Senate Democrats propose reassessing U.S. embargo on Cuba

June 16, 2000
Web posted at: 5:03 PM EDT (2103 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With thaws in U.S. relations with Communist North Korea and China under way, Senate Democrats have proposed creating a bipartisan commission to rethink American policy toward Cuba.

"All over the globe, people are making an effort in this new millennium to reach out and find a new basis on which to have a relationship," said Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut), sponsor of a bill, unveiled Friday, that would create the commission. "And it's long overdue that we tried the same thing, in my view, in this hemisphere, and specifically with regard to Cuba."

Dodd is proposing a 12-person commission of outside experts -- half to be appointed by the president, half by Congress -- to question U.S. policy on everything from sanctions to overall diplomatic relations. He noted, however, that passing the legislation is unlikely because of opposition by the Senate's Republican leadership.

"We are now appraising what's happening on North Korea, we are about to allow free travel to Libya, we are hoping to break new ground in Iran," Dodd said. "I can't think of a place around the globe we are not seeking to make a difference.

"Yet 90 miles off my shore, closer than from here to Richmond, Virginia, I can't even get a commission to assess whether or not we should do something differently. That is outrageous."

The plan is co-sponsored by a Republican -- Sen. John Warner (Virginia), chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee -- who unsuccessfully proposed a national commission on Cuba policy in 1998.

Dodd said he believes the Elian Gonzalez case may have changed public opinion towards Cuba, putting a human face on the country other than that of Fidel Castro.

"The obsession with this one individual at the expense of 11 million others is, in my view, wrong," said Dodd.

The measure creating the commission was expected to come before the Senate for a vote Tuesday morning.

Friday's initiative came as momentum grew in Congress to exclude food and medicine sales from economic sanctions enforced since 1962 against Cuba. But any move to ease the embargo will face opposition from the Cuban exile community in the United States.

The anti-Castro lobby has launched a television advertising campaign defending the embargo. The commercials will air in Washington and in the home districts of two lawmakers who sponsored the measure -- Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Washington) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas).

CNN's Dana Bash and Reuters contributed to this report.

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