Building Bridges to the Cuban People

For over 40 years the United States has maintained an embargo on the island nation of Cuba. In addition to banning the sale of all goods, including food and medicine, the U.S. also prohibits its citizens from spending any money in Cuba. This essentially cuts off all opportunities for travel to the island. Although the U.S. government does grant special travel licenses for cultural exchanges, its citizens are effectively barred from visiting its neighbor 90 miles to the South. While U.S. policy has been to isolate Cuba, it has also withheld the sale of humanitarian products to a society that would greatly benefit from them. In the meantime U.S. farmers, who could also benefit from the new market that Cuba provides, also struggle to sell their goods on the world market. The current U.S. policy has also violated its own citizens' right to travel to wherever they please.

Various non-governmental organizations as well as grassroots activists have pushed for legislation to change the current policy. Last year the House of Representatives voted to remove travel restrictions and allow for the sale of food and medicine to Cuba. The language however was altered in backroom dealings before the bill was finalized. Currently the travel restrictions remain in place, and the sale of food and medicine can only take place on a cash-only basis or with financing from a third country. These are unacceptable trade terms for the Cubans enterprises that wish to buy U.S. goods.

Bridges to the Cuban People Act

The marker of legislative support for reform to U.S.-Cuba policy this year has been the Bridges to the Cuban People Act. This legislation, which was introduced in June by Representatives Serrano (D-NY) and Leach (R-IA) in the House and by Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Chafee (R-RI) in the Senate, calls for broad changes to the current policy. The bill allow for unrestricted sales of food and medicine (along with the availability of U.S. financing), removal of travel restrictions, the sale of goods intended for the exclusive use of children, as well as several other progressive measures. In discussing his point of view on the food and medicine embargo, Senator Dorgan told the distressing story of visiting a hospital in Cuba that was lacking 240 different kinds of medicines. " I [sat] there thinking, how could it serve any interest, any public policy purpose, to believe that our withholding the shipment of prescription drugs to Cuba is somehow advancing anybody's interest?"

The Bridges bill was introduced as a marker, with the goal being to gauge support for such policy changes. Rather than having a vote on the bill in its entirety, pieces of the legislation would be peeled off and attached to other large bills. Following the change in the Senate to the Democratic majority, the Bridges to the Cuban People Act does now have a chance of receiving a hearing in the Senate. Following the events of September 11th it is impossible to speculate as to when such a hearing might take place, however no such consideration should be expected until the next session begins in 2002. As of October 12th, 106 members of the House of Representatives and 26 senators are cosponsoring the legislation, and numerous more are aware of the broad call of their colleagues for changes to this unjust and outdated policy.

This Year's Victories

The hard work of many advocates for reform to U.S.-Cuba policy paid off in the final days of July. On July 25th, 2001 in a bi-partisan vote, the House of Representatives agreed 240-186 in support of a ban on Treasury Department funding to enforce travel restrictions on Cuba. The amendment offered by Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was identical to last year's amendment by now retired Representative Mark Sanford (R-SC). The margin of those members of Congress supporting travel to Cuba increased this year from 232-186 to 240-186. This vote marks not only the Congress' continued resolve to bring change to U.S. policy towards Cuba, but also brought forward several members who were not previously involved into the debate in favor of lifting restrictions.

Another "victory" came in the following vote on an amendment offered by Rep. Rangel (D-NY). The amendment sought to ban funding for the Treasury department to enforce any laws related to the embargo on Cuba. Mr Rangel argued, "It falls beneath the dignity of a great country to try to bring down a government in any country by using food and medicine and economic exchange as a weapon in order to do that." Following a solid debate, the House voted against the amendment by the very narrow margin of 201-227. When Mr. Rangel offered this amendment last year the vote lost by the larger margin of 174-241. Despite this amendment's failure, the Congress made a strong statement that support for change in policy towards Cuba reaches far beyond the sale of food and medicine and travel.

Keeping our Voices Strong

Legislation calling for a reform to Cuba policy has stalled in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11th. It remains to be seen if the vote on travel will prevail when party leaders reconcile the bill. Although the majority of Congress is in favor of seeing changes to our current policy, the Cuba issue remains a highly controversial one. As Congress seeks to focus its attention on a response to terrorism and towards mending the U.S. economy, the time is simply not right to bring the Cuba issue to the floor. It is important however that our voices remain clear and strong.

