DeLauro Requests Meeting With Treasury Secretary to Discuss U.S-Cuba Policy

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn. -3), chairwoman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, as part of the bipartisan House Cuba Working Group, to request a meeting to discuss how Treasury intends to implement recent changes made by Congress, and signed into law by President Barack Obama in United States policy toward Cuba. These changes include a loosening of severe restrictions imposed by the Bush Administration on family visits by Cuban-Americans to the island as well as provisions related to agricultural trade and travel.

"I am pleased that the Obama Administration has already taken steps to implement Congressional changes to the United States policy toward Cuba and roll back the harsh travel restrictions to allow Cuban-Americans to visit their families on the island. However, I am concerned about delays in implementing the provisions related to agricultural trade. Lifting of all agricultural trade restrictions would help American agriculture and farm equipment businesses, and help with Cuban public health.

"Since late 2001, Cuba has purchased more than $2.2 billion in agricultural products from the United States. The U.S. International Trade Commission last year issued a report, finding that the U.S. share of Cuba's agricultural, fish, and forest imports would rise from one-third to between one-half and two-thirds if trade restrictions were lifted.

"It is time to loosen the agricultural restrictions put in place by the Bush Treasury, including the tightening of Cuban policy requiring the payment of cash in advance prior to the shipment of U.S. agricultural goods to Cuba, as well as efforts to authorize direct transfers between U.S. and Cuban financial institutions and U.S. visas for Cubans to conduct activities related to agricultural sales.

"I look forward to speaking with Secretary Geithner about how we can now move to quickly make these changes to our U.S.-Cuba policy to benefit American agriculture and farm equipment businesses."

Below is the text of the letter sent Thursday 12 March by DeLauro and Representatives Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sam Farr (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Donna F. Edwards (D-MD).

Dear Secretary Geithner:

We are writing on behalf of the bipartisan Cuba Working Group to request a meeting with you as soon as possible to discuss United States policy toward Cuba.

The Cuba Working Group is a coalition of Members of Congress from across the political spectrum who are united in the view that our current policy toward Cuba is misguided and fails to advance United States interests with respect to Cuba, or more broadly with the entire region. For example, we believe that limiting contacts between ordinary Americans and ordinary Cubans has been counterproductive to our national interest. Worse still, it has put our own government in the position of denying our citizens a fundamental right – the right to travel freely.

We have had the opportunity to review your correspondence with Senators Bob Menendez and Bill Nelson regarding the Department of Treasury's interpretation of the Cuba provisions included in HR. 1105, the Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill. While we welcome the guidance provided last night regarding Cuban-American family travel, we would like an opportunity to hear directly from you how the Department of Treasury plans to implement all of these provisions, taking into account the clear intent of Congress as contained in the final bill. We believe that such a discussion with you on this and other matters related to Cuba would be of great benefit to you and to Members of the Cuba Working Group.

Chairman Delahunt's staff will follow up with your office to arrange the meeting. We look forward to talking with you soon.