Robert Torricelli: “I approach it today from several perspectives; first, from the institutions. Is what we are proposing and arguing to the…”

“I approach it today from several perspectives; first, from the institutions. Is what we are proposing and arguing to the American people really fair? The American farmer is being told in the midst of an agricultural crisis that if only you could sell some crops to Cuba, your problems would be relieved--11 million people in the Caribbean who earn $10 a month. Rather than coming to this floor honestly and dealing with agricultural crises and agricultural policies which have left farmers in my State and most States in genuine trouble, instead we hold up this false promise. The truth is, Cuba can buy agricultural products from every other nation in the world today. From Australia, Canada, Argentina, they can buy corn and they can buy wheat. They do not. Yet the false promise is held on this floor that somehow, magically, they would buy those products from us. If they don't buy them from Canada, for the same reason they will not buy them from the Dakotas or Nebraska or Iowa-- Cuba has no money. The average Cuban earns $10 per month. The Nation is bankrupt.”