As President Barack Obama prepared to announce a seismic shift toward Cuba, at least six lawmakers were returning from the latest of dozens of trips to the island nation in the last five years.
Five Democratic lawmakers and a Republican traveled Dec. 12-16 last year to Havana through an organization called the Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba. The trips were a few of the 21 privately funded travels to Cuba in 2014 by members of Congress or their staffs, a number that could climb higher in the next few weeks as members file final travel disclosure reports.
In 2014, Democrats approved 16 of the trips, while Republicans approved five, at a total cost of nearly $70,000. The Center for Democracy in the Americas sponsored all the trips in 2014 except the latest to Havana.
In the December trip, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Barbara Jean Lee (D-Calif.) so far have all filed paperwork showing they participated. The organization sponsoring the trip works to increase cooperation with the U.S., Cuba and elsewhere around the world to improve health outcomes.
In 2013, travel disclosures show only five trips to Cuba along with seven in 2012. Since January 2010, lawmakers and staffers have traveled to Cuba 59 times at a cost to outside groups of more than $150,000.
Of the trips since 2010, 44 were approved by Democrats and 15 by Republicans.
