BREAKING NEWS House Agriculture Committee to vote on legislation ending the travel ban

BREAKING NEWS

"It's time," the simple but powerful message from Rep. Collin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, as he announced his decision to have the committee vote on legislation to end the travel ban and increase the sale of U.S. food to the island.

The committee will meet on June 30, 2010 to consider the legislation introduced by Peterson and cosponsored by a bi-partisan group of 62 Members of the House. Peterson's bill, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act (H.R. 4645), has been endorsed by over 130 organizations that represent agriculture and business, foreign policy and national security, religious, labor and human rights, and other advocacy groups that support a new U.S. policy toward Cuba.

Comments supporting Peterson's decision came quickly.

"This is the moment for making a decisive change in Cuba policy; a change that will put money in the pockets of American farmers and workers, put better food on Cuban tables, and put more Americans on Cuban streets and in Cuban homes. A policy that ends the travel ban and sells more food to Cuba puts our country on the side of the Cuban people, and we applaud the Committee for scheduling the legislation," said Sarah Stephens of the Center for Democracy in the Americas.

"It's time for a decisive change in Cuba policy. U.S. citizens want their right to travel restored. Rather than waiting another fifty years for Cuba to change, sending American food and tourists to Cuba will make life better for the Cuban people now. We support Chairman Peterson in moving ahead with a vote in the Agriculture Committee on this legislation," said Mavis Anderson of the Latin America Working Group.

"Moving to end the travel ban and to sell more food to Cuba is not only good for Americans and Cubans, but also critical for restoring relevance to U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. Engaging the Cuban people, as this effort would do, will enhance the U.S. image and our effectiveness in the region. This is welcome news to those who think it is long past time to change our outmoded approach to Cuba," said Anya Landau French of the New America Foundation.

"The Peterson-Moran bill takes U.S. Cuba policy in a sensible direction. It moves away from the unilateral sanctions we've imposed for fifty years, and expands travel, communication and dialogue, while opening up sales opportunities for U.S. businesses. We're pleased that Chairman Peterson is moving the bill toward a vote," said Geoff Thale of the Washington Office on Latin America.

The decision to go to mark-up by Chairman Peterson comes just a few weeks after 74 of Cuba's most prominent political dissidents endorsed the bill and called for tourism by Americans and increased food sales to help the Cuban people.