House Committee Votes to End Ban on U.S. Travel to Cuba
07/02/2010
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee voted Wednesday to reverse the ban on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba and to ease restrictions on the sale of American commodities there. The measure was approved 25 to 20, with only four Republicans supporting the bill. But the vote is only a first step toward possible full congressional approval of the changes.
The measure, known as the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, must still get through another House committee and pass the full House. Then the Senate would have to pass its own version of the bill before it could be signed by the president. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the son of Cuban immigrants, has promised to filibuster any move to pass the bill in the Senate. Some observers are not sure President Obama wants to use up political capital to fully support the measure given his other legislative objectives.
Nevertheless, travel industry supporters of the legislation view it as a significant step that bodes well for an end to the ban on travel to Cuba. A number of travel groups, including NTA, ASTA, and USTOA have been actively lobbying to lift the ban. The bill’s supporters say it would be a major boost for American farmers, since it would allow American commodities to be sold directly to Cuba and allow some direct financial transactions with Cuban banks. That’s why it’s being supported by several business and farming groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Farmers Union. 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 Raúl Castro.
Before the final vote, the Agriculture Committee rejected several amendments that would have eliminated the travel ban reversal or delayed its enactment. Democrats favored more immediate implementation but Republicans objected.
In March, Cuban government and travel industry leaders met at the U.S. Cuba Travel Summit in Cancun. At the summit, Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz outlined the growth of hotel room inventory throughout the nation, including many four- and five-star properties and a number of joint projects with international investors. He also detailed the expansion of Cuba’s airports from three to 10, a fleet of motorcoaches and over 10,000 rental cars, fishing and sailing vessels, beaches along all the shores, cultural and heritage sites and a variety of eco-tourism sites. He also discussed opportunities for joint investment projects, especially in the area of resort hotel development and hotel management. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) also addressed the summit by teleconference and expressed his confidence that a bill authorizing open U.S. travel to Cuba could meet the 60 vote threshold required in the U.S. Senate this year.
