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March 11, 2009

Senate OKs Spending Bill After Treasury Assures Cuba Embargo Backers
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The Senate has approved a $410 billion omnibus spending bill to fund the
federal government for much of this year. The vote came after the
Treasury Department assured supporters of the US embargo on Cuba that
new provisions in the bill will mark almost no change from current
policy. The spending bill was held up last week amidst opposition to
several provisions loosening trade and travel restrictions with Cuba.
But in a letter sent to lawmakers opposed to easing the embargo,
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the provisions will be narrowly
enforced. As the Obama administration touted the continued restrictions,
a group of South American defense ministers issued a call for ending the
embargo. The twelve ministers were gathered at a meeting of the
twelve-country Union of South American Nations, or UNASUR.

Uruguayan Defense Minister Jose Bayardi: “Right now Cuba does not
represent any security problem for the US. And US policy with respect to
Cuba is more determined by internal pressure, by lobby by North American
Cubans. That’s the frank analysis of the situation.”



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