miércoles, 15 de abril de 2015

Senate hearing to explore pros, cons of trade with Cuba

Senate hearing to explore pros, cons of trade with Cuba
BY LINDSAY WISE MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU
04/14/2015 4:30 PM 04/14/2015 4:30 PM

WASHINGTON
Legislation to lift the trade embargo on Cuba has made little headway in
Congress, but next week lawmakers will examine the possible benefits –
and challenges – of agricultural trade with the island nation.

A hearing is scheduled before the Senate Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition and Forestry at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Russell Senate Office
Building. It will be chaired by Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican
who has expressed support in the past for opening Cuba to U.S. trade.

"Heretofore we've always run into state-owned entities and a brick
wall," Roberts told McClatchy on Tuesday. "Hopefully we can make some
progress."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, introduced a bill in
February that would end the embargo on trade with Cuba, which was
imposed by the Kennedy administration more than 50 years ago and later
codified by Congress.

The Freedom to Export to Cuba Act of 2015 has six co-sponsors, including
two Republicans – Sens. Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
It has yet to attract broad support, however. The website Govtrack.us
gives the bill just a 6 percent chance of passage.

Another bipartisan group of senators, including Roberts' fellow Kansas
Republican, Jerry Moran, has filed a bill to lift all travel
restrictions for Americans who want to visit Cuba.

Asked about the likelihood of the Republican-controlled Congress voting
to lift the trade embargo, Roberts said it's too early to tell.

"As Raúl Castro said after he shook hands with the president, 'This will
take a long time,'" Roberts said.

The hearing, the senator said, will help senators "get the facts straight."

Witnesses are to include farmers and ranchers from Kansas, Arkansas and
Minnesota, as well as Michael Scuse, undersecretary for farm and foreign
agricultural services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other
administration officials from the Treasury and Commerce departments.

Email: lwise@mcclatchydc.com; Twitter: @lindsaywise.

Source: Senate hearing to explore pros, cons of trade with Cuba | Miami
Herald Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article18518006.html

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