It is suggested that you:

• Urge your representative and senators to support the Bridges to the Cuban People Act. No nation should withhold food and medicine as a means of carrying out its foreign policy agenda; as Americans, we have the right to travel any place we choose.
• Spark your interest in the Cuban people, their culture, and their heritage by participating in a licensed del egation to the island.
  Encourage others in your community to join you in calling for reform to U.S.-Cuba policy.
• Influencing your representative or senator can be as easy as a phone call or letter. You may write to:
  
  The Honorable full name
  U.S. House of Representatives
  Washington, DC 20515
  
  The Honorable full name
  U.S. Senate
  Washington, DC 20510

You may contact representatives and senators by phone by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Cuba Action: Not backing down after a near miss

Despite a change in the political landscape, it is important that members of Congress know that the majority of Americans are still calling for change in U.S. policy towards Cuba. A major policy improvement would be the unrestricted sale of food and medicine to the island, as well as the opening up of travel. There are several pieces of legislation that will be carried into next year's Congress dealing with these exact reforms. The Bridges to the Cuban People Act is among the most comprehensive.

What would the Bridges to the Cuban People Act Do? It would:

• Authorize the unrestricted sales of food, farm equipment, agricultural commodities and medicines to Cuba;
• Remove restrictions on vessels carrying such legal exports to Cuba that otherwise could not re-enter U.S. waters;
• Remove travel restrictions on U.S. citizens;
• Authorize funds for scholarships for Cuban students to study in the U.S.;
• Lift annual prohibition on remittances by Americans to Cuba (current restrictions limit remittances by US persons to $300 per quarter to any single Cuban household);
• Allow Cuban medicines not made in the US but found to be beneficial to Americans to be imported under appropriate FDA requirements (e.g., meningitis B vaccine);
• Allow U.S. products substantially intended for use by children to be exported to Cuba without restrictions;

Here are some reasons why Congress should lift restrictions on the sale of food and medicine:

*A majority of American Citizens want to see an end to the embargo on Cuba. An October 2000 public opinion poll found that 85% of Americans think the U.S. should ease restrictions on the sale of food and medicine and travel to Cuba (Florida International University poll).

A majority of Members of Congress has repeatedly voted in favor of easing the embargo on Cuba. Despite this widespread congressional support, pressure and maneuvering from individuals in the House leadership have prevented such efforts from moving forward.

There has been growing momentum in the House to ease the embargo on Cuba. This signals that the House would be likely to accept forward-looking Senate language on easing elements of the embargo. In a July 25th vote on the Treasury-Postal Appropriations Bill, the House of Representatives voted 240-186 to end enforcement of the ban on travel to Cuba. In a subsequent vote, 201 bipartisan Members of the House voted to end enforcement of the entire embargo.

The embargo is bad for business. The embargo prevents U.S. businesses from exporting goods to Cuba. With the recent downturn in the U.S. economy and a suffering agriculture industry, prohibiting trade with Cuba limits the growth of U.S. industries.

The embargo hurts the Cuban people, not the Cuban government. Financing restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba effectively prevent the sale of these humanitarian products to Cuba. In the past decade, the Cuban people have suffered from food shortages and a general decline in health status, while the Cuban government remains in tact.

Influencing your representative or senator can be as easy as a phone call or letter. You may write to:

The Honorable full name
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable full name
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

You may contact Representatives and Senators by phone by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121.

General Assembly

Whereas, United States efforts to bring about political change in Cuba through punitive economic sanctions have largely failed and resulted in both hardship for the Cuban people and resentment among numerous friendly governments around the world; and

Whereas, calls by the Presbyterian Church (USA) to lift the U.S. embargo and normalize relations over the years (1969, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1993) have gone unheeded; and

Whereas, unilateral United States sanctions against Cuba do not enjoy the support of the world community in dealing with Cuba and its leaders, either in terms of their legality under international law, or in their effectiveness, or in the propriety of the coercive aspects as related to the sovereignty of other countries;

Therefore, the 209th General Assembly (1997) of the Presbyterian Church (USA):

Renews the call upon the United States government to initiate negotiations with the Cuban government toward the end of reestablishing full diplomatic relations.

Renews the call to develop cooperative efforts on radio and television transmissions, detection and interdiction of narcotic traffic, air and sea traffic, environmental protections and nuclear safety issues, improving postal service, eliminating travel and currency restrictions, and ensuring the access of Cuba to medicines, medical equipment, and major food requirements.

Renews the call on the United States government to end the economic sanctions that it has imposed on Cuba and to respect the opinion of the world community in this matter.

Calls upon the government of Cuba to ensure the political, civil, and religious rights of its people, just as the Cuban government seeks to provide for their economic and social needs.
(Minutes, selected excerpts, 209th General Assembly, 1997, p. 589)

Written by Jordan Press of the Latin America Working Group.