{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-sends-letter-urging-region-specific-travel-advisory-for-somaliland", "Sen. Cruz Sends Letter Urging Region-Specific Travel Advisory for Somaliland", "2026-07-29", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the U.S. Department of State to establish a region-specific Travel Advisory that distinguishes Somaliland from Somalia.\n\nBelow are highlights and excerpts from the letter:\n\n\u201cThe Department currently maintains a Level 4 \u201cDo Not Travel\u201d advisory for Somalia that applies equally to Somaliland. The Department\u2019s website warns Americans not to travel to Somalia because of \u201ccrime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, health, landmines, systematic mistreatment of women, systematic mistreatment of gay and lesbian individuals, piracy, abuse of residents in rehabilitation centers, and confiscation of passports by family members.\u201d That assessment does not reflect the reality on the ground in Somaliland.\n\n\u201cSomaliland has functioned as a stable, self-governing, democratic nation for nearly three decades. Since 2003, it has held multiple peaceful, competitive elections and democratic transfers of power. Somaliland is also a reliable security and diplomatic partner for the United States that advance American interests in the Horn of Africa and beyond.\n\n\u201cThe current advisory is inaccurate and counterproductive to U.S. national security interests. Americans deserve travel guidance that reflects the conditions on the ground, rather than a onesize-fits-all assessment that fails to distinguish Somaliland\u2019s peaceful governance and security environment from conditions elsewhere in Somalia.\n\n\u201cI urge you to promptly direct Diplomatic Security to conduct a tiered assessment of Somalia and establish a separate, region-specific Travel Advisory for Somaliland. Doing so would provide Americans with more accurate travel guidance while supporting robust engagement with one of our most dependable partners in the Horn of Africa.\u201d\n\nClick here to read the full letter.\n\nBACKGROUND:", 1, "2026-07-30T07:32:48Z", "2026-07-30T07:34:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-sends-letter-urging-region-specific-travel-advisory-for-somaliland"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4684400521218777, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}