In My Humble Opinion, Pt. 34

From The Miami Herald:

Move to tighten Cuba travel could pass in Congress

An effort by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart to overturn Obama administration rules easing restrictions on travel to Cuba may win congressional approval despite a threatened presidential veto, according to supporters and even some critics.

The Florida Republican's proposal was initially given little chance of becoming law, especially after President Barack Obama last week vowed to veto it if it reached the White House for his signature.

But as the bill's possible paths through Capitol Hill became clearer, even some of its critics now say they believe the measure stands a reasonable chance of making it past Congress and even the White House.

"Although we appreciate the president's veto threat, there is no question that this misguided legislation, due to the way it's been placed in an appropriations bill, has a good chance," said former Democratic congressional candidate Joe Garcia.

"I am certainly NOT surprised that this looks like it's going to pass," added Mauricio Claver-Carone, director of the U.S. Cuba Democracy political action committee, which supports strong U.S. sanctions on Cuba [...]

Diaz-Balart's wording on Cuba was approved by a voice vote — indicating there was no strong opposition — in the House Appropriations Committee as an amendment to a bill funding the Treasury Department and other agencies for the coming fiscal year.

The bill is all but certain to be approved unchanged by the Republican-controlled House. The Democratic-controlled Senate usually does not draft its own version of the Treasury budget bill, leaving it to a House-Senate conference committee, with members appointed by congressional leaders, to craft a compromise.

House and Senate Democrats in the conference committee will try to strip the Diaz-Balart language out of the bill, said the Capitol Hill staffer, "but in a conference committee the leadership gives the orders, and on this one I don't know if the Democratic leadership is willing to die for travel to Cuba." [...]

"When the same people are going to Cuba two and three times and even more times a year, that starts to take the edge off the humanitarian intent" of easing the travel restrictions, the lobbyist said.