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The Freedom to
Travel to Cuba Act was introduced in 2015 by eight Republican
and Democratic co-sponsors but never made it to the floor. The
latest measure attracted 55 co-sponsors.
While efforts to ease the decades-old U.S. embargo against Cuba
have been gathering strength and 55 votes would be a majority in
the 100-member Senate, that number falls short of the 60 needed
to advance the legislation. There was no indication the
chamber’s Republican leaders would allow the measure to come up
for a vote.
Republican President Donald Trump threatened during his 2016
election campaign to reverse a normalization of ties with the
Communist-run, Caribbean island initiated in 2014 by Democratic
President Barack Obama. Trump's administration is reviewing U.S.
policy toward the country's former Cold War foe.
Obama eased trade and travel restrictions, fueling a boom in
American visits to Cuba, although tourism was still not
officially allowed.
On Wednesday, more than 40 U.S. travel companies and
organizations urged Trump not to roll back expanded U.S. travel
to Cuba.
"It is Americans who are penalized by our travel ban, not the
Cuban government," said U.S. Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who
with Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy led the group that
co-sponsored the bill.
Flake added that lifting the ban would give Americans more
freedom but also benefit the Cuban people.
"This is certain to have positive benefits for the island’s
burgeoning entrepreneurial and private sector.”
The number of U.S. visitors rose 74 percent last year, boosting
business for Cuban hotels, BnBs, restaurants and taxis but also
U.S. cruise operators and airlines that entered the market over
the past year.
"We applaud Senators Flake and Leahy for their leadership in
supporting the American and Cuban people by eliminating archaic,
outdated policy," said James Williams, president of the
Washington-based Engage Cuba group.
There is still strong congressional opposition to any ending of
Cuba's isolation, led by anti-Castro Cuban-American lawmakers
including Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator
Robert Menendez.
They say the United States should not make travel to Cuba easier
before the Havana government moves toward democracy.
(Reporting by Sarah Marsh in Havana and Patricia Zengerle in
Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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