Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act

Last updated

Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act is the name of three bills introduced into the United States Congress which would allow U.S. citizens to engage in unrestricted travel to Cuba for the first time since 1963.

Contents

The first bill, H.R. 5022, was introduced into the 107th Congress House of Representatives in June 2002 by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz) with 37 cosponsors. [1] The second bill, H.R. 874 / S. 428, was introduced into the 111th Congress House of Representatives in February 2009 by Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass) with 179 co-sponsors, including Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn), Sam Farr (D-Calif), and Ron Paul (R- Texas), and into the Senate by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N. Dakota) with 39 cosponsors. [2] [3] [4] [5] The third bill, H.R. 664 / S.299, was introduced into the 114th Congress House of Representatives in January 2015 by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz) with 50 co-sponsors, and into the Senate in February 2015 by Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S. Car) with 46 cosponsors. [6] [7] [8]

The 2002 bill was referred to the House Foreign Affairs committee and not introduced for a vote. The 2009 bill was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees and not introduced for a vote. As of December 2015, the 2015 bill has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees, and is awaiting decisions by the committee chairs as to whether the bills will move past the committee stage. President Obama's three-day visit to Cuba, in March, 2016, marked the first visit by a U.S. president since 1928. On the island, anti-government demonstrations in anticipation of President Obama's visit and of the new U.S. liberalization of travel were met with oppressive reprisals from the Castro regime. [9] [10] [11]

Support

Democracy in Cuba is not the issue. The issue is what is best for America and not having individual rights suppressed by a handful of Batistianos. Can you imagine Taiwan telling America not to have normal relations with China? Why should that South Florida family feud influence anybody else's thinking?"

— Al Fox, president of the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy [12]

By the end of the 111th congress, the 2009 bills had 220 Congressional signatories in the House and Senate. [12] Florida attorney Tony Martinez has voiced support of the bill noting that "U.S. foreign policy shouldn't be manipulated to serve a political agenda", while noting that "the majority of all Americans want the ending of the embargo and the lifting of travel restrictions." [12]

In July 2010, Newsweek magazine reported that a poll conducted by Andy Gomez, associate provost at the University of Miami, found that 64 percent of Cuban-Americans in Miami now support a unilateral lifting of the travel ban. However, until human rights violations on the island and democratic principles are reinstated, that community's support for the continuation of the embargo has not been significantly fading. [13] [14] In lieu of some change in perceptions, former Democratic Senator Gary Hart criticized the continuing embargo, remarking "second generation Cuban-Americans are finally beginning to change their community's attitudes and make it clear they no longer are interested in holding the mighty U.S.'s foreign policy toward a tiny nearby country hostage to their parents' anger." [15]

In June 2011, former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern spoke out against the travel ban before visiting Cuba, remarking:

It's a stupid policy. There's no reason why we can't be friends with the Cubans, and vice versa. A lot of them have relatives in the United States, and some Americans have relatives in Cuba, so we should have freedom of travel ... We seem to think it's safe to open the door to a billion communists in China but for some reason, we're scared to death of the Cubans. [16]

McGovern blamed "embittered Cuban exiles in Miami" for keeping the embargo alive all these years, because of their dislike for Fidel Castro. [16]

Bob Whitley, president of the United States Tour Operators Association, has supported the measures, remarking "if Americans don't like the policies of the government of a country, they can choose not to go. But a lot of people want to see Cuba because they've been denied the right." [17]

Opposition

For those who support the embargo and are opposed to the liberalization of travel, they state that democracy and human rights in Cuba. Significant opposition to the liberalization of U.S. travel restrictions exists both within the island[ citation needed ] of Cuba and the Cuban-American exile community. [18]

Arguing against the future merits of normalization, José Azel, senior scholar at The Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami and author of "Mañana In Cuba," has noted that while the percentage of foreign tourism is already twice as "American intensive" as China's, "neither country has engaged in political reforms." Furthermore, "In theory, at least, this means that the per-capita concentration of American tourists in Cuba is five times greater than that of Americans in China, and yet no democratic reforms are visible in either country." Mr. Azel thus asks: "What percentage of tourists must be American in order to validate the "American tourists will bring democracy" thesis?" [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

