US House Rejects Easing Travel Restrictions to Cuba
Gabbard and Takai of Hawaii were among the Democrats supporting the proposal, in light of Obama’s work to normalize relations with the communist country.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday easily defeated a proposal from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to scotch Republican efforts to impose restrictions on travel to Cuba.
Lee’s amendment was to a $55.3 billion measure funding the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
“Not only are the current provisions in this bill wrong for diplomacy, they’re patently anti-business,” Lee said, according to The Hill.
But Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) said travel to Cuba “shouldn’t be equated with supporting the Castro regime.”
The flag of Cuba.
Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai of Hawaii were among those voting in favor of Lee’s amendment, which failed in a 247-to-176 vote.
Last fall, President Barack Obama announced plans to restore relations with the communist country, saying that U.S. policy had failed after nearly six decades dating to Fidel Castro’s takeover of Cuba in the late 1950s.
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department removed Cuba from its list of states that sponsor terror.
