Yahoo! July 7, 2000
Senator Urges More Cuba Trade
By Frederic J. Frommer, Associated Press Writer.
WASHINGTON, 7 (AP) - Calling a House-backed Cuba trade bill a ``legislative hoax,'' a farm-state senator vowed Thursday to push for an alternative measure that would make it easier to export food to the communist country.
The House plan ``will not achieve the objective of opening markets to our farmers,'' Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said at a news conference.
The bill, a compromise brokered by Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., requires Cuba to pay cash for food or obtain credit from a third country, which Dorgan calls a ``killer provision'' because Cuba has little cash.
Dorgan and Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., are circulating a letter urging fellow lawmakers to support allowing the sale of food without the bans on government or private financing. A similar bill passed the Senate with 70 votes last year.
Dorgan said he plans to bring his bill up for a vote within the next two weeks. Sen. Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., has said he will try to kill both the House and Senate Cuba bills because he opposes trade with Cuba.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., supports Dorgan and Dodd's effort, saying ``it is virtually impossible for Cubans to pay cash for anything at this point.''
The nation's largest farm group, the American Farm Bureau Federation, supports the House provision.
``It's a good first step to opening up their markets,'' spokesman Don Lipton said.
He disagreed with Dorgan's assessment that the ban on financing would make agricultural sales to Cuba impossible.
``Other sources of financing may come through and help Cubans purchase our goods,'' he said, referring to the potential for third-country financing.
But Tom Buis, a vice president at the National Farmers Union, said the House plan ``doesn't offer much promise to America's farmers and ranchers.''
``It's heavy on symbolism but light on substance,'' said Buis, whose organization represents family farmers and ranchers.
Buis estimated that if the trade bill is broadened and American farmers could tap just one-third of the Cuban wheat market, for example, they could earn an additional $300 million a year.
On the Net: National Farmers Union: http://www.nfu.org/
American Farm Bureau Federation: http://www.fb.com/
Dozens of Cubans Come Ashore in Fla.
ISLAMORADA, Fla. 7 (AP) - Two large groups of Cubans have come ashore in the Florida Keys this week, including some who arrived in a boat that rammed a Border Patrol vessel during a chase.
The first group of 25, including 10 children, landed Wednesday in Marathon. All claimed to have been smuggled into the country.
The second group - 25 men, 11 women and seven children - was spotted at sea by authorities Thursday. Their 32-foot boat rammed the federal boat three times, Border Patrol spokesman Joe Mellia said. No agents were injured.
"Our boat was still operable but it was knocked out of the chase,'' Mellia said. ``After that, we weren't going to keep up with them.''
Two suspected smugglers jumped overboard and were picked up by the Coast Guard. The smugglers' boat ran aground near Islamorada and the 41 Cubans were apprehended, Mellia said.
So far this year, 1,205 Cubans have entered the country, Mellia said.
``We should see the numbers rise because the sea conditions are optimal this time of year,'' he said. ``They're flat, they're not very rough and it makes for good smuggling.''
Mellia said the number of migrants arriving from Cuba has declined from last summer.
In July 1999, 318 Cubans made it to shore, the highest number ever in one month. Last month, 117 Cubans arrived, down from 255 in June 1999.
Copyright © 2000 The Associated Press.
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