A group of 11 Democratic senators recently urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to ban U.S. commercial flights flying from the United States to nine Cuban cities.
The letter was sent to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The letter acknowledges disagreements with the Cuban Government but states the ban harms Cuban-American families and U.S. carriers as well as Cuban citizens, businesses, and farmers. The ban also fails to achieve any national security or foreign policy objectives.
“While administration officials have claimed to be on the side of the Cuban people, officials have also estimated that the administration’s travel restrictions will reduce the number of American visitors to Cuba by more than half, which is already having devastating consequences for Cuban entrepreneurs,” the letter said.
The senators asked the administration to answer four questions related to what the administration hopes to achieve through these restrictions, how the restrictions will benefit U.S. and Cuban citizens, the impact the restriction will have on travel, and what similar restrictions be imposed on other countries.
The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Udall (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).