Norvell Emerson: “I represent a district whose mainstay is agriculture, and for the last 4 years and now going into our fifth year our…”

“I represent a district whose mainstay is agriculture, and for the last 4 years and now going into our fifth year our farmers are in very, very bad straits. As a matter of fact, I would agree with the gentlewoman from Florida when she says that our farmers are the heart and soul of America. They are the heart and soul of our American values, but they are hurting; and our farmers overwhelmingly want to sell their commodities to Cuba. As a matter of fact, they have sold $73 million of commodities to Cuba in the last 6 months. Those have been cash sales, and Cuba has paid up front for those purchases. Up until we imposed the embargo on Cuba 40-plus years ago, my farmers sold the bulk of their rice to Cuba. They lost that market when the embargo was imposed, and they have really never gotten those markets back again from any other country. I am absolutely shocked and saddened when I hear my colleague from Florida say that any firm or farmers who sell their commodities to Cuba will be blacklisted by the Democratic government that may take over when Castro leaves office, dies or is elected. That is shameful.”