News Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement regarding his support for the U.S. Treasury Department’s move to ease sanctions related to travel, remittances, trade and banking with Cuba:

“I am pleased to learn that the Treasury Department is following through on the decision to roll back antiquated polices related to U.S.-Cuba relations. Amending these regulations is not just about increasing commercial ties for agriculture producers in Kansas and across the country – I believe closer ties could help change the nature of the relationship between the Cuban people and their repressive government. Allowing U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba would further promote freedom and liberty by exposing Cubans to democratic thought and free market principles. And increasing the standard of living among Cuban citizens will enable them to make greater demands on their own government to increase individual and political rights.”

Sen. Moran has long fought for commonsense changes to U.S. trade policy with Cuba – which must import the vast majority of its food – in order to open up more markets for American farmers. On July 20, 2000, an amendment (H.Amdt.1031 to H.R.4871) offered by then Rep. Moran prohibiting funds being used to enforce sanctions for food, medicine and agriculture products in a sale to Cuba passed the House of Representatives (301-116) The adoption of this amendment opened another needed market to farmers throughout the country. Unfortunately, changes in regulations by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2005 once again severely restricted this market for U.S. agriculture producers. Since that time, Sen. Moran has introduced a number of amendments and consistently urged the Treasury Department to roll back the harmful regulations to enable farmers and ranchers to compete on a level playing field with foreign competitors when trading with Cuba.   

Nearly 150 U.S. organizations have voiced their strong support for these commonsense reforms, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Farmers Union.

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