Durbin Cosponsors Legislation to Ease Cuban Trade and Travel Restrictions

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is cosponsoring legislation introduced today by U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) to lift recently enacted restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba as well as travel to the country.

Although Congress has overwhelmingly supported such humanitarian sales, a last-minute addition to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 Agriculture Appropriations bill requires third-country financing for the sale of food and medicine. The same language tightens restrictions on travel to the country.

Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, fought to have the restrictions removed from the Agriculture Appropriations conference report before the end of the last session of Congress.

"The restrictions placed by the Agriculture spending bill are needless roadblocks in the way of American farmers trying to sell food to ordinary Cuban citizens," Durbin said. "Third-country financing is not required for the sale of food to any other country, not even Iran or Iraq. There is no need for these heightened restrictions. Lifting them is in the best interest of both Cuba and the United States."

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