House vote on agricultural sales

This morning the House of Representatives approved an amendment to an appropriations bill regarding U.S. sales of agricultural products to Cuba.

The amendment, offered by Representative Moran of Kansas, passed by voice vote. It prohibits the use of funds to enforce regulations that the Administration created in 2005 to tighten payment requirements for Cuba’s purchases of American products. The effect of the amendment, if it is signed into law, would be to suspend enforcement for one year but not to repeal the regulations themselves.

The result is symbolic, a clear expression of the House’s opposition to the tighter regulations. It could assist efforts to pass other legislation that would change the regulations themselves, defining “payment in advance” requirements and allowing Cuba to make its payments through direct wire transfers to U.S. vendors’ banks, rather than through third countries and through the use of non-dollar currencies.