Sam Farr: “I am serving my 22nd year in the United States Congress, and I have never seen a provision in an appropriations bill…”

“I am serving my 22nd year in the United States Congress, and I have never seen a provision in an appropriations bill like this. This amendment in there could be labeled the ``family feud.'' There is only one Member of Congress who is related to anybody in the leadership and in the military in Cuba, and he is the person who put this amendment in. What it does is it prohibits businesses from doing business in Cuba because it makes it almost impossible for any business to get a license. That is why the United States Chamber of Commerce; the National Foreign Trade Council; the Emergency Committee for American Trade; USA Engage, which is a trade group; and CubaNow, which is Florida's Cuban Americans, are all opposed to this provision of the bill and support my amendment to strike it. Mr. Chairman, I submit for the Record letters from CubaNow which are in support of my amendment. Dear Congressman Farr: We urge that House Members vote to strip Section 540 from H.R. 2578, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016. This provision would turn back the strategic effort to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, harming advancements to increased commerce with Cuba. Majorities of Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Cubans support normalizing relations and ending the unilateral trade embargo. Bipartisan support exists in both the House and Senate and throughout the business community and the majority of civil society groups focused on Cuba.…”