In the final negotiations on the year-end catch-all spending bill for the U.S. government, Rep. Diaz-Balart’s amendment was dropped, ending the most substantial effort to strengthen Cuba sanctions since President Obama took office (Herald, AP).
The amendment would have reinstated President Bush’s limits on Cuban American family visits and remittances, and it would have removed the authority of President Obama or any future president to modify those rules in any way. Absent a change in law, the Bush rules would have been frozen forever: one visit every three years, $1,200 limit on remittances, and both for immediate family only.
Credit President Obama for standing up for his policy and for defending his foreign policy prerogatives. He made his intentions clear without having formally to threaten a veto. With Christmas on the horizon, a final set of compromises took place. In this case, the House Republican leadership decided that this strange amendment was not worth the fight.
This whole incident has left me without many words. I cannot beleive how vindictive the current Cuban American Congressional delegation is in Congress (mario, Rubio).
ReplyDeleteThey don't want to listen to Cuban people (almost all want travel, particulary family travel, with USA) or US citizens, who would'nt approve of these restrictve travel rules, or the 1000's of cuban americans visiting their family, who represent the majority of CAs now in FL.
Without Obama, no relationship with family in Cuba. OB deserves a lot for this , from Cuban american family perspective and from a human/moral perspective.
This sets the stage for 2012. If a GOP gets in, unfortunately, they will make the Bush rules look tame, I supsect. Doesn't matter who the candidate is, b/c they will let the Marios and Rubios of this world completely control US policy on Cuba. And right now the Marios, Rubio's and Babablu's of the world are having a 'hissy fit' over family travel to Cuba. They somehow think that its 'tourism' to see your father 2 times per year???? Or to go to Cuba on a whim to see a brother get married? That is the essence of life! And they want to take it away from us.
Good decision. Let's open Cuba to everyone, as it should be, and see what happens. I may be a bit off
ReplyDeletebut I just read that Communist China
has a detained dissident who was attempted to be visited by a USA citizen but that citizen, Christian
Bale, was physically attacked. I think Mr. Diaz might want to focus on
China and then look at Cuba.
I'm glad it's over, but I know full well those people, Rivera, Diaz-Balart and others, won't easily give up. They'll try again. If more reforms take place in Cuba, focusing Cuban-Americans attetion on those developments, they will become more desperate. Let's wait and see what Cuba's promised Emigration Reform brings. I'm sure those Capitol Hill Cubans are already thinking of that, and planning accordingly.
ReplyDeleteI returned from Cuba one week ago today. I will probably tailor my Masters in Social Psychology to do my thesis on Cuba so will have to travel back and forth. The country and the people are beautiful but they are suffering. Our embargo is a joke. i think of the human rights violations committed by China and the amount of garbage we buy from them. Here, just 90 miles off our coast, is a lovely island rich in history, visual art, culture, music, and so much more. The more I research the past the more I am convinced that the best thing for Cuba is for the U.S to stop this playground bullying.
ReplyDelete