Rep. Bobbie Rush (D-IL) introduces legislation to end trade restrictions with Cuba

This release is from IFCO/PASTORS and US CUBA LABOR EXCHANGE:

ACTION ALERT: FREEDOM TO TRAVEL & TRADE

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"

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.

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.

Congressional switchboard: 202/225-3121. Questions? Comments? Feedback? Email us or call us at IFCO: 212/926-5757.

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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), Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Hinchey (D- NY), Holden (D-PA), Hol
t (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), Ross (D-AR), Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rush (D-IL), Ryan, T (D
-OH), Sanchez, 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]