Diaz-Balart-led republicans ready to punish the Cuban family again
From the Latin America Working Group
(Progreso Weekly Editor’s Note: It is important to note that although this initiative is republican-led, there are numerous democrats in Congress who favor the Diaz-Balart proposal.)
This summer, conservative republicans of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, proposed rolling back President Obama’s executive order that allows Cuban Americans to travel to Cuba to visit their relatives without any restrictions. In response, President Obama threatened to veto any legislation that imposed limits on Cuban Americans’ right to travel freely to visit their families. He is aware that this is an important issue about family values and that it is very important to Cuban-American families in Florida, New Jersey, and across the country.
Today, we have learned that House of Representative Republicans are about to succeed with their punitive campaign against Cuban-American families. They are including rollback language in the “Megabus” appropriations bill now being finalized in the Congress that would prevent Cuban Americans from visiting their relatives more often than once every three years and would limit the remittances they can send. President Obama needs to live up to his promise and say “no” to these efforts to once again divide Cuban families. He must insist that he will not sign this bill if the family travel provision is not removed.
Call the White House Comment Line at 202.456.1111 (recorded comment line) or 202.456.1414 (switchboard) to tell President Obama that it is not acceptable for the Megabus spending bill to include a rollback of Cuban-American family travel or remittances. Tell him to support Cuban-American families and reject any provision that limits their travel to Cuba. You may also leave an email message on the White House website by clicking here.
Here’s a sample message for you to use: “President Obama, it is not acceptable for any spending bill to include a limit of Cuban-American family travel or remittances. Support Cuban-American families, as you promised in your 2008 campaign. Don’t sign a “megabus” bill that limits family rights to travel to Cuba freely.”
The Latin America Working Group (LAWG) leads one of the nation’s longest-standing coalitions dedicated to foreign policy. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it promotes human rights, justice, peace and sustainable development throughout Latin America.
