Wealth Finance

It seems more likely than ever that Americans could soon be traveling freely to Cuba, the Communist nation just 90 miles from U.S. shores that has been a forbidden destination for nearly 50 years.

Earlier this summer, the House Agriculture Committee voted to reverse the long-standing ban on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba, which was first imposed during the Kennedy Administration at the height of the Cold War. The White House had slightly modified the ban last year, when President Obama began allowing Cuban-Americans to visit relatives in the island nation.

H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, also calls for easing trade restrictions and is now on track to be voted on by the full House of Representatives. Although no timetable is in place, news reports indicate there is sufficient support for passage, though there is still some resistance in Congress.
“This legislation is the right policy at the right time,” said Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), chairman of the committee. “We have tried to isolate Cuba for more than fifty years, and it has not worked. As it has in other countries, perhaps increasing trade with Cuba will encourage democratic progress.”

According to the U.S. State Department, certain travelers currently are exempted from the ban, including journalists and certain members of educational institutions and religious organizations. Detailed information on Cuban sanctions is available from the U.S. Treasury Department.

In April 2009 a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll of 1,023 Americans found 64 percent favored lifting the travel ban.—William J. McGee

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