WASHINGTON, DC (AP) -- The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says it's time to re-evaluate U.S. policy toward Cuba.
Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar says the strict trade embargo has failed to prod the communist island nation toward democracy.
In a report scheduled to be distributed this week, Lugar says "we must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way that enhances U.S. interests."
President Barack Obama has promised a fresh look at the U.S. policy. He says he would be open to meeting with Raul Castro, who took over as Cuba's president for his ailing brother, Fidel.
Obama also supports easing limitations on the number of visits and the amount of money sent to Cuba by family members in the U.S.
Ending the embargo would require an act of Congress.
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