi (R-WY), Lugar (R-IN),  and Dodd (D-CT), calls for the lifting of travel restrictions so ALL Americans can travel freely to Cuba.

Big news! We now have legislation in the House of Representatives calling for an end to the travel ban on Cuba for all Americans. "Travel for All" instead of "Travel for None" or even "Travel for Some." Take action now: ask your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 874.

This is an exciting time to be active in our country's decision making process. There are certainly no shortage of opportunities to get involved in responding to our new President's call to "…pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

Now that a new President and a new Congress have been elected, you can take action that will help change U.S. policy toward Cuba.

November 4th marked an historical change for the United States of America. President-elect Barack Obama represents CHANGE on many levels, and many people expect CHANGE in a great many things: the economy, two wars, a planet in peril, etc . . . you know the list by now.

Hurricane Gustav tore through the Gulf of Mexico earlier in the month and took a particularly devastating toll on Cuba. The storm leveled houses and flooded streets throughout the western provinces of Pinar del Rio and the Isla de Juventud leaving in its path an estimated 500,000 residents without shelter or access to food or water.

A House subcommittee (Financial Services) on June 17th added language to the appropriations bill that would ease travel restrictions for Cuban Americans wishing to visit family and would facilitate agricultural sales to Cuba. The result of the subcommittee meeting is an appropriations bill that allows for Cuban Americans to travel to Cuba once per year and expands the definition of family to include cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

We want to begin by thanking you for your generous contributions to our Cuba policy work; we are within a few hundred dollars of reaching our goal! With these kind donations, we are hard at work setting up book parties and travel trainings around the country. If you’d like to be part of this cross-country training effort, be sure to contact us so we can work with you to add your group and location to the schedule.