FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2000

Contact:
Eric Thomas
Pete Kasperowicz
202/822-9491

USA*ENGAGE Welcomes House Move to Ease Cuba Embargo

Washington, D.C. – USA*ENGAGE today called this week’s House vote to ease the U.S. Cuba embargo a "significant step" toward the goal of engagement with Cuba. By a 232 to 186 vote, the House on July 20 voted to prohibit the Treasury Department and its Office of Foreign Assets Control from using funds to block travel to Cuba or to deny the sale of food and medicine to that country.

"The freedom to travel to Cuba and the ability to sell humanitarian goods such as food and medicine are the essential elements of a policy of engagement with Cuba," said Frank Kittredge, Vice Chairman of USA*ENGAGE and President of the National Foreign Trade Council. "With this important vote, the House has formally confirmed what most people are coming to realize – a policy of isolation against Cuba no longer makes sense."

Unilateral economic sanctions rarely work, and are often counterproductive to other U.S. interests. Unilateral sanctions against Cuba are particularly problematic, since they target the most vulnerable people in Cuba and have failed to undermine the Castro regime. "It is time for the U.S. to stop using humanitarian aid and restricting people-to-people contact between the U.S. and Cuba. These tactics have proven to be ineffective as well as morally questionable," Kittredge said.

Kittredge urged the Senate to take up similar legislation before the end of the session. "Congress now has an extraordinary opportunity to promote positive change in Cuba," he concluded.

USA*ENGAGE is a coalition of 670 small and large businesses, agriculture groups and trade associations working to seek alternatives to the proliferation of unilateral U.S. foreign policy sanctions and to promote the benefits of U.S. engagement abroad. For more information on USA*ENGAGE and the harmful effects of unilateral trade sanctions, visit the USA*ENGAGE web site at www.usaengage.org.

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