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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, In 2015, President Barack Obama restored U.S.
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| 3 | diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba and issued
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| 4 | regulatory changes that allowed increased commercial relations
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| 5 | and a move towards normalization of travel to Cuba for American
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| 6 | citizens; these changes were widely supported by businesses in
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| 7 | Illinois and the United States; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, The administration of President Donald Trump has | ||||||
| 9 | imposed new
restrictions on American travel, remittances, | ||||||
| 10 | intellectual
exchanges, and trade with Cuba, reversing the | ||||||
| 11 | Obama
administration's normalization of relations with Cuba; | ||||||
| 12 | and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Under the new Trump rules, a number of visits by
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| 14 | individuals to Cuba will no longer be allowed; citizens from | ||||||
| 15 | the
United States will no longer be able to travel to Cuba | ||||||
| 16 | under the
popular people-to-people license once recognized by | ||||||
| 17 | the U.S.
Department of Treasury; as articulated by a number of | ||||||
| 18 | Illinois and
U.S. organizations, these actions are a tragic | ||||||
| 19 | blow for U.S.
citizens' freedom to travel; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Along with cruise ships, the United States has
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| 21 | also banned private planes and boats from traveling to Cuba | ||||||
| 22 | from
the U.S.; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, The Trump rules "are intended to steer economic
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| 2 | activities away from the Cuban military, intelligence and
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| 3 | security services" and "encourage the government to move
toward | ||||||
| 4 | greater economic freedom for the Cuban people"; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, The people of Cuba are now suffering economically,
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| 6 | even more than before, due to the change in U.S. policy; Cuba | ||||||
| 7 | is
a different country than it was in 1959, and the Cuban | ||||||
| 8 | people
deserve the opportunity for open trade with other | ||||||
| 9 | countries;
normalizing the relationship between the United | ||||||
| 10 | States and Cuba
could help the infant small private businesses | ||||||
| 11 | in Cuba and
provide opportunities for the citizens and | ||||||
| 12 | businesses of
Illinois; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Illinois has shown two decades of bi-partisan
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| 14 | effort in encouraging U.S. normalization with Cuba for the
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| 15 | benefit and enrichment of the people of Cuba and Illinois,
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| 16 | which includes commerce and mutual cultural understanding; | ||||||
| 17 | therefore, be it
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| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 19 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
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| 20 | we urge President Trump to return to normalizing the
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| 21 | relationship between the United States and Cuba; and be it | ||||||
| 22 | further | ||||||
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That we urge Governor Pritzker to lead a
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| 2 | delegation to visit Cuba in support of the Cuban people as soon
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| 3 | as possible; and be it further
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| 4 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
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| 5 | delivered to President Donald Trump and Governor JB Pritzker.
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