Patty Murray

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. And Bingaman.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2179

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendments Nos. 2177 and 2178 En Bloc

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendments Nos. 2105, 2106, 2108, as Modified, and 2120 En Bloc

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2174

Mrs. MURRAY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. This amendment has been cleared on both sides. It simply requires the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to make sure that all of the appropriate agencies take into consideration the homeless assistance programs. This is especially important for kids today who are homeless, to make sure their rights are protected. I ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2139

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator is absolutely correct. This was about 10 years ago. Since that time, if these young kids were to come today to my office to ask for help, they would not be able to go and do it. What a way to dampen the enthusiasm of young boys in our country. It is telling them that democracy is not about conversations and learning and education and participation. I think that is a negative message. I appreciate the Senator's offering the amendment. I know the administration has issued a veto threat on this bill if this provision is allowed to be included. I say that veto threats have been made on other provisions in this bill. I don't see any reason why the Senate should not go on record and state its view. It is time to lift the travel restrictions on Cuba for all the reasons the Senator from North Dakota has outlined today. I hope we will get to a vote and be able to move forward on this legislation. I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY. I am happy to yield.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I support the amendment offered by my friend from North Dakota. He has made an excellent case for this amendment. I want to note that I am a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this year that would allow this travel between the United States and Cuba. Current policy with regard to Cuba, as enforced by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, permits travel to Cuba today only with permission in the form of a license from the Treasury office for certain reasons such as visits to relatives or journalism or religious or humanitarian purposes. According to Treasury documents, between 1996 and 2003, about a third of Cuba travel cases opened for investigation were referred for civil penalty enforcement action. As the Senator from North Dakota said, these typical penalty assessments for unauthorized travel range from $3,000 to $7,500. That is preposterous. For the last 40 years, the United States has maintained this isolationist position toward Cuba, and the current regime has been there the entire time. I believe, as the Senator from North Dakota so eloquently stated, that permitting travel to Cuba will help demonstrate to Cuba's citizens what a democracy is all about. I tell my colleague that I had a young group of baseball players who went through the entire rigmarole as a young team to go to Cuba a number of years back. They had to go through an entire process. It was amazing what they had to go through to go down and participate in a Little League team playoff with a number of players from Cuba. I had them come back and visit with me when they returned. They wanted to thank me for helping them get through this process. I sat there and listened to them as they told me that they actually lost every single game. Finally, it was so lopsided that the Cuban young boys and they got together and decided, this is ridiculous. We are just losing. So they intermixed their teams, half Cuban and half American, and finished the playoffs that way. What a great thing for democracy. These young people showed to all of us exactly what we want happening in Cuba, that we can sit down, a group of 12-year-old boys, and learn how to get along and to be able to promote some real important values.

Mrs. MURRAY. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, this amendment is an important step for both of our States. I appreciate the Senator from Missouri bringing it forward tonight.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2072, as Modified

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2101, as Modified