TIA would face barrier to Cuba flights with Rubio amendment

TIA would face barrier to Cuba flights with Rubio amendment
By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, February 15, 2011

On track for federal approval to launch new flights to Cuba, Tampa International Airport has hit a political speed bump.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio last week proposed an amendment to a Federal Aviation Authority funding bill that would prohibit any additional flights between the United States and countries, such as Cuba, designated as "state sponsors of terrorism'' by the State Department.

The amendment, the Republican freshman's first in the Senate, is designed to counter changes the Obama administration announced last month that loosened travel restrictions for college students and religious and cultural groups, Rubio said.

"Increasing direct commercial or charter aircraft flights with state sponsors of terrorism is totally irresponsible and would amount to unilateral gifts to tyrants and regimes that actively undermine America's security," he said in a statement Monday.

More:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/article1151592.ece

Cute how they're using the language "no additional flights" when that really translates to "no flights from anywhere except from MIA, JFK, LAX."