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Caribbean-Latin America
House OKs Measures to Ease Sanctions Against Cuba
2004-09-24
EFL
A day after moving to nullify the Bush administration's new rules restricting family travel to Cuba, the House on Wednesday voted to remove barriers to agriculture sales and student exchanges in the island nation. But, as in past years, actions by the House and Senate to ease decades of economic and social sanctions imposed on Cuba are expected to make little headway against an administration determined not to make life easier for Fidel Castro's government. The White House has threatened to veto a $90 billion Transportation and Treasury Department spending bill if it contains any language to weaken sanctions. The bill, for fiscal 2005 programs, passed 397-12. The House on Wednesday approved two of the Cuba amendments without a roll call vote.
The admendment sponsors are all leftist members of the Black Caucus. Has anyone else noticed that none of the most powerful Latin American leftists are black.
The first, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-LaLaLand Calif., would make it easier to sell agricultural products, medicine and medical supplies to Cuba. Sales of such goods have been legal since 2001, but restrictions on commercial financing and credit guarantees have discouraged exports. The second, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., prohibits funds to enforce regulations promulgated June 30 this year that erect obstacles to American student programs in Cuba. The rules are "just plain undemocratic and punitive and simply don't make sense for Americans," she said.

On Tuesday the House voted 225-174 to approve an amendment by Rep. Jim Davis, D-Fla., that blocks another June 30 rule allowing Cuban-Americans to visit family in Cuba only once every three years. Davis' provision would restore the old system allowing one visit a year. A far broader proposal by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., to end the economic embargo with Cuba, lost 225-188. Cuban-American Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., led the opposition to any easing of sanctions, saying it was "in bad taste" to give breaks to Castro at a time he is stepping up the suppression of dissidents. "We don't think it is appropriate now to reward the dictatorship with financing," he said of Waters' amendment.
Posted by:Super Hose

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