House opens door for Cuba travel

On July 20, by a vote of 232 to 186, the House agreed to cease enforcement of the federal restrictions on travel to Cuba. South Carolina Republican Mark Sanford proposed an amendment to the Treasury appropriations bill (HR 4871) that would block funding for the enforcement of a 1996 law severely curbing travel to Cuba.

Sanford argued that allowing travel would help democratize Cuba. "I say this as a conservative. it was, in fact, Ronald Reagan that used this exact strategy in Eastern Europe in working to bring down the Berlin Wall. He allowed Americans to travel with backpacks throughout Eastern Europe and it was part of what brought down the Berlin Wall."

Most Republicans, believing it was rather economic and military pressure, including the threat to build Star Wars, that actually brought down the Berlin Wall, opposed the effort, Including Majority Whip Rep. Tom DeLay (R.-Tex.). He challenged Sanford's argument: "Ronald Reagan did not win the Cold War by engagement and appeasement. Ronald Reagan did the right thing by standing up and pointing to the Communist dictators that killed millions and millions of people, and called them what they are, the Evil Empire. Called them the Evil Empire. Fidel Castro is evil."

"Now, it might be nice to send American citizens down as tourists to pad the pockets of Fidel Castro and fund his habit" DeLay said, "but where is our compassion for the people of Cuba, the people, the thousands upon thousands of people in Cuba that have been maimed, killed, buried? Where is our compassion for the American citizens that Fidel Castro has killed in a murderous way?"

Rep. Jose Serrano (D.-N.Y.) argued that Republican leaders like DeLay were trying to open doors to China but not to Cuba because there is more money to be made in China than Cuba. "[DeLay] let the cat out of the bag. Cuba is a small island, not a large European country. That is the problem. If it was a large European country or an Asian country, he would be lobbying, as he did, for free trade with Cuba, because he was the chief sponsor of lobbying on behalf of President Clinton for free trade with China."

Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D.-Conn.) asked, "Why we would ban American travel? Are we fearful that Americans would somehow be beguiled by Castro's political system, and they would go over? It seems to me clear that our policy for 40 years has failed. If members want to undermine Fidel Castro, get out of the way, let Americans of Cuban descent and every other national origin go there. The contrast will undermine Fidel Castro."

Rep. Joe Moakley (D.-Mass.) said, "in 1998, the Defense Department said that Cuba was no longer a threat to national security. I would say to my colleagues, if the Defense Department does not think Cuba is a threat, why can American citizens not visit there? We allow American citizens to travel all over the world; we should certainly allow them to travel 90 miles away to Cuba."

A "yes" vote was a vote for an amendment that would stop enforcement of the law restricting travel to Cuba. A " vote was a vote to continue restricting travel to Cuba.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Sep 1, 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved