[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”center” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]

Vilsack and a bipartisan group of lawmakers mark first anniversary of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba

[/title][fusion_text]Wednesday, February 10th 2016

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba by urging the group’s members – including some of the country’s leading ag groups and companies – to keep the pressure on Congress to ease trade restrictions with the island nation. A number of lawmakers attended the event to pledge their support. They included Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; Republican Congressmen Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Ted Poe of Texas, Ralph Abraham of Louisiana, and Tom Emmer of Minnesota; and Democrats Cheri Bustos of Illinois and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. Most of the lawmakers seemed to agree that ending the embargo would probably not happen during 2016, with a short legislative calendar and a presidential election coming in November. But they said coalition members and the public should be pushing for incremental changes, including changes to financial regulations that require Cubans to pay cash for U.S. products.

[/fusion_text][/fullwidth]