US to Ease Some Cuba Restrictions
By VOA News
11 March 2009
The U.S. Congress has approved a spending bill that includes easing trade and travel restrictions against Cuba.
The provisions are part of a $410 billion spending bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday and passed earlier by the House of Representatives.
The measures allow Cuban-Americans to visit their families in Cuba once a year, instead of once every three years.
The actions also relax rules on exporting agriculture products and medicines to the communist island.
The provisions do not lift the U.S. trade embargo imposed against Cuba in the early 1960s.
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill sign into law.
Democratic Senators Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Bill Nelson of Florida, whose states include large Cuban-American populations, initially opposed the bill. The lawmakers dropped their opposition after assurances from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that the provisions do not reverse the embargo against Cuba.
During his election campaign, President Obama pledged to ease restrictions on Cuban-Americans traveling to the island and sending money to relatives there.
President Obama has said he would be willing to speak with Cuba's leaders but that he would maintain the long-standing embargo as leverage to push for democratic change on the island. Cuban President Raul Castro has said he is open to talks with Mr. Obama.
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