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"House Panel Votes to Ease Cuba Travel Restrictions"
by Yeganeh June Torbati
Published: June 30, 2010
WASHINGTON ? The House Agriculture Committee voted Wednesday to reverse a decades-long ban on United States citizens traveling to Cuba and to ease restrictions on the sale of American commodities there.
Though the vote is only a first step toward Congressional approval of the changes, supporters view it as a significant step toward normalization of the relationship between the countries.
The bill, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, must still go through the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees before it can be considered by the full House. Then the Senate would have to act.
Proponents of the bill said it would be a major boost for American farmers. The bill, which would allow American commodities to be sold directly to Cuba and allow some direct financial transactions with Cuban banks, is supported by several business and farming groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Farmers Union.
?This is a great opportunity to expand trade,? said Representative Collin C. Peterson, Democrat of Minnesota and the chairman of the committee. He added that American travel to Cuba would ?show the Cuban people how great democracy can be.?
Opponents of the bill argued that while export restrictions should be eased, lifting the travel ban would benefit only the Communist government led by Fidel and Raul Castro.
?Every dollar spent by American tourists in Cuba would contribute to the regime?s bottom line,? said Representative Tom Rooney, Republican of Florida, who voted against the bill.
The measure was approved 25 to 20, with only four Republicans supporting the bill.
Before its final vote, the Agriculture Committee rejected several amendments that would have eliminated the travel ban reversal or delayed its enactment; those votes split largely along partisan lines, with Democrats favoring more immediate implementation.
In a report released Wednesday, Amnesty International called on the Cuban government to free political prisoners and end legal restrictions on freedoms of speech and the press.
Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, an organization that supports the normalization of relations with Cuba, acknowledged that American travel to Cuba would help the current government but said the gains for ordinary Cubans outweighed those considerations.
?Of course it benefits the regime,? she said. ?But it benefits the people more.?
However, Ms. Stephens said, ?There is a very clear trickle down, especially in the tourism industry. Ordinary Cubans feel the difference when there is an increase in tourism.?
Ms. Stephens added that the vote Wednesday signaled an end to the cold war mentality of previous generations.
Both the House and the Senate tried to ease the travel ban during the Bush administration, but were threatened with a veto from the president. In April 2009, President Obama allowed Cuban-Americans with family members in Cuba to travel to the country without time restrictions.
by Yeganeh June Torbati
Published: June 30, 2010
WASHINGTON ? The House Agriculture Committee voted Wednesday to reverse a decades-long ban on United States citizens traveling to Cuba and to ease restrictions on the sale of American commodities there.
Though the vote is only a first step toward Congressional approval of the changes, supporters view it as a significant step toward normalization of the relationship between the countries.
The bill, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, must still go through the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees before it can be considered by the full House. Then the Senate would have to act.
Proponents of the bill said it would be a major boost for American farmers. The bill, which would allow American commodities to be sold directly to Cuba and allow some direct financial transactions with Cuban banks, is supported by several business and farming groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Farmers Union.
?This is a great opportunity to expand trade,? said Representative Collin C. Peterson, Democrat of Minnesota and the chairman of the committee. He added that American travel to Cuba would ?show the Cuban people how great democracy can be.?
Opponents of the bill argued that while export restrictions should be eased, lifting the travel ban would benefit only the Communist government led by Fidel and Raul Castro.
?Every dollar spent by American tourists in Cuba would contribute to the regime?s bottom line,? said Representative Tom Rooney, Republican of Florida, who voted against the bill.
The measure was approved 25 to 20, with only four Republicans supporting the bill.
Before its final vote, the Agriculture Committee rejected several amendments that would have eliminated the travel ban reversal or delayed its enactment; those votes split largely along partisan lines, with Democrats favoring more immediate implementation.
In a report released Wednesday, Amnesty International called on the Cuban government to free political prisoners and end legal restrictions on freedoms of speech and the press.
Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, an organization that supports the normalization of relations with Cuba, acknowledged that American travel to Cuba would help the current government but said the gains for ordinary Cubans outweighed those considerations.
?Of course it benefits the regime,? she said. ?But it benefits the people more.?
However, Ms. Stephens said, ?There is a very clear trickle down, especially in the tourism industry. Ordinary Cubans feel the difference when there is an increase in tourism.?
Ms. Stephens added that the vote Wednesday signaled an end to the cold war mentality of previous generations.
Both the House and the Senate tried to ease the travel ban during the Bush administration, but were threatened with a veto from the president. In April 2009, President Obama allowed Cuban-Americans with family members in Cuba to travel to the country without time restrictions.
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