Charles Grossman, MD, a retired Portland physician, held a press conference Friday, May 1, at the law offices of Kafoury & McDougal, 320 SW Stark, Ste 202 to formally announce his intention to challenge the federal ban on tourist visits to Cuba, and to encourage President Obama to lift the ban now. Dr. Grossman released the following statement:
In view of the lack of action by President Obama on lifting the ban on tourist visits to Cuba (Wall Street Journal, 4/17/09), I have decided that I shall challenge the ban by going as a tourist to Cuba on May 3, 2009. Legislation has been introduced in Congress regarding lifting all bans for US citizens to visit Cuba, however, President Obama has failed to administratively permit tourists access to free travel. His lack of action is not satisfactory for several reasons: 1) Needed US leadership in international diplomacy; 2) The chance to support and strengthen both Cuba and US economies regarding trade/tourism; 3) The chance to study positive and negative benefits of a single-payer healthcare system.
Senator Michael Enzi (R) of Wyoming introduced The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (S. 428), and it is co-sponsored by 25 Senators, inluding Oregon's Ron Wyden, and the companion version House HR (828) is co-sponsored by 125 Representatives, including Oregon's Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio. [Where are Merkley, Wu and Schrader?]
I demonstrate my support for the legislation to permit tourist travel by leaving tomorrow. It is my hope that my travel will draw attention to the slowness of Congressional action. As a 94 year-old retired physician, I am not sure how long it will be before I can “legally” visit Cuba, or whether I shall live that long.
In the tradition of Linus Pauling, an old personal friend, who always called a press conference when he had difficulty traveling abroad, I encourage all Americans to follow my lead to challenge injustice as I am demonstrating today, and as I have tried to demonstrate my entire medical career.
Charles Grossman, MD
Recipient of Citizen of Year Award by Oregon Social Workers (1980)
Recipient of Albert Schweizer Peace Award by the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War (1989)
Member of Physicians for Social Responsibility and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985
Dr. Grossman was the first physician in the U.S. to administer penicillin. The patient was a moribund woman at Yale University in 1942. She made a full recovery.