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Urge Congress to end restrictions |
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On May 25 Rep. Jim Davis, D-Fla., re-introduced legislation to reverse the draconian regulations, imposed in June 2004 by the Bush administration, which undermine families and jeopardize the well-being of innocent Cubans who rely on visits from their Cuban-American relatives for their livelihood. These regulations now provide the following restrictions:
Take action now Urge your representative in Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 2617 to reverse the restrictions on Cuban-American travel rights. Visit our online Legislative Action Center to send an immediate message by e-mail or fax. Visit the Legislative Action Center for links to your representative's website with phone numbers for their Washington and district offices. Message I strongly urge you to support and co-sponsor H.R. 2617 to overturn last year's collection of regulations jeopardizing countless innocent Cubans who depend on visits from their Cuban-American relatives, not only for moral support, but also for the delivery of food, medicine, clothing and money. (See below for the list of current co-sponsors.) Talking points The travel ban offends family values. The administration tightened travel restrictions last year to limit family visits by Cuban-Americans to once every three years. This rule allows no exceptions for humanitarian emergencies. The definition of “family” was narrowed so that some Cuban-Americans can no longer visit, wire money, or send packages to aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, or nephews. The travel ban is now an assault against the Cuban-American family and their relatives on the island. Lifting the travel ban will increase demand for U.S. products in Cuba. Current agricultural sales to Cuba, which in 2004 alone totaled nearly $400 million, would increase substantially, benefiting American farmers, exporters and shippers. Ending the travel ban ensures freedom for Americans. America's cherished belief in personal freedom should lead us to limit freedom of travel only when travel could somehow damage national security interests. That is not the case with Cuba today. Focus on terrorism, not policing travel to Cuba. The Department of the Treasury office that governs Cuba travel, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), is a key part of the department's effort to break al Qaeda's global money network. Fighting terrorism should be the focus of its activities, not the licensing, investigating and fining of travelers to Cuba or seizing rum and cigars. Background The following is excerpted from a news release issued by Rep. Davis: "Last year, the administration ordered new limitations on Cuba family travel and remittances. Under these rules, Cuban-Americans are only allowed to visit their families in Cuba once every three years for a maximum of 14 days with no exceptions, and they must apply for a specific license to make the trip. The administration also attempted to redefine the Cuban family by barring Cuban Americans from visiting or sending remittances to their aunts, uncles or cousins in Cuba. As a final insult, the rules prohibit visitors from spending more than $50 a day in Cuba and from bringing more than 44 pounds of luggage and $300 of life-sustaining remittances to their immediate family. “After these rules were enacted, Rep. Davis introduced legislation to reverse the regulations. Then in September [2004], he offered an amendment to the FY2005 Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act to prohibit the Treasury Department from using funds to enforce the regulations. Davis' amendment passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 225 to 174 but was not included in the final law . . . “Under Rep. Davis' bill, H.R. 2617, Cuban Americans would once again be allowed to visit their families in Cuba once a year without having to apply for a specific license, and would be permitted to apply for specific licenses for additional trips as necessary. The bill would protect the family tree by allowing Cuban-Americans to resume visiting and sending remittances to aunts, uncles and cousins. The per-diem allowance would be returned to $167 and the administration would be prohibited from setting a visitation limit of less than 30 days. Finally, the bill would allow travelers to bring up to $3,000 in remittances to Cuba and would allow the airlines to set luggage weight limits . . . .” Information for this action alert also was provided by our colleague organization Latin America Working Group. For more information and background on the recent congressional history about the travel-to-Cuba issue, visit Urge your representative to support travel to Cuba legislation and Urge President, Congress to ease tensions, end Cuba travel ban. Current co-sponsors of H.R. 2617 are:
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Jeff
Flake, R-Ariz. |
