CLOSING REMARKS FOR THE FREEDOM TO TRAVEL FORUM
Congressman James McGovern (D-MA)

Freedom to Travel Forum and Day of Action
215 Dirksen Senate Office Building
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.
July 15, 2003

Before I begin my closing comments, I want to acknowledge and thank the Center for International Policy, the Lexington Institute, USA*Engage, and the Association of Travel-Related Industry Professionals for creating this excellent series of presentations.

I especially want to thank Sarah Stephens, Phil Peters, Wayne Smith, Brent Gibadlo, Dan O'Flaherty, Silvia Wilhelm, Anya Landau and Jody Frisch for their hard work and skill at coordinating the many elements that came together in this remarkable forum.

I think none of us can leave this morning's series of presentations without recognizing the profound, self-defeating effect of the U.S. travel ban on the American people and on American business.

As the speakers of this final panel have clearly outlined, there are many benefits for the United States that would come about from lifting the travel ban.

And as the second panel indicated, there is a broad and diverse array of U.S. citizens and mainstream American institutions that would like to continue to travel to Cuba - legally.

I believe, quite simply, that travel to Cuba is the right of every American - because the freedom to travel is the birthright of every American.

Current law strips Americans of this right.

It strips away our ability to communicate directly with Cubans. And at a time when it is more important than ever for communications and exchanges to increase between Cubans and Americans, the limitations on travel are being made even more restrictive.

We are shutting off the free exchange of ideas.

We are shutting off exactly the kind of interchange that cannot be controlled by any government, no matter how much control it exercises over its people.

As I have stated on a number of occasions, I am very eager to see how the Castro Government handles Spring Break.

But there are more serious issues at stake regarding the freedom to travel to Cuba.

There are hospitals in America right now who cannot engage in the exchange of medical information and research on Sickle Cell Anemia and on Hepatitis B Vaccines with their Cuban counterparts because of the restrictions on travel.

There are cultural and not-for-credit academic programs that cannot continue or expand their programs with their Cuban counterparts or which are held at Cuban cultural and historical sites because of the restrictions on travel.

America suffers - culturally, educationally, and in research and development - as well as commercially - because our own government is afraid of granting us the right to travel to Cuba.

Overwhelming majorities in Congress support lifting the ban on travel.

As members of the first panel emphasized, dissidents on the island support lifting the travel ban. They recognize - as should our own government - that it can only help in efforts to open up space in Cuban society for dialogue and alternative points of view.

I hope we will all reflect upon the wealth of information provided this morning and work for change in U.S. policy.

And before I close, I want to thank all of you who have come to Washington today to talk to Members of Congress about the importance of this issue.

It is because of you and other individuals and organizations like yours that overwhelming majorities in both chambers of Congress support changing U.S. policy towards Cuba.

You have made the difference.

You are the reason why Members of Congress who have nothing else in common have come together on this one issue.

It is because of you and your efforts that you have a Barry Goldwater Republican from Arizona, Jeff Flake, and a George McGovern Democrat from Massachusetts, Jim McGovern, offering an amendment together to lift the ban on travel to Cuba for the past two years - and we will do it again this year.

So be strong when you meet with Senators and Representatives this afternoon. Let them know why it is the mainstream opinion of this Congress and the American people to change these policies. Let them know how it affects you and how it affects people in their states and districts.

For you and I know one thing is true: It is past time the Congress and the Executive put an end to the ban on travel to Cuba.