Helms–Burton Act US federal law affecting Cuban economy

The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104–114 (text)(PDF), 110 Stat. 785, 22 U.S.C. §§ 6021–6091) is a United States federal law which strengthens and continues the United States embargo against Cuba. It extended the territorial application of the initial embargo to apply to foreign companies trading with Cuba, and penalized foreign companies allegedly "trafficking" in property formerly owned by U.S. citizens but confiscated by Cuba after the Cuban revolution. It also covers property formerly owned by Cubans who have since become U.S. citizens.

Mike Honda American politician

Michael Makoto "Mike" Honda is an American politician and former educator. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in Congress from 2001 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Flake</span> American diplomat and former United States senator from Arizona

Jeffry Lane Flake is an American politician and diplomat who is the current U.S Ambassador to Turkey. A member of the Republican Party, Flake served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and in the United States Senate from 2013 to 2019, representing Arizona. He was nominated by Democratic president Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate for his ambassador post on October 26, 2021. He presented his credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex of Republic of Turkey in Ankara on January 26, 2022.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen American politician

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a politician and lobbyist from Miami, Florida, who represented Florida's 27th congressional district from 1989 to 2019. By the end of her tenure, she was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida. She was Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011–2013. In 1989, Ros-Lehtinen won a special election and became the first Cuban American elected to Congress. She was also the first Republican woman elected to the House from Florida. Ros-Lehtinen gave the first Republican response to the State of the Union address in Spanish in 2011, and gave the third in 2014.

Mario Díaz-Balart U.S. Representative from Florida

Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart Caballero is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 25th congressional district. A Republican, he was elected in 2002, and his district includes much of southwestern Miami-Dade County, including Hialeah, and much of the northern portion of the Everglades.

Dante Fascell American politician

Dante Bruno Fascell was an American politician who represented Florida as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1955 to 1993. He served as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for nine years.

United States embargo against Cuba Ongoing restriction on trade with Cuba by the United States

The United States embargo against Cuba prevents American businesses, and businesses organized under U.S. law or majority-owned by American citizens, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. The US first imposed an embargo on the sale of arms to Cuba on March 14, 1958, during the Fulgencio Batista regime. Again on October 19, 1960, almost two years after the Cuban Revolution had led to the deposition of the Batista regime, the US placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine after Cuba nationalized the US-owned Cuban oil refineries without compensation. On February 7, 1962, the embargo was extended to include almost all exports. The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution every year since 1992 demanding the end of the US economic embargo on Cuba, with the US and Israel being the only nations to consistently vote against the resolutions.

The Cuban–American lobby describes those various groups of Cuban exiles in the United States and their descendants who have historically influenced the United States' policy toward Cuba. In general usage, this refers to anti-Castro groups.

Tourism in Cuba

Tourism in Cuba is an industry that generates over 4.7 million arrivals as of 2018, and is one of the main sources of revenue for the island. With its favorable climate, beaches, colonial architecture and distinct cultural history, Cuba has long been an attractive destination for tourists. "Cuba treasures 253 protected areas, 257 national monuments, 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 7 Natural Biosphere Reserves and 13 Fauna Refuge among other non-tourist zones."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cuba and the United States restored diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015. Relations had been severed in 1961 during the Cold War. U.S. diplomatic representation in Cuba is handled by the United States Embassy in Havana, and there is a similar Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. The United States, however, continues to maintain its commercial, economic, and financial embargo, making it illegal for U.S. corporations to do business with Cuba.

The Military Readiness Enhancement Act was a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in several sessions between 2005 and 2009. It would have amended title 10, United States Code to include a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, replacing the policy known as "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT), which banned disclosing one's homosexuality while serving in the Armed Forces.

