Cuba

Cuba Alert From Alliance for Global Justice

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May 18, 2009
AFGJ ALERT

The Campaign for Labor Rights and the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (formerly Network) are both, along with the Respect for Democracy Campaign, and the Nicaragua Network, parts of a larger, umbrella organization: the Alliance for Global Justice. We are going through a reorganization that puts greater emphasis on the AFGJ, while keeping the various “campaigns” intact. This allows us greater flexibility and outreach, while making us more efficient and broader in outlook. Let us know if you have any questions or comments about these changes!

A Legislative Action Alert from IFCO/Pastors for Peace!

ASK YOUR REPS TO SUPPORT THE “FREEDOM TO TRAVEL TO CUBA” BILLS AND THE “US/CUBA TRADE NORMALIZATION ACT”
Call Congress:
202-224-3121

[The Alliance for Global Justice has received this important action Alert from Pastors for Peace. For more information, write [email protected]]

Momentum has been building in support of the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba” bills (HR874 in the House of Representatives and S428 in the Senate; the two bills are identical). There are now 147 co- sponsors in the House and 26 in the Senate; the House bill added 11 new co-sponsors just last Friday. We want to help guarantee this bill’s success, and to send a message to the Congress and the Obama administration that they need to keep taking steps toward a new US/Cuba policy.

PLEASE CHECK THE LIST BELOW TO SEE WHETHER YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND YOUR SENATORS HAVE SIGNED ON AS CO-SPONSORS OF THE “FREEDOM TO TRAVEL TO CUBA” BILLS (HR874/S428). If they’re on the list, call and thank them! If not, please call them this week: let them know there are dozens of reasons to end restrictions on travel to Cuba ­ and urge them to sign on to these bills!

ALSO: Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), who traveled to Cuba with Rep. Barbara Lee’s delegation last month, chairs the Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. After holding a hearing last week on the topic of opening trade with Cuba, he has introduced a bill, HR2272, which would repeal the Torricelli and Helms-Burton Acts, take Cuba off the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’ and end trade restrictions. The bill already has 47 co-sponsors (listed below). Please ask your reps to sign on to co-sponsor HR2272 to end restrictions on trade to Cuba.

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House Bill HR874: sponsored by Rep William Delahunt (D-MA) and co-sponsored by Reps Abercrombie (D-HI), Alexander (R-LA), Baird (D-WA), Baldwin (D-WI), Berry (D-AR), Biggert (R-IL), Bishop, S (D- GA), Bishop, T (D-NY), Blumenauer (D-OR), Boozman (R-AR), Boswell (D-IA), Boucher (D-VA), Brady (D-PA), Brown, H. (R-SC), Capps (D-CA), Capuano (D-MA), Chaffetz (R-UT), Clarke (D-NY), Clay (D- MO), Cleaver (D-MO), Cohen (D-TN), Conyers (D-MI), Cooper (D-TN) Costa (D-CA), Costello (D-IL), Courtney (D-CT), Crowley (D-NY), Cummings (D-MD), Davis, D (D-IL), Davis, L (D-TN), Davis, S (D- CA), DeFazio (D-OR), DeGette (D-CO), DeLauro (D-CT), Doggett (D-TX), Doyle (D-PA), Edwards, D (D-MD), Ehlers (R-MI), Ellison (D-MN), Emerson (R-MO), Eshoo (D-CA), Etheridge (D-NC), Farr (D- CA), Fattah (D-PA), Filner (D-CA), Flake (R-AZ), Frank (D-MA), Fudge (D-OH), Gonzalez (D-TX), Gordon (D-TN), Grijalva (D-AZ), Gutierrez (D-IL), Harman (D-CA), He rseth Sandlin (D-SD), Hinchey (D- NY), Holden (D-PA), Holt (D-NJ), Honda (D-CA), Inslee (D-WA), Israel (D-NY), Jackson (D-IL), Jackson Lee (D-TX), Johnson, EB (D-TX), Johnson, H (D-GA), Johnson, T (R-IL), Kagen (D-WI), Kanjorski (D- PA), Kaptur (D-OH), Kildee (D-MI), Kilpatrick (D-MI), Kilroy (D-OH), Kind (D-WI), Kucinich (D-OH), Larsen (D-WA), Larson (D-CT), Lee (D-CA), Lewis (D-GA), Lofgren (D-CA), Lowey (D-NY), Lummis (R- WY), Lynch (D-MA), Maloney (D-NY), Markey, E (D-MA), Matheson (D-UT), Matsui (D-CA), McCarthy, C (D-NY), McCollum (D-MN), McDermott (D-WA), McGovern (D-MA), Meeks (D-NY), Michaud (D- ME), Miller, G (D-CA), Mollohan (D-WV), Moore, D (D-KS), Moore, G (D-WI), Moran, James (D-VA), Moran, Jerry (R-KS), Murtha (D-PA), Nadler (D-NY), Neal (D-MA), Norton (D-DC), Oberstar (D-MN), Olver (D-MA), Ortiz (D-TX), Pastor (D-AZ), Paul (R-TX), Payne (D-NJ), Peterson (D-MN), Pingree (D- ME), Polis (D-CO), Pomeroy (D-ND), Price, D (D-NC), Rangel (D-NY), Richardson (D-CA), R oss (D-AR), Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rush (D-IL), Ryan, T (D-OH), Sanch ez, Linda (D-CA), Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA), Schakowsky (D-IL), Schwartz (D-PA), Scott, D (D-GA), Serrano (D-NY), Slaughter (D-NY), Smith, Adam (D-WA), Snyder (D-AR), Stark (D-CA), Tanner (D-TN), Tauscher (D-CA), Taylor (D-MS), Thompson, B (D-MS), Thompson, M (D-CA), Tierney (D-MA), Towns (D-NY), Van Hollen (D-MD), Velasquez (D-NY), Walz (D-MN), Waters (D-CA), Watson (D-CA), Watt (D-NC), Waxman (D-CA), Weiner (D-NY), Welch (D-VT), Woolsey (D-CA), Yarmuth (D-KY). [147 total: 135 Democrats and 12 Republicans, as of 5/11/09]

