[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 60 (Thursday, April 29, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H2528-H2529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXEMPTING U.S. FOOD AND MEDICINE FROM UNILATERAL TRADE SANCTIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I want to use these 5 minutes for purposes 
of commending the administration's announcement of yesterday in which 
they are exempting food and medicine from unilateral trade sanctions. 
This has a possible immediate and positive impact on agriculture 
exports of wheat, rice and corn.
  The United States agricultural producers, and we will hear a little 
bit more about that in the next hour, have faced a lot of problems with 
trade barriers imposed by other countries; but United States sanctions, 
when we and some who believe that our own policies can be put forward 
by denying shipment of food and medicine to countries, that too becomes 
a sanction or a trade barrier.
  We have clearly proven, I think, over the last several years that 
sanctions do not work; they hurt producers, and they hurt those that we 
do not intend to hurt. I think that we can find much more effective 
ways to implement foreign policy.
  Therefore, the new policy, which is part of the administration's 
long-term review of sanctions, which is intended to ensure 
effectiveness of economic sanctions, is designed to minimize the cost 
to United States' producers of anything and maintain the reputation of 
the United States as a reliable supplier, something that often gets 
overlooked by some who believe that these actions, as they result in 
what is perceived to be in the best interests of the United States, 
often do not accomplish that which was intended.
  A recent report from the President's Export Council showed that more 
than 75 countries may be subject to sanctions. In 1995, sanctions cost 
America $15 billion to $19 billion and affected 200,000 to 250,000 
export-related jobs.
  Speaking specifically of agriculture, United States agriculture 
exports account for 30 percent of all U.S. farm cash receipts and 40 
percent of all agricultural production. Sanctions and embargoes make it 
more and more difficult for farmers and ranchers to expand agricultural 
markets, particularly when the 95-96 farm bill was designed to make us 
more reliant on foreign markets. It absolutely makes no sense then to 
deny the market opportunity for our producers.

[[Page H2529]]

  The Departments of Commerce and Treasury will issue new regulations 
with regard to Iran, Libya and Sudan. The Departments of State and 
Treasury must review the pending applications for agricultural sales to 
Iran.
  On January 5, policy changes were made to authorize case-by-case 
licensing of food and agricultural imports to Cuba. Congress would have 
to amend current law to change this policy, and it is my sincere hope 
that Congress will take up through the committee process and hopefully 
through action on this floor, a sincere and open debate as to whether 
or not our policy that we have toward Cuba should in fact be revised 
along the same lines of which we are talking of other countries.
  So here today I take this minute, and I will soon yield back if I 
have any balance of time, to just say let us use this new policy to 
help our producers, in this case, move wheat, corn and rice and other 
commodities to our customers overseas, in whatever area is affected by 
these sanctions.
  It is important for this body and for the administration to think 
long and hard before we impose unilateral sanctions. Unilateral trade 
sanctions have never proven effective. When we sanction, when we deny 
markets and our friends take those markets, it only hurts producers and 
workers in America.

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