Political Quotes

“Last year 26 Senators cosponsored legislation to help the Cuban people and American farmers and businesses by allowing sales of food and medicine to Cuba. Later, with passage of the FY2001 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, the 106th Congress approved the issuance one year licenses for the sale of food and medicine to Cuba, but placed restrictions on the financing of these sales. This was a beginning, and now we need to expand on this small success by continuing to move forward in constructing bridges to the Cuban people. Toward that end, I am today joined by a bipartisan group of my colleagues in introducing the Bridges to the Cuban People Act, an expanded version of the legislation that was passed last year. This bill comprehensively updates U.S. policy toward Cuba by increasing humanitarian trade between Cuba and the United States, increasing our people-to-people contacts, and enhancing the flexibility of the President with respect to our foreign policy towards Cuba. I would like to take a few moments to outline the various sections of this bill, and to explain to my colleagues the reasons why enactment of this legislation is so vital. First, let me be clear. This new legislation will not end the embargo on Cuba.”