The Honorable Harry Reid, Majority Leader
The Honorable Richard Durbin, Assistant Majority Leader
United States Senate
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker
The Honorable Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader
United States House of Representative
Dear Senators Reid and Durbin and Representatives Pelosi and Hoyer:
We write to ask action by Congress to address the critical humanitarian and policy issue of travel to Cuba.
Under regulations promulgated by President Bush in 2004 for reasons of partisan domestic politics, Cuban Americans are denied the opportunity to maintain normal and necessary contact with members of their own separated families. Under current law and regulations, all Americans are deprived of their fundamental human and Constitutional rights to travel and associate freely.
The Bush Administration\'s effort to force change in Cuba through isolation has resulted only in painful barriers for families and the isolation of the US, not of Cuba, from world opinion. Two-thirds of Americans, including most Cuban Americans, want this policy changed. The inability of the Democratic led Congress to act contributes to an atmosphere of public frustration.
Legislation has been introduced in both Houses of Congress to address humanitarian family issues (HR 757) as well as to end all restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans (S 721, HR 654), the last gaining an unprecedented 120 cosponsors thanks to active constituent support.
We are confident that with a clear signal from the leadership -- and cooperation between your offices and Members with advocacy organizations -- the Congress can enact meaningful legislation this year. Congress should at least restore the pre-2004 practice under Presidents Clinton and Bush by mandating a general license for travel to Cuba for family reunion and \"purposeful\" non-tourist reasons (e.g. religious, people to people, student, cultural and professional exchanges).
Were the President to exercise a veto, he will demonstrate that special-interest politics and ideology have greater weight with his administration than family values, the wishes of the American people or our negative international and hemispheric image.
We strongly believe that Congressional statesmanship can make a compelling case that now is the moment to end our isolation from Cuba\'s people and their future, while moving closer to restoring the right to travel to all Americans. If nothing changes until a new President takes office, Americans will be barred from interacting with Cubans at an important time for both nations.
We are committed to raising this issue until it is resolved, but believe it is preferable that bipartisan action be taken before the parties nominate their Presidential candidates.
Sincerely,