The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (H.R.874/S.428) is referred to committee in both chambers of Congress, and has been since the second week of February. Bills by this name died in committee 2003 and 2007, never making it to the floor for a vote.
It could happen again: The U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC (USCD PAC), the largest single ideological Defense and Foreign Policy PAC, has been successful in stacking the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The only way that this bill will make it back to the floor is if we can peel off the support of Democrats that the anti-Cuba lobby thinks are in its pocket.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs includes 29 Democrats and 19 Republicans. It is chaired by Rep. Howard Berman (D, CA-28) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R, FL-18) is the ranking Republican. It is divided into a number of subcommittees, each with its own geographical domain. The Western Hemisphere subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Eliot Engel (D, NY-17), and Rep. Connie Mack (R, FL-14) is the ranking Republican.
Three out of four of the leading members of the relevant committees, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Eliot Engel and Connie Mack, are all members of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus, which advocates a continuation of hard line policies against Cuba. The foxes are not only in the henhouse: They are running the henhouse.
Unfortunately, the problem is not limited to the leadership of the committee. The anti-Cuba lobby has mounted a long term effort to court Democrats and Republicans on the committee to ensure that legislation like The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act will never make it to the floor. Albio Sires (D, NJ-13), who sits on the committee has already voiced his opposition to this bill. As a member of the Cuba Democracy Caucus, Eliot Engel's opposition is also a foregone conclusion. But there are also eight other Democrats on the committee, who based on their voting history and their sponsorship by the anti-Cuba lobby, are likely to oppose The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act:
Gary Ackerman (D, NY-5; Cuba Democracy Caucus; $9K USCD PAC 2004-2008)
Shelley Berkley (D, NV-1; $7K USCD PAC 2004-2008)
Russ Carnahan (D, MO-3; $8K USCD PAC 2006-2008)
Gene Green (D, TX-29; $4K USCD PAC 2004-2008)
Ron Klein (D, FL-22; $11K USCD PAC 2006-2008)
Brad Miller (D, NC-13; $12K USCD PAC 2004-2008)
Brad Sherman (D, CA-27; $13.5K USCD PAC 2004-2008)
Robert Wexler (D, FL-19; $6.5K USCD PAC 2006-2008)
Most telling of the position of these legislators is the 2007 vote which killed the Rangel Amendment. Had it passed, it would have ended the embargo on Cuba entirely -- not just the travel restrictions for U.S. Citizens. Republicans were nearly unanimous in their opposition to the amendment, with only a handful voting aye. The amendment was defeated when 66 Democrats, many of whom were freshmen courted by the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, crossed party lines to vote nay. All 10 of the Democratic legislators mentioned above were in this group of nay-sayers. So was then Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, who now sits on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which is considering the Senate's version of the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act.
Partisan attitudes on relations with Cuba make it likely that Republicans who have not otherwise taken a position on this issue will oppose the bill. Here is a list of Republican committee members who are co-sponsors of the bill, or who voted for the 2007 Rangel Amendment:
John Boozman (R, AR-3; co-sponsor)
Jeff Flake (R, AZ-6; co-sponsor)
Ron Paul (R, TX-14; co-sponsor)
Donald Manzullo (R, IL-16)
Ted Poe (R, TX-2)
That leaves 14 Republican committee members who can be assumed to oppose the bill. Altogether that makes 24 members of the 48 member committee, three of whom are in leadership, who may try to prevent the bill from reaching the floor. Despite poll after poll that shows that a supermajority of the population favors a change in our relations with Cuba, half of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs is poised to defend the status quo.
The good news is that with a margin this thin, we as citizens and organizers have a real chance to make a difference. All we need to do is convince a few Democrats in Congress that they are better off throwing in their lot with us than the hopefully soon-to-be irrelevant anti-Cuba lobby. The bad news is that if this bill never makes it to the floor, we can't blame the Republicans. If this bill fails, it will mean that we, as the Democratic majority, are either unable or unwilling to wrest our own representatives away from that lobby.
It is vital that Democratic representatives who sit on the committee be contacted by their constituents. Information on how to contact your representatives is included below, but first a review of the remaining members of the committee and their likely positions.
Who's left? 13 Democratic co-sponsors of the bill sit on the committee. Together with the 3 Republican co-sponsors and 2 likely Republican supporters, that makes 18 likely supporters to 24 in opposition. We can add 4 more likely supporters based on their votes in favor of the Rangel Amendment, including the committee chair:
Howard Berman (D, CA-28; Chair)
Eni Faleomavaega (D, American Samoa) (D)
Lynn Woolsey (D, CA-6)
Gabrielle Giffords (D, AZ-8)
That makes 22 likely supporters to 24 in opposition. That leaves two Democrats who have yet to take a clear position on the issue:
Gerry Connolly (D, VA-11)
Michael McMahon (D, NY-13)
If you are a constituent of any of the following Democratic Committee on Foreign Affairs members who voted against the Rangel Amendment in 2007, please consider contacting them to ask that they join the majority of Democrats and U.S. Citizens in supporting travel rights for all Americans:
Gary Ackerman (D, NY-5)
2243 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2601
(email form)
Shelley Berkley (D, NV-1)
405 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5965
(email form)
Russ Carnahan (D, MO-3)
1710 Longworth HOB
Washington DC, 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2671
(email form)
Gene Green (D, TX-29)
2372 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1688
(email form
Ron Klein (D, FL-22)
313 Cannon House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225.3026
(email form
Brad Miller (D, NC-13)
1127 Longworth Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3032
(email form)
Brad Sherman (D, CA-27)
2242 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515-0524
Phone: (202) 225-5911
(email form)
Robert Wexler (D, FL-19)
2241 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3001
(email form)
If you are a constituent of the following Democratic Committee on Foreign Affairs members who have yet to take a position on U.S.-Cuba relations, please contact them to ask them to do what they can to see that the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (H.R.874) makes it to a floor vote, and to consider co-sponsoring the bill:
Gerry Connolly (D, VA-11)
327 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1492
(email form)
Michael McMahon (D, NY-13)
323 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3371
(email form)
Finally, if you are a constituent of the following Democratic Committee on Foreign Affairs members members who voted for the Rangel Amendment, please contact them to ask them to co-sponsor the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (H.R.874):
Howard Berman (D, CA-28; Chair)
2221 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4695
(email form)
Eni Faleomavaega (D, American Samoa)
2422 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-8577
Email: faleomavaega@mail.house.gov
Lynn Woolsey (D, CA-6)
2263 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5161
(email form)
Gabrielle Giffords (D, AZ-8)
1728 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2542
(email form)
If the ball is once again dropped on reforming U.S.-Cuba relations, we can't blame the Republican minority, hard-liners in Miami or the president. If we blow this one, it's on us. Please consider taking action to show your support for travel rights for all U.S. citizens, and for the new American diplomacy.