The GOP-led House voted early today to eliminate dozens of federal programs and offices, slashing agency budgets to reach $61 billion in savings.
The cuts include job training and employment grants, community health centers, environmental regulations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and more.
But the spending plan doesn't touch the U.S. radio and TV broadcasts to Cuba, known as Radio and TV Marti. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, had sought to strip $30 million to silence the broadcasts that critics say are scarcely watched or heard in Cuba. So did Rep. Betty McCollum, D-MN.
South Florida Republicans David Rivera, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart teamed up with Broward Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Albio Sires, D-N.J., to thwart Flake.
Rivera said he lobbied fellow freshmen, and sent a letter to colleagues, contrasting Cuba with Egypt: "After 52 years of a totalitarian communist dictatorship in Cuba, now is not the moment to give the Castro regime a unilateral concession such as the elimination of American broadcasts promoting freedom and democracy."
Radio and TV Marti lines the pockets of a few in Miami......Cuba is an old story.....it is time to move on.they poked us in the eye 50 years ago and we are still carrying a grudge.....have ships patrolling around the island..to catch people leaving.....
Yet.if they make it here they get teh full welfare treatment plan only for Cubans....ridiculous.
Eliminate the Cuban Adjustment Act and treat illegal alien Cubans like any other illegal.
Oh, you say we can't return them to Cuba...fine.....dump them on Guantanamo and they can cross back into Cuba...no problem.
Posted by: George Fuller | February 19, 2011 at 12:17 PM
Waste of my tax dollars. I'm in total agreement with George Fuller. No wonder some of these Cubans come here and ripoff the Medicaid system to the tune of Billions of dollars over the years. Enough is enough!!
Posted by: Jeff | February 19, 2011 at 05:18 PM
this cuban crap has been going on since 1960 and frankly ive about had it. so many people are discriminated against in this country of freedom by having the cuban adjustment act in place. all cubans should be treated the same as any person entering the country otherwise they are considered illegal. this is a new generation and i hope the people in cuban start to revolt like the rest of the world is doing.
Posted by: tacnacs | February 19, 2011 at 07:00 PM
This is a joke. Just the republicans way of funneling money to their political supporters for a useless project; another bridge to nowhere.
Comparing the "left behinds" to the Egyptians is an affront to the Egyptians. Egypt has the seventh largest army in the world, this banana crew couldn't invade Grenada. Difference: cowards. Come over with their sturm und drang and accomplish nothing. Comical if it wasn't so expensive to the taxpayers.
Posted by: Joe King | February 19, 2011 at 07:02 PM
And to think the only lobbyist Rivera was "close with" was Bridget Nocco. Those two were are inseperable.
Posted by: Pete | February 20, 2011 at 08:45 AM
This is such hypocrisy! How can radio Marti be more socially valuable than NPR or PBS?! It is ridiculous that we are still placating this extremist anti-communist/anti-Castro folks in South Florida. The House has all of its priorities wrong!
Posted by: A.L. | February 21, 2011 at 11:38 AM
You don't achieve success by buying a TON of ebooks,DVDs and home-study courses. That's all fine and good sure you may learn a bunch of stuff.
Posted by: pokies | September 06, 2011 at 03:48 PM