Presidency of Barack Obama U.S. presidential administration from 2009 to 2017

Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Four years later, in the 2012 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney to win re-election. Obama was succeeded by Republican Donald Trump, who won the 2016 presidential election. He was the first African American president, the first multiracial president, the first non-white president, and the first president born in Hawaii.

The term Obama Doctrine is frequently used to describe the principles of US foreign policy under the Obama administration (2009–2017). He relied chiefly on his two highly experienced Secretaries of State: Hillary Clinton (2009–2013) and John Kerry (2013–2017), and Vice President Joe Biden.

The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 was a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives of the 114th United States Congress by Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4). It included proposals for a reformed audit of the Federal Reserve System. The Senate version was introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)..

The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is a law passed by the U.S. Congress that applies further sanctions on the government of Iran.

Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act

The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act is a series of federal marijuana decriminalization bills that have been introduced multiple times in the United States Congress.

Cuban thaw 2015–2017 normalization of Cuba–U.S. relations

The Cuban thaw was the normalization of Cuba–United States relations that began in December 2014 ending a 54-year stretch of hostility between the nations. In March 2016, Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge, in 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanning Tax Repeal Act of 2015</span>

The Tanning Tax Repeal Act of 2015 was legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman George Holding (R-NC). The bill would repeal the national 10% tax on indoor tanning services. Congressman Holding introduced the bill as H.R. 2698 on June 9, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel Anti-Boycott Act</span> Proposed federal US bill, designed to reduce boycotts against Israel

The Israel Anti-Boycott Act (IABA) was a proposed anti-BDS law and amendment to the Export Administration Act of 1979 designed to allow U.S. states to enact laws requiring contractors to sign pledges promising not to boycott any goods from Israel, or their contracts would be terminated.

2010s in United States political history is a narrative summary of major political events and issues in the United States from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. The first part is divided chronologically by Congressional sessions and the second part highlights major issues that span several years or even the entire decade. There are links for further information.

References

  1. ↑ "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2002 (2002; 107th Congress H.R. 5022) - GovTrack.us". GovTrack.us.
  2. ↑ Bill would drop travel restrictions to Cuba, South Florida Sun Sentinel, February 10, 2009
  3. ↑ "Bill Text - 111th Congress (2009-2010) - THOMAS (Library of Congress)". thomas.gov.
  4. ↑ "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (2009; 111th Congress S. 428) - GovTrack.us". GovTrack.us.
  5. ↑ "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (2009; 111th Congress H.R. 874) - GovTrack.us". GovTrack.us.
  6. ↑ "All Info - S.299 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2015". congress.gov. 29 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2015 (H.R. 664)". GovTrack.us.
  8. ↑ "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2015 (S. 299)". GovTrack.us.
  9. ↑ 'The oppression is high': Cuban police break up protest ahead of Obama's visit by J. Watts The Guardian , March 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ Obama’s visit to Cuba by L. Young/The Big Picture, The Boston Globe , March/2016.
  11. ↑ Cuba trip raises profile, but not prospects of lifting embargo in Congress [ permanent dead link ] by K. Demirjian, Boston Globe , March 16, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Joe O'Neill (July 8, 2009). "Discussing U.S.-Cuba relations". Tampa Bay Tribune . Archived from the original on 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
  13. ↑ Havana Dreaming by Arian Campo-Flores, Newsweek magazine , July 24, 2010
  14. ↑ Cuban-American support for embargo fading: poll by Reuters Dec. 8, 2008.
  15. ↑ Fiction in Foreign Policy by Gary Hart, The Huffington Post , March 7, 2011
  16. 1 2 Beck, Margery A. (30 June 2011). "George McGovern heading to Cuba to visit Castro". Associated Press. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  17. ↑ Cuba: Close, but no Cigar for U.S. Tourists by Kitty Bean Yancey, USA Today
  18. ↑ Obama Spends Almost 2 Hours With Cuban Dissidents by F. Robles, The New York Times , March 22, 2016.
  19. ↑ American tourists won’t bring democracy to Cuba by J. Azel, Miami Herald , June 7, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.