WASHINGTON.— This Thursday the U.S. Senate passed a measure
                   (59-36) banning the use of government funds to monitor the workings of
                   the prohibition on travel to Cuba. The White House has stated on various
                   occasions that it will utilize the presidential veto to prevent the ending of
                   40 years of restrictions depriving U.S. citizens of their right to travel to
                   the island.

                   In September the House of Representatives came out in favor of
                   repealing the ban, which led to a confrontation with the Bush
                   administration. The Senate vote is included in a bill to grant $90 billion to
                   the Transportation and Treasury Departments. In the opinion of
                   Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, it is not constructive to attempt to
                   harm the Cuban government by imposing restrictions on the travel rights
                   of U.S. people.

                   Treasury Department estimates indicate that close to 160,000 U.S.
                   citizens visited Cuba legally last year.

                   However, thousands more Americans travel to the island via third
                   countries without the license required by Washington, risking a prison
                   term and hefty fines. For his part, Republican Senator Larry Craig, who
                   sponsored the amendment, was emphatic that the Treasury Department
                   Office for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) should be dedicating resources
                   currently employed to check on U.S. citizens visiting Cuba to combating
                   terrorism and drugs.

                   The amendment passed had the support of both parties and many
                   senators viewed it as decisive in terms of the right of U.S. citizens to travel
                   to Cuba. In the last two years, these kinds of measures have been pulled
                   out of bills through congressional maneuvers under pressure from the
                   Republican leadership and the White House.