How Congress is trying to block Obama's shift in Cuba policy
| Washington
A proposed US House of Representatives appropriations bill released on Tuesday would prohibit funds for an聽American embassy聽or other diplomatic facility in聽Cuba聽beyond what existed before President Barack Obama's December announcement that he would move to normalize relations with聽Havana.
The measure also would restrict funds to facilitate the opening of a聽Cuban embassy聽in the聽United States, increase democracy assistance and international broadcasting to聽Cuba聽and provide direction to the State Department on denying visas to members of the聽Cuban military聽and聽Communist Party.
Some members of聽Congress, led mostly by Republican Cuban-American lawmakers, have objected to the US shift in聽Cuba聽policy. They want聽Cuba's government聽to do more to improve human rights on the island, release US fugitives living in聽Cuba聽and allow free elections before easing restrictions on trade, travel and diplomatic relations.
They have pledged to use bills such as appropriations legislation to try to block the initiative by Obama, a Democrat.
"I think we have been very clear with our challenges with what's gone on in聽Cuba, from human rights, from what's happened there, and we have a difference of opinion with the administration and we have a right to express it," Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House Majority Leader, said at a news conference.
The聽United States聽formally dropped聽Cuba聽from its list of state sponsors of terrorism last Friday, an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties but one that will have a limited effect on removing US sanctions on the Communist-ruled island.
