Sec. 2. Findings

288 words·~1 min read·/bill/116/s/2303/is/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress makes the following findings: During the more than 50 years since the United States initially restricted travel by Americans to Cuba— the Soviet Union has dissolved into a dozen independent states; and the United States has resumed diplomatic and trade relations with the communist governments of China and of Vietnam. There are no such restrictions on travel by Americans to any other country except North Korea. While restrictions on travel by Cuban Americans were lifted in 2009, continuing restrictions on, and requirements of licenses for, travel by non-Cuban Americans are discriminatory and without justification.

Since 2013, the Government of Cuba— has ended restrictions on foreign travel for most Cubans; has permitted Cubans to buy and sell real property; has permitted hundreds of thousands of Cubans to work as private entrepreneurs; and has greatly expanded public access to the Internet. Restrictions on travel by Americans to Cuba have resulted in a significant loss of revenue for private Airbnb hosts, restaurants, taxi drivers, and other small businesses in Cuba. Many companies in Europe, Canada, Russia, and other countries regularly send their representatives to Cuba, while American companies cannot do so, preventing American companies, including banks and credit card companies, from providing services to Americans who travel to Cuba under a general license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury.

A majority of Americans from every region of the country and in both major political parties consistently support normalizing travel by Americans to Cuba. Ending restrictions on travel to Cuba, and transactions incident to such travel would— pose no threat to the security of the United States; advance United States national interests in the hemisphere; and foster free enterprise and democracy in Cuba.