Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Family travel legislation

A Senate subcommittee approved a bill that includes an amendment to end the Cuban American family travel restrictions that the Bush Administration imposed in 2004 (see Congressional Quarterly story). Last month, the House Appropriations Committee included a similar provision in its version of the same bill, the financial services appropriation that covers the Treasury Department. The provision faces many hurdles: possible amendments to remove it, a possible veto threat, and the possibility that the bill itself will not be considered due to a logjam affecting all appropriations bills, which could lead to a stopgap appropriations bill that would most likely have this and all similar policy measures stripped. Neither bill addresses the restrictions on remittances.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let me visit mi mama en Habana!

its my god-given right to visit my familia..

land of the free , why don't you free me to visit my family!?

Mambi_Watch said...

I recently visited my family in South America, and I can't imagine (nor would I be able to stand) the reality of any government creating visitation barriers to any family overseas or at long distances.

In this case, there's little sign of compassion for Cuban families from hard-liners who wish to impose their political struggle upon others who do not share their zeal.

Anonymous said...

Cubans are granted exceptional immigration rights to the United States based on their status as exiles from Castroism. This is something no other ethnic group that I know of enjoys. Guess what, there are trade-offs. If you don't like it, then relinquish your special status and return to Cuba.

Mambi_Watch said...

And, they will decide if the "trade-offs" are fair when elections come, or at any other opportunity in the political process.

Anonymous said...

All are free to make their case....

Anonymous said...

Hey anonymous, I didn't come here on "special status"...

I got my status by marrying an American, a case of love.

There are lots like me.. We want to see our parents, and received no special rights as immigrants. We applied for green card based on marriage, like any other country.

Those en contra of family visits simply don't have any close family left. Smells of hyptocrites.

Anonymous said...

hey joselina, any idea of what infinitesimal percentage you represent?

Anonymous said...

Is amazing how the pharisees seem to be silent about the restrictions placed by Cuba's govt. on the reunion of families who remain as hostages in Cuba, while decrying the USA for not allowing Cubans in the USA to visit their families every year.
Cuba's govt. gets a free pass while they cry and shed cocodrile tears for those who cannot visit Cuba every time they want to from the US.