Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023
Floor Speech
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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Chair, I would thank Chairmen Quigley, Meeks, and McGovern and their staffs for working with me on this critical amendment and for their leadership throughout this process.
I also thank the incredible Congresswoman Lee for joining me here today to speak in support of this critical policy change, and, of course, Congressman Crawford who submitted this change as a Republican- led bipartisan amendment to the FSGG appropriations bill in 2017 and has been a great advocate on this issue over the years.
This is an amendment that is critical, and it builds on more than a decade of efforts by bipartisan Members of the House and Senate and the farm industry leaders across the country.
As Cubans face one of the most painful crises in three decades, forcing tens of thousands of Cubans to spend long hours each day waiting in lines in hopes of finding food, our amendment would provide temporary relief to them as well as U.S. farm exporters by suspending enforcement for 1 year of the prohibition and extending credit to Cuban food buyers.
This amendment makes sense for two reasons.
First, the Cuban people are contending with significant food shortages, as I mentioned. By allowing Cuban importers to buy U.S. food products on credit, we can help ease the suffering of everyday Cubans and build good will between our peoples. Simply put, it is the most humane thing we can do right now and the right thing to do.
Second, the amendment would also help American ag producers as well by removing trade barriers that put them at a competitive disadvantage with countries thousands of miles away, like China and Vietnam.
For my home State of Michigan, and many others across the country, this amendment effectively opens up a new market of about 11 million people for our farmers and for their exports.
I know Michigan's director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gary McDowell, noted that our State's farmers seek great opportunities for products such as dry beans, apples, dairy products, and poultry that are major staples of the Cuban diet.
This amendment is good for our Cuban people, as well as good for the American farmers, and the right thing to do.
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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Chair, as I said, this amendment would help alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people. It also is very important to note that this is identical to a bipartisan Republican-led amendment submitted just a few years ago.
Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.
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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Chair, may I ask how much time I have remaining?
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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Chair, while I understand and share some of the concerns, the reality is the embargoes aren't working and have failed to achieve any of its aims for over a half a century.
I think my colleagues, all of us, at least agree that there is no more principled reason to engage than to ease the suffering of the Cuban people who are currently again suffering from huge amounts of food shortages.
I think it is critically important to understand there is trade happening now, but in cash. This would again allow the access to credit to be able to do it in a way that allows farmers in not only Michigan but across the country who are asking us to help them do more and export and allow them to address some of the food shortages that help the Cuban people so much more.
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Ms. TLAIB. I am prepared to close, Mr. Chair.
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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Chair, this is only about food. The Members in opposition are claiming to stand with the people of Cuba, but this is our opportunity to support the Cuban people and help them right now. When we take this opportunity to vote ``yes,'' we show that the U.S. isn't the enemy of the Cuban people during their time of need. At the same time, we are helping our local farmers right here. Vote ``yes.''
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