Fidel Castro’s retirement seems certain to reinvigorate efforts by congressional appropriators to ease trade restrictions with Cuba, but any real policy shift will probably have to come from the White House.

Lawmakers have inserted provisions into spending bills in recent years that would lift limitations on trade and travel with Cuba — only to drop them in conference in the face of veto threats by President Bush.

Some proponents of trade think the White House position could be different this year because the Cuban government may be more eager to move toward U.S. conditions for opening trade: democracy and human rights.

“I think this is a perfect time for us to remove the embargo,” said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, D-N.D., who has joined Republican Larry E. Craig of Idaho in pressing for riders to Senate spending bills that would allow travel to Cuba and trade for agricultural products.

Dorgan called the Cold War-era embargo a “colossal failure” and said he will “aggressively pursue legislation during this appropriations process that would ease restrictions on travel and trade.”

If Bush does not yield, the decision will fall to the next administration. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, supports strict enforcement of the embargo, while Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois would be more inclined to loosen restrictions.

Obama said if Cuba begins to adopt meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin easing the embargo. Likewise, Clinton said the United States should pursue a policy that is more pro-active than a strict embargo to help Cuba embark on a path toward democracy.

The House-passed fiscal 2008 Financial Services and General Government spending bill included language that would have widened trade with Cuba. And the fiscal 2007 House Transportation-Treasury-Housing appropriations bill contained amendments designed to loosen restrictions on agricultural trade. Senate appropriators also approved farm spending bills for fiscal 2007 and 2008 that included language to allow travel to Cuba for agricultural purposes.

The provisions were removed from the final spending bills cleared by Congress.

Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who has joined Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona in offering appropriations riders aimed at liberalizing trade and travel with Cuba, will try again this year, said spokeswoman Nicole Young. Moran believes Castro’s departure increases the chances of success.

Cause for Caution

But with Castro’s brother Raul now in charge in Havana, Craig is less optimistic.

“Unfortunately, I fear that as long as a Castro reigns over Cuba, our politics won’t change,” Craig said. “While those of us who believe trade restrictions should be relaxed will certainly continue to push for a change in U.S. trade policy with Cuba, I do not see the resignation of Fidel Castro causing this administration to change their position in the slightest.”

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., meanwhile, plans to press legislation (S 1673) he introduced last June that would promote U.S. agricultural and medical exports to Cuba.

Trade with Cuba also was a focal point of the first House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee hearing earlier this month on the fiscal 2009 budget.

Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., questioned the limits on farmers’ access to Cuban markets.

“Is this something you would be willing to examine?” she asked Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer.

He replied that the administration has qualms about how cash flowing into Cuba might be diverted.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Castro’s retirement is “an opportunity to begin a new chapter in the relationship between America and the Cuban people.”

“I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to create new opportunities for trade between our peoples and diplomatic dialogue between our nations,” she said.

Source: CQ Today
Round-the-clock coverage of news from Capitol Hill.
© 2008 Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved.