End the Travel Ban on Cuba

“The cigar-chomping, no-nonsense general who lifted New Orleans from the depths of Hurricane Katrina in late 2005 thinks Cuba has some important lessons to teach the United States in storm-fighting, and he wants warmer relations with the nation's neighbor to the south for that reason.” See the full article from the shreveporttimes.com here.

“U.S. law lets American citizens travel to any country on earth, friend or foe -- with one exception: Cuba. It's time for us to scrap this anachronistic ban.”  -Congressman Berman and Senator Lugar

Yesterday, in an op-ed published in the Miami Herald, Chairman Berman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senator Richard Lugar, ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, endorsed the freedom to travel to Cuba just in time for the long-awaited committee hearing on Cuba travel.  Here we go.  The leadership in Congress is firmly in favor of change and not afraid to say so.

The Miami Herald details a new report today on how money affects Cuba policy.  

Public Campaign , a non-profit campaign finance research group, just released the most extensive study of Cuban-American political donations to date.  The conclusion: big money from political action committees is the reason for our stagnant Cuba policy. 

The hearing has arrived.

Thursday, November 19th, the full House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on the freedom to travel to Cuba.  Official announcement here.  Chairman Howard Berman titled the hearing, “Is it Time to Lift the Ban on Travel to Cuba?”

Following the UN vote last week over One Thousand of you sent letters to President Obama, in less than 24 hours, expressing a need to change U.S. policy toward Cuba. If you haven't taken this action, take it here.

Amnesty International made a similar appeal to the President. 

The United Nations votes annually on a resolution to condemn the U.S. embargo on Cuba. On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, the General Assembly, like clockwork, voted again, for the 18th time.

Urge Obama to Take Decisive Action: Give the Nod to Congress and End the Travel Ban

The United Nations has voted (187-3) again to condemn the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.  For the 18th consecutive year, the General Assembly passed this resolution with nearly universal support.  Such an unpopular policy surely deserves a second look; it deserves to be stopped.  And the time is NOW.

UPDATE:  The United Nations has voted 187 in favor, 3 against (US, Israel, Palau), and 2 abstentions (Micronesia, Marshall Islands) to condemn the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on a resolution whichcondemns the U.S embargo against Cuba on Wednesday, October 28th, forthe 18th year in a row. According to a CBS news report written afterthe 2008 U.N vote, “The U.S. embargo has cost Cuba $230 million a yearin foreign investment and caused the country more than $93 billion ineconomic damage since its inception, according to Cuban officials.”