Democrats expect easy passage of bills
GOP obstacles in Congress are diminished
By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff | December 3, 2006
WASHINGTON -- House Democrats, long hamstrung by the GOP's control of the legislative process, are prepared to offer a slew of bills ranging from housing aid to Cuba travel that have majority support but never passed because Republican leaders would not give them a vote on the House floor.
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The Cuba travel initiative would loosen restrictions that effectively ban Americans from traveling to Cuba by prohibiting them from spending money there.
Backers of the legislation say the current law is unfairly restrictive of citizens' right to travel and cruel to Cuban-Americans who want to visit ailing relatives on the island. The Bush administration and some conservatives believe that the travel restrictions are a necessary part of sanctions to damage Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
The new measure has broad, bipartisan support in both chambers and was approved in 2003 by both the House and the Senate as part of a bigger appropriations bill. But GOP leaders -- saying Bush might veto the legislation -- took out the Cuba provision, even though items approved by both chambers are not supposed to be taken out of a conference committee bill designed to meld House and Senate versions of a bill.
In the new Congress, McGovern said, the measure would pass easily and be sent to the president. While Bush opposes easing the travel restrictions, McGovern said he thought Bush would be reluctant to fell an entire appropriations package over the Cuba amendment. A bipartisan delegation of House members is scheduled to travel to Cuba in midDecember, signaling their new hope that the travel restrictions to Cuba will be eased.
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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/12/03/democrats_expect_easy_passage_of_bills/?page=2Woo-goddamn-hooooo! :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: