George Nethercutt

The House voted Thursday to lift limits on U.S. food and drug sales to Cuba and to allow Americans to freely travel there. The vote was a major victory for farm, business and other groups trying to ease the four-decade-old sanctions against Fidel Castro's government. With supporters arguing that increased contacts would help weaken Castro's hold over the communist nation, the House voted 232 to 186 to stop enforcing rules that limit the ability of Americans to travel to Cuba.

Republicans used an eleventh-hour maneuver Thursday night to block what almost became the first significant budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts that the House has approved since 1992. Arts advocates had moved to the edge of a surprise victory for the endowment with a preliminary 207-to-204 vote.

As the ink dries on this page of history, the story winds up with an exclamation point. Thomas S. Foley concedes his seat. The Democratic Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, only two heartbeats away from the presidency, came undone by a power greater than his: a scattered thousand or so swing voters who gambled their ballots on change.

Momentum is building in Congress to ease Washington's longtime economic isolation of Cuba and resume trade in food and medicine. This is a welcome trend. For humanitarian reasons, food and medicine should never have been subject to trade sanctions. As a practical matter, the policy of slapping unilateral embargoes on countries out of favor with Washington has been largely discredited. Alas, congressional recognition of the futility of such embargoes is not the motive for allowing the sale of U.

There are three certainties in this life: death, taxes and that the Democrats will control the House of Representatives. Not since the early days of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency have the Republicans been in charge. Their 40 consecutive years on the outs have occurred even as they dominated control of the White House. But 1994 may be different, thanks in part to an anti-incumbent feeling among the electorate and 51 open seats.

The major races in the West: Senate races: 9 House races: 93 Governor: 8 Governor--Democrat Tony Knowles was battling Republican James Campbell for the seat held by Walter J. Hickel, but the winner was unknown by press time. * House--GOP incumbent Don Young defeated Democrat Tony Smith in his race to retain control of the state's only seat. ARIZONA * Governor--GOP Incumbent Fife Symington fended off a strong challenge from Democratic businessman Eddie Basha. * Senate--Republican U.S. Rep.

The defeat of liberal Rep. Mike Synar (D-Okla.) in a primary contest Tuesday served as a "wake-up call" for many Democratic incumbents and may push a nervous Congress into adjourning earlier than expected so members will have more time to campaign for the November elections. Already facing the prospect of losing 20 to 25 seats in the House, Democrats said they feared the toll may be higher if Synar's defeat signaled widespread voter unrest.

By Tuesday's election, House Speaker Thomas S. Foley knew he would have to carry his hometown of Spokane big if there was any hope of winning a 16th term to Congress. But this was a different Spokane from the one Foley knew. An influx of newcomers, from around Washington state but especially from California, had changed local political dynamics. And it was these newcomers--who lacked decades of loyalty to Foley--who would cost him his cherished seat in the House.