Bloomberg | By Bill Faries

The U.S. Congress will pass legislation next year to ease restrictions on family travel and financial transfers to Cuba, Representative William Delahunt, co-chair of a congressional group seeking to loosen the U.S. embargo, said.

Rules limiting U.S. residents with Cuban relatives to one visit every three years are ``cruel’‘ and will be overturned next year, Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, said today at the New York-based Council of the Americas, a policy research organization.

Delahunt, a member of the House International Relations Committee, said Congress will also loosen restrictions on remittances to the island. Remittances are generally limited to $300 per Cuban household in a three-month period, according to rules listed on the U.S. State Department’s Web site. The money must be sent through State Department-certified institutions.

``I don’t think the embargo will change in 2007, but the Bush administration may pre-empt Congress and approve these other changes before we can,’‘ Delahunt said.

Delahunt is leading a group of 10 Republican and Democratic congressmen to Cuba on Dec. 15 to assess the situation after President Fidel Castro handed interim power to his brother Raul in July. The group has requested a meeting with Raul Castro.

On Dec. 2 Raul Castro proposed talks with the U.S. to help ease tensions and end the trade embargo first imposed in 1961. That offer was rejected by the U.S. State Department on Dec. 4.

At last we have a Congress that is going to change our relationship with the world, for the better. The US’s continued ostarization of Cuba, has more to do with our bruised ego, and ofcourse the Cuban ex-pat vote that good sense. It is exrtremely difficult to fathom, that for a country that is ostensibly so aware, we are still caught in a cold ar warp. Cuba has much to offer the world, including the US. Its scientific and medical advancements are second to none, and can and will bring a better life to the world.
What did Fidel do? He got rid of a dictator who was in bed with the Mafia and US business interests, ahead of the welfare of his people. So, Fidel, gave the country back to its people. And ever since then the US and its Miami Mafia, have continued to make mischief, imposing a form of economic terrorism on the people, who were liberated from Bautista.
Dialogue with Cuba, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador can only be good for the Americas, in the fight against poverty, Aids, terrorism and other ailments.
How long will it before we have to fight terrorism n our corner of the world? The terrorists will lose, if we confront them as friends allies, not the type that went into Iraq.