Lawmakers push to open travel to Cuba

[aphex]

LINK

WASHINGTON (AP) ? It's time for Congress to end restrictions that for more than half a century have prevented most Americans from visiting Cuba, a bipartisan group of senators said Tuesday.

The lawmakers, at a news conference where they were joined by trade and human rights groups, also made clear that their proposal to allow travel should be a first step toward breaking down economic and trade barriers between the two countries.
The travel embargo, said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is a "failed policy that has failed for 50 years."

Lawmakers, backed by business and farm groups seeing new opportunities in Cuba, have been trying for years to chip away at the trade and travel bans imposed after Castro took power in Havana in 1959. They have made little headway because of strong political resistance led by Florida's influential Cuban-American community. But the situation has changed in the past year with an ailing Fidel Castro turning political control over to his brother Raul and the election of President Barack Obama, who like other Democratic presidents is more open to increasing nonpolitical contacts with the Cuban people.

The Obama administration, while steering clear of the more controversial issue of ending the trade embargo, this month backed changes making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit and send remittances to their relatives on the island. It's also thought the administration could take other steps, such as revising rules that have impeded farm and medical sales to Cuba, before a summit of Latin American countries in Trinidad next month.
The Dorgan bill ? co-sponsored by Richard Lugar of Indiana, top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee; Mike Enzi of Wyoming, ranking Republican on the Health Committee; and Banking Committee chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. ? would prevent the president from stopping travel to Cuba except in cases of war, imminent danger to public health or threats to the physical safety of U.S. travelers. Reps. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., have an identical bill in the House with 120 co-sponsors.

Dorgan said there are sufficient votes in both chambers to pass the legislation, although there is certain to be lively opposition. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the son of Cuban immigrants, slowed confirmation of several administration officials and passage of a major spending bill because that bill contained the changes in rules on Cuban-American travel.
Cuban-born Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said he would continue to oppose the legislation. "This is the time to support pro-democracy activists in Cuba, not provide the Castro regime with a resource windfall."

Supporters stressed that Cuba is the only country in the world to which the United States bans travel: there are a few exceptions, such as for journalists or humanitarian visits. They said open travel would make Cubans more favorable to American people and ideas. "I think it will make a huge impact. It will change Cuba," said Enzi. The list of groups supporting the bill, including the American Farm Bureau, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and associations representing rice, wheat and dairy industries, was indicative of the broader goals of opening up Cuba.

American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman said tightly controlled food sales to Cuba, initiated by the Clinton administration, could grow from the current $400 million a year to more than $1 billion with eased restrictions.

Ending the travel ban, said the Chamber of Commerce's Myron Brilliant, "is an important first step. We also want to see an end to the trade embargo." Dodd said that while there is support for lifting the travel ban, it was too early to talk about ending the trade embargo. "That's a step too far at this juncture."

Cuban-Americans in Miami were mixed in their reaction to the Senate proposal with those under 50 in particular saying they would feel more comfortable traveling to the island if all Americans had the same right.

"If something doesn't work, you can't keep banging your head against the wall," said Orlando Lamas, a 33-year-old architect from Miami Springs. He said he hoped tourist dollars will trickle down to those most in need, adding that the embargo is a crutch for the Cuban government that blames all the nation's problems on the United States.

But Charles J. Justi, a retired commercial pilot who left Havana shortly before Castro took power, said lifting the travel ban will do little to help those in need. "It's going to prolong the regime because the money that goes there will go to the regime," he said, waving his cigar in disgust.

Personally I see this as a step in the right direction. Previous policies seem to have not worked, time to try something new.

 

[Robor]

:thumbsup: I've heard Cuba is beautiful. Would love to cruise there.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Considering we do business with worse communist countries, I hope to see the embargo removed and trade restored. Hopefully, this restriction will be reduced.

 

[Moonbeam]

The Cuban hating morons of the cold war are slowly dying as is their grip on the key state of Florida.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
The Cuban hating morons of the cold war are slowly dying as is their grip on the key state of Florida.

The America hating morons are taking their place.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
The Cuban hating morons of the cold war are slowly dying as is their grip on the key state of Florida.

The America hating morons are taking their place.

Your idea of America, cold war moron America, yes. Neanderthals called Cro-Magnons morons too.

 

[BassBomb]

My company sells power plants, most of our projects are in Cuba... we can't source from American suppliers/vendors due to the embargo STILL in place.... I mean comon!

 

[imported_Lothar]

Why should there be a trade embargo on Cuba but not China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela?

 

[blackangst1]

It should be noted this only affects a small group of people:

making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit and send remittances to their relatives on the island.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
The Cuban hating morons of the cold war are slowly dying as is their grip on the key state of Florida.

The America hating morons are taking their place.

Go away, troll. :roll:

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: blackangst1
It should be noted this only affects a small group of people:

making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit and send remittances to their relatives on the island.

Didn't catch that in skimming. Booooooooooo! :frown: I hope they expand it.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
The Cuban hating morons of the cold war are slowly dying as is their grip on the key state of Florida.

The America hating morons are taking their place.

Your idea of America, cold war moron America, yes. Neanderthals called Cro-Magnons morons too.

I'm not sure why you choose to attack democrats like that, but I'll defend your right to do it.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: blackangst1
It should be noted this only affects a small group of people:

making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit and send remittances to their relatives on the island.

Didn't catch that in skimming. Booooooooooo! :frown: I hope they expand it.

I may be mistaken, but I think a visitation program is already in place - http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/947453.html

A posting on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) website indicates Cuban Americans can follow regulations that existed before Bush tightened the rules in June 2004. The rules now allow:

? A trip every 12 months with a general license that does not require an application process.

? Passengers wanting to travel again within the same year can apply for ''specific licenses.'' Approval will be given case by case.

? A broader definition of who qualifies as family and can be visited.

? A per diem spending of $179.

The way I read the stories about this new legislation is that it would open the door for all US citizens, not just relatives

 

[BoberFett]

Good, it's overdue. We'll do far more good for the people of Cuba trading with them than we will with an embargo. China has problems but it's far more free than it was before we traded with them in such massive volume.

 

[Budmantom]

This will be great now Obama can find out how they run the world's best health care program and he can learn how to take over companies.

 

[StageLeft]

I went to Cuba and those commie fvcks rifled through my baggage on the way back out. I later found out this is a very common thing for Cuba and happens all the time. I truly believe it's a tacit perk of being in security at the airport there (veradero). Fvck them, I will never travel to there again.

BTW, I agree with this, though. The US' stance on Cuba has been childish.

Why should there be a trade embargo on Cuba but not China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela?

Nobody can answer that satisfactorily. It's retarded.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I went to Cuba and those commie fvcks rifled through my baggage on the way back out. I later found out this is a very common thing for Cuba and happens all the time. I truly believe it's a tacit perk of being in security at the airport there (veradero). Fvck them, I will never travel to there again.

BTW, I agree with this, though. The US' stance on Cuba has been childish.

Why should there be a trade embargo on Cuba but not China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela?

Nobody can answer that satisfactorily. It's retarded.

I already did. Look at the election of 2000. Cold war moron Cubans elected Bush, with the help of the Supreme Coup, of course. The Cuban vote determines who wins elections until the Obama tidal wave made them irrelevant as they should have always been.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I went to Cuba and those commie fvcks rifled through my baggage on the way back out. I later found out this is a very common thing for Cuba and happens all the time. I truly believe it's a tacit perk of being in security at the airport there (veradero). Fvck them, I will never travel to there again.

BTW, I agree with this, though. The US' stance on Cuba has been childish.

Why should there be a trade embargo on Cuba but not China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela?

Nobody can answer that satisfactorily. It's retarded.

When you go to Cuba next time, leave your pink panties at home. The pink dye is bleeding into your skin and giving you a red face which a trained custom official can spot a mile away.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Considering we do business with worse communist countries, I hope to see the embargo removed and trade restored. Hopefully, this restriction will be reduced.

Yep. We fought the Chinese in Korea and Vietnam...and they're our number one creditor nowadays...

Open travel and trade with Cuba...watch things get better there for the people.


This was a bad policy when it was implemented, and it's a worse policy now.

 

[JSt0rm]

Originally posted by: Budmantom
This will be great now Obama can find out how they run the world's best health care program and he can learn how to take over companies.

you must be some kind of robot.

 

[blackangst1]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I went to Cuba and those commie fvcks rifled through my baggage on the way back out. I later found out this is a very common thing for Cuba and happens all the time. I truly believe it's a tacit perk of being in security at the airport there (veradero). Fvck them, I will never travel to there again.

BTW, I agree with this, though. The US' stance on Cuba has been childish.

Why should there be a trade embargo on Cuba but not China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela?

Nobody can answer that satisfactorily. It's retarded.

Just FYI just about every time I travel overseas EVERYTHING gets rifled through At least from the 13 countries Ive been too.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: blackangst1
It should be noted this only affects a small group of people:

making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit and send remittances to their relatives on the island.

you've misread the article. what you quoted is what the administration has already said it wants. the article is about support in the legislature for a broader measure.

 

[Fern]

Generally I don't care much whether it remains in effect or is dropped (travel bans and embargo).

But at this moment with my concern about our economy I'd prefer we hold off on this.

We don't need to be buying more of our products from abroad.

We don't need more of our money being sent abroad.

We DO need Americans to vacation here and support our own touristry businesses, not those of another country.

Fern

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: Robor
:thumbsup: I've heard Cuba is beautiful. Would love to cruise there.

I just got back from vacationing there last week. It is beautiful.

 

[kage69]

Considering we do business with worse communist countries, I hope to see the embargo removed and trade restored. Hopefully, this restriction will be reduced.

What I was about to type... :beer: