The Green Screen

Mel Martinez vows to block changes to Cuba travel

Mel Martinez says he's told Senate leadership that he'll oppose any legislation that would change U.S.-Cuba policy -- a move that could make it more difficult to move any changes out of the Senate.

"Modifying our nation's policies at this point would be counter-productive and reward a repressive, authoritarian regime that has shown little concern for the security or well-being of its citizens," Martinez said.

Democrats in the House have tucked a repeal into a massive spending bill that hits the House floor Wednesday and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, said she's disappointed that the regulations would be relaxed without getting something out of Cuba.

"Not to get any concessions from the Castro regime,'' she said. "The Castro brothers will be very happy.''

Tampa Democrat Rep. Kathy Castor called the provision that would allow family members to more frequently visit their relatives in Cuba a "victory for families."

“As Americans, we cannot allow our policies to bring more hardship to those we intend to help,” Castor wrote. “As Floridians, we cannot expect the Cuban people, many of whom are family to us, to endure more pain.”

The 2009 budget bill would:

* Prevent the U.S. government from spending any of its budget enforcing 2004 rules that keep Cuban-Americans from visiting their homeland more than once every three years.

* Create a general travel license for Americans who sell food and medical supplies to Cuba.

* Let Cuba pay for the American products it buys in cash when they arrive in Havana. Current law forces Cuba to pay upfront before products leave U.S. ports.

* Require the U.S. Treasury Department to issue a report showing how much of its staff and funding is spent on enforcing the ban on travel to Cuba.

Amendments were added by Rep. José E. Serrano, a New York Democrat who chairs the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. That means he controls the Treasury Department's purse strings -- and it's the Treasury that investigates people who violate the Cuba travel ban.

''I have been working on this issue for a very, very, very long time,'' Serrano said. ``Now I am chairman of a committee that appropriates those dollars, and I can do something about it.''

But his measures are bound to meet stiff opposition. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, who backs the current restrictions, said she believes the travel measure wouldn't pass on its own, because most Republicans and about 80 Democrats are opposed.

Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez has informed Senate leadership that he will oppose any legislation that would change U.S.-Cuba policy -- a move that could make it more difficult, if not impossible, for the legislation to clear the Senate.

''Modifying our nation's policies at this point would be counter-productive and reward a repressive, authoritarian regime that has shown little concern for the security or well-being of its citizens,'' Martinez said.

If Obama does not make his own policy change, most of the new measures expire Sept. 30.

I do think it as low class for the dems to stick that in a spending bill and not let it have it's own debate. That seems to be the m.o. for the dems.


AK

Do not worry - the members of the Quebec pension plan are going to cut his balls and feed them to a pig !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111