[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         EXPORTING RICE TO CUBA

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, I rise this morning to highlight the 
importance of free trade and the merits of agricultural trade, 
particularly rice trade, with Cuba. An injunction against tourism is 
one thing, but our sanctions against Castro's regime, which have been 
in place since 1963, should not prevent our Nation from selling farm 
products, specifically rice, to the people there.
  The Cuban people will eat rice. If we will not sell it to them, they 
will get it elsewhere. Why are we economically punishing ourselves and 
our farmers in the name of punishing Communists in Cuba?
  The Cuban market remained closed until this body passed the Trade 
Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. With the reopening 
mandated by this Act, rice sales to Cuba have grown to $64 million a 
year. But now we hear that some want to slash back this momentous trade 
for political reasons.
  The Federal Government announced it was redefining the definition of 
``payment of cash in advance,'' a ruling which could jeopardize future 
trade. This bureaucracy is getting in the way of the law. As Cubans 
begin looking to Vietnam, Thailand and for other sources for rice, I 
urge colleagues to cosign H.R. 1339 to further explain in simple terms 
to government bureaucrats that U.S. farmers should be allowed to trade 
with Cuba on a cash-for-crop basis.

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