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The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act is a bill that was introduced into the U.S. Congress in February 2009. The proposed legislation would allow U.S. citizens to engage in unrestricted travel to Cuba for the first time since 1963. The bill was introduced by Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass) with eight co-sponsors, including Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn), Sam Farr (D-Calif), and Ron Paul (R- Texas).〔(Bill would drop travel restrictions to Cuba ), South Florida Sun Sentinel, February 10, 2009〕〔(Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2009, THOMAS )〕 Bob Whitley, president of the United States Tour Operators Association, has supported the measure, remarking "if Americans don't like the policies of the government of a country, they can choose not to go. But a lot of people want to see Cuba because they've been denied the right."〔(Cuba: Close, but no Cigar for U.S. Tourists ) by Kitty Bean Yancey, ''USA Today''〕 The bill is currently sidelined in a committee. ==Support== As of July 2009, the bill had more than 150 Congressional signatories.〔 Florida attorney Tony Martinez has voiced support of the bill noting that "U.S. foreign policy shouldn't be manipulated to serve a political agenda", while noting that "the majority of all Americans want the ending of the embargo and the lifting of travel restrictions."〔 In July 2010, ''Newsweek magazine'' reported that a poll conducted by Andy Gomez, associate provost at the University of Miami, found that 64 percent of Cuban-Americans in Miami now support a unilateral lifting of the travel ban.〔(Havana Dreaming ) by Arian Campo-Flores, ''Newsweek magazine'', July 24, 2010〕 In lieu of changing perceptions, former Democratic Senator Gary Hart criticized the continuing embargo, remarking "second generation Cuban-Americans are finally beginning to change their community's attitudes and make it clear they no longer are interested in holding the mighty U.S.'s foreign policy toward a tiny nearby country hostage to their parents' anger."〔(Fiction in Foreign Policy ) by Gary Hart, ''The Huffington Post'', March 7, 2011〕 In June 2011, former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern spoke out against the travel ban before visiting Cuba, remarking: McGovern blamed "embittered Cuban exiles in Miami" for keeping the embargo alive all these years, because of their dislike for Fidel Castro.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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