Bill Delahunt: “10 years in prison, a criminal fine of $250,000, a $50,000 civil penalty. Are these punishments for bank robbers, ax…”

“10 years in prison, a criminal fine of $250,000, a $50,000 civil penalty. Are these punishments for bank robbers, ax murderers, Al Capone, John Dillinger? No. No. This is what can happen to a United States citizen exercising his or her constitutional right to travel to Cuba without a license. What is this license? In this case it is permission. Permission from our own government to exercise a fundamental constitutional right. We are treating our own citizens like school children who need permission to leave their classroom. We would expect this from the Cuban government, not from the government of the United States. In fact, what we have done is erect our own Berlin Wall preventing free travel of American citizens. To paraphrase a former president, President Reagan, it is time to tear the wall down. The travel ban has allowed our preoccupation with Fidel Castro to undermine a fundamental constitutional right. So let us invade Cuba, again, but let us do it this time with academics, missionaries, investors, human rights activists, and tourists. Let the college kids on spring break be the vanguard of this invasion. I know and I am confident that the result will be victory for the Americans and for the Cubans.”