mr. sosa will make a compelling argument that engaging the cubans however, allowing travel and other means will foster@@@@r untry, just answer that question. ken lay pointman example of that? >> i don't think we have a travel ban on cuba. for a long period of time, for a long period of time large numbers of people that been able to go, hundreds of thousands of cuban-americans can go. my point is they have not brought any political change of the sword people are arguing here should result from that. >> reclaiming my time. it has been mentioned as well that this legislation are what we are trying to do here is to increase-- encourage tourism or promote tourism or to encourage travel. mr. peters you studied the legislation. this is legislation contain a grant program for travel agents to promote travel to cuba or does this legislation simply say you are allowed. we will give you the freedom that we give you and every other area? >> it is the latter. the legislation you are referring ends the proh

and now mr. sosa. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman and ranking member for the opportunity to speak today. i am a cuban-americans on, brother, nephews and cousins of cubin heroes who fought in the bay of pigs and served time in castro's jails. as a hispanic and a republican, i am a member of to minorities in my home state of massachusetts, and one of the 13% who voted for george w. bush and 2004. however, i am a part of a new and growing cuban majority. 67% that seek to end the isolation of cubans and americans from each other, and that's why i'm here today. the ban on american travel to cuba is an affront to those who believe the right to travel is a fundamental right of all american citizens. we who believe in limited government object to the notion of requiring the government license to travel to cuba, the only country for which such license is needed. the travel ban is a violation of our inherent right to privacy, of our right to free speech, our right to freely associate with whom we wish and our right to pursue happiness

mr. sosa has been active in seeking and into the isolation of cuba and testified previously before the international operations and human rights subcommittee on lifting traveling remittance restrictions for cuban-americans. burt the antunez is the cuban citizen who is an active in human rights in cuba. ever since she became aware of abuses committed against our unjustly imprisoned brother, jorge luis garcia perez she came together with a group of other key men mothers in defense of prisoners' rights. in the early 1990's she helped create the national movement for civic resistance, pedro luis cordell, to fight to harassment against their relatives in prison. her movement has been active venturing prisoners rights and publicizing human rights abuses against political prisoners. our last witness is philip peters vice president of the lettington institute. he served in the state department's latin american bureau during the reagan and george h.w. bush administration. he has reported on cuban econo

mr. sosa has been active in seeking and into the isolation of cuba and testified previously before the international operations and human rights subcommittee on lifting traveling remittance restrictions for cuban-americans. burt the antunez is the cuban citizen who is an active in human rights in cuba. ever since she became aware of abuses committed against our unjustly imprisoned brother, jorge luis garcia perez she came together with a group of other key men mothers in defense of prisoners' rights. in the early 1990's she helped create the national movement for civic resistance, pedro luis cordell, to fight to harassment against their relatives in prison. her movement has been active venturing prisoners rights and publicizing human rights abuses against political prisoners. our last witness is philip peters vice president of the lettington institute. he served in the state department's latin american bureau during the reagan and george h.w. bush administration. he has reported on cuban econo

mr. sosas been active in seeking and into the isolation of cuba and testified previously before the international operations and human rights subcommittee on lifting traveling remittance restrictions for cuban-americans. burt the antunez is the cuban citizen who is an active in human rights in cuba. ever since she became aware of abuses committed against our unjustly imprisoned brother, jorge luis garcia perez she came together with a group of other key men mothers in defense of prisoners' rights. in the early 1990's she helped create the national movement for civic resistance, pedro luis cordell, to fight to harassment against their relatives in prison. her movement has been active venturing prisoners rights and publicizing human rights abuses against political prisoners. our last witness is philip peters vice president of the lettington institute. he served in the state department's latin american bureau during the reagan and george h.w. bush administration. he has reported on cuban economic