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Trade groups want the Cuba-travel vote in upcoming lame-duck session of Congress
06.10.2010
A number of business associations are planning a lobbying blitz during the lame-duck session to repeal the U.S. travel ban to Cuba.
The bill ran into trouble last week when Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, postponed a markup of the legislation.
Despite the setback, lobbyists for business and farm groups say that this Congress may be their best opportunity to see the bill passed and signed into law. Republicans are expected to make big gains in the midterm elections and are seen as less likely to vote for a bill that loosens restrictions on Cuba.
The National Farmers Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), the National Pork Producers Council, and other groups plan to lobby lawmakers to take up the bill again during the lame-duck session.
“A vote by the committee that has jurisdiction over the travel provision of the bill would send a strong signal,” said Jake Colvin, a vice president at NFTC. “We have always thought the committee vote would be tougher than the floor vote. If you can get it out of committee, you can win on the floor.”
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