SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO BOLSTER CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUBA MAY ACTUALLY BE JEOPARDIZING U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
OCTOBER 15, 2003
SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO BOLSTER CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUBA MAY ACTUALLY BE JEOPARDIZING U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today said that the Bush Administration is misplacing priorities by devoting "additional resources to enforcing the Cuba travel ban, instead of homeland security." Schakowsky expressed her concern that the Bush Administration's efforts to bolster its campaign against the Cuban Government "may actually be jeopardizing U.S. national security."
Below is Schakowsky's letter to President Bush:
October 15, 2003
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing in response to your White House Rose Garden speech on Cuba on October 10, 2003. I am concerned that, in an effort to bolster your campaign against the Cuban Government, you may actually be jeopardizing U.S. national security.
At a time when only a small fraction of all cargo containers entering U.S. ports are searched for dangerous cargo and when nearly every state and municipality in the nation is struggling to meet new, post-9/11 homeland security needs, your decision to devote additional resources to enforcing the Cuba travel ban, instead of homeland security, seems to me to be a misplacement of priorities.
Your announcement that you have ".instructed the Department of Homeland Security to increase inspections of travelers and shipments to and from Cuba," and to ".target those who travel to Cuba illegally through third countries" makes me believe that you do not share my concern that there are significant, credible threats posed to our nation by the lack of security at our ports and the unmet homeland security needs so many of our hometowns are now struggling to address. I share the hopes of many that Cuba will one day soon be a country where the public enjoys the same freedoms as the American public. I share that hope for the people of many nations, including many with whom the United States currently has open relations.
Instead of hurrying a political transition in Cuba, I believe the net result of your new policy announcement will be the confiscation of more Cuban Cigars while, other, critical national security vulnerabilities will continue to lack the level of attention and resources they warrant from your Administration. Instead of devoting new and additional resources to cracking down on those who wish to travel to Cuba, I urge you to first guarantee to the American public that you are doing everything possible to protect them from terrorism. I believe that is a guarantee you can not truthfully make today.
Again, I urge you to devote the necessary resources to U.S. Homeland Security before providing additional resources to your campaign against the Cuban government. I look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress