A US House panel has prohibited funding for an embassy or other diplomatic facility in Cuba, frustrating the Obama administration’s efforts to normalize diplomatic ties with Havana.

The US House of Representatives Appropriations bill, released on Tuesday, also bans funds to facilitate the opening of a Cuban embassy in the United States.

The legislation also increases so-called democracy assistance and US propaganda broadcasting to Cuba and calls on the State Department to refuse visas to members of the Cuban military and Communist Party.

Last week, the Obama administration formally removed Cuba from the list of its state sponsors of terrorism.

"The rescission of Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism reflects our assessment that Cuba meets the statutory criteria for rescission," the State Department said in a statement on May 29.

In a major policy reversal in December last year, US President Barack Obama announced that he would work toward normalizing relations with Cuba.

Last month, American and Cuban diplomats met in Washington for a fourth round of talks, but discussions ended without an announcement on opening embassies in both countries’ capitals.

The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 and placed an official embargo against the country in 1962.

The Republican-dominated Congress has so far refused Obama's request to lift the longstanding embargo.

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