Senate Bill S428: sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and co-sponsored by Senators Barasso (R- WY), Baucus (D-MT), Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA), Cantwell (D-WA), Conrad (D-ND), Crapo (R- ID), Dodd (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Enzi (R-WY), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Harkin (D- IA), Johnson (D-SD), Landrieu (D-LA), Leahy (D-VT), Lincoln (D-AR), Lugar (R-IN), McCaskill (D-MO), Pryor (D-AR), Reed (D-RI), Sanders (I-VT), Udall, T (D-NM), Webb (D-VA), Wyden (D-OR). (Withdrawn: Bennett, M (D-CO).) [26 total: 21 Democrats, 1 Independent, and 4 Republicans, as of 5/11/09]

House Bill HR2272: sponsored by Rep Bobby Rush (D-IL) and co-sponsored by Reps Abercrombie (D-HI), Bishop, S (D-GA), Brady (D-PA), Capuano (D-MA), Clarke (D-NY), Clay (D-MO), Cleaver (D-MO), Clyburn (D-SC), Cohen (D-TN), Conyers (D-MI), Costello (D-IL), Cummings (D-MD), Davis, D (D-IL), Delahunt (D-MA), Ellison (D-MN), Farr (D-CA), Fattah (D-PA), Filner (D-CA), Frank (D-MA), Fudge (D-OH), Green, A (D-TX), Hinchey (D-NY), Johnson, EB (D-TX), Johnson, H (D-GA), Kaptur (D-OH), Kildee (D-MI), Kilpatrick (D-MI), Kucinich (D-OH), Lee (D-CA), Lewis (D-GA), Matsui (D-CA), McDermott (D-WA), Meeks (D-NY), Moore, G (D-WI), Neal (D-MA), Payne (D-NJ), Rangel (D-NY), Richardson (D-CA), Schakowsky (D-CA), Scott, D (D-GA), Serrano (D-NY), Stupak (D-MI), Towns (D-NY), Velasquez (D-NY), Waters (D-CA), Watt (D-NC), Woolsey (D-CA) [48 total: 48 Democrats, as of 5/11/09]

For more information, contact:
IFCO/PASTORS FOR PEACE
418 West 145th Street, 3-FL.
New York NY 10031
tel: 212.926.5757 – fax 212.926.5842 – e-mail [email protected]