White House interested in bill to ease Cuba sanctions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The White House signaled Sunday it might support legislation to relax trade sanctions against Cuba as long as the efforts did not aid the Communist government of President Fidel Castro.

White House chief of staff John Podesta said bills to permit food and medicine sales to Cuba appeared consistent with President Clinton's policies toward the island nation.

"The president's plan has been to try to create more people-to-people contact ... without supporting the Castro government. These are steps in that direction," Podesta said on the ABC News program "This Week."

	MESSAGE BOARD
U.S./Cuba relations

"I think we can work something out," he added.

On Thursday, the House and Senate passed different versions of a proposal to allow food and medicine sales to Cuba. The votes were the latest show of support in Congress for relaxing U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Cuba nearly four decades ago.

Lawmakers now must meet to reconcile the two plans.

Farm and business groups say the embargo is a futile relic of the Cold War. Supporters say it would be wrong to ease sanctions without any move from Castro toward democracy.

House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican, called the House votes in favor of easing sanctions "really unfortunate."

"It's the first time I have really been ashamed of the House of Representatives," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "I mean, this is a ruthless, murdering dictator in Cuba, and all the food will go through him, and he'll use that food and medicine as a tool to continue to oppress his people."

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

U.S. House votes to lift ban on U.S. food, drugs and travel to Cuba
July 21, 2000
House leaders agree to lift food and medicine embargo against Cuba
June 27, 2000
Cuba tells U.S. business leaders embargo is costing them
June 9, 2000
Despite guarantees, homelessness creeps into Cuba
June 6, 2000
U.S. farmers lobby to ease Cuba sanctions
May 18, 2000
Senate committee votes to lift food and medicine sanctions on Cuba
May 9, 2000

The housing dimension in Cuba's urban crisis
Viva Havana
Habitat-Cuba: Acute housing shortage in Havana
American Journal of Public Health
Cubaweb
CIA World Factbook: Cuba

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.