EMERSON REMAINS AT ODDS WITH HOUSE LEADERS

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson remains at odds with Republican House leaders over efforts to end trade sanctions against Cuba and a handful of other countries that the federal government labels as terrorist nations.

At issue is an amendment sponsored by Emerson and Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