Comments on: Senator Menendez (D, NJ) being recalcitrant over spending bill. http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2009/03/10/senator-menendez-d-nj-being-recalcitrant-over-spending-bill/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:32:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Brian Darling http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2009/03/10/senator-menendez-d-nj-being-recalcitrant-over-spending-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-12321 Brian Darling Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:44:52 +0000 http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/?p=1857#comment-12321 Good for Senator Menendez. This is a dramatic change in policy toward Cuba. Cuba is still listed as a state sponsor of terror by the State Department and until they take actions to get removed from the list, this provision should not be part of an Omnibus Spending bill. Furthermore, legislating on appropriations bills is discouraged and technically against the rules of the House and Senate. To bury a provision this controversial in an appropriations bill should not be tolerated by members opposed to radically changing policy towards Cuba. Clearly the votes are present to relax trade and travel rules, but using an appropriations bill to effectuate this change is further evidence that the Congress is not transparent. Good for Senator Menendez. This is a dramatic change in policy toward Cuba. Cuba is still listed as a state sponsor of terror by the State Department and until they take actions to get removed from the list, this provision should not be part of an Omnibus Spending bill. Furthermore, legislating on appropriations bills is discouraged and technically against the rules of the House and Senate. To bury a provision this controversial in an appropriations bill should not be tolerated by members opposed to radically changing policy towards Cuba. Clearly the votes are present to relax trade and travel rules, but using an appropriations bill to effectuate this change is further evidence that the Congress is not transparent.

]]> By: Val_Prieto http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2009/03/10/senator-menendez-d-nj-being-recalcitrant-over-spending-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-12320 Val_Prieto Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:43:01 +0000 http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/?p=1857#comment-12320 Either we are a country that is concerned about human rights violations and seeks to foster Democracy throughout the world or we are not. Senator Menendez has taken the correct, moral stance on Cuba and is to be commended for it. Relaxing the embargo and legitimizing the castro regime sends a very dire message to Cuban dissidents and political prisoners and prisoners of conscience languishing in jails throughout the island. And that message is that they have no advocates and they have no support from the supposed bastion of human dignity and rights. Calling for the lifting of the embargo to make a buck is disturbing, but calling for the lifting of the embargo to make political hay as you suggest is disgusting and goes against the principles that make this nation great. Either we are a country that is concerned about human rights violations and seeks to foster Democracy throughout the world or we are not. Senator Menendez has taken the correct, moral stance on Cuba and is to be commended for it.

Relaxing the embargo and legitimizing the castro regime sends a very dire message to Cuban dissidents and political prisoners and prisoners of conscience languishing in jails throughout the island. And that message is that they have no advocates and they have no support from the supposed bastion of human dignity and rights.

Calling for the lifting of the embargo to make a buck is disturbing, but calling for the lifting of the embargo to make political hay as you suggest is disgusting and goes against the principles that make this nation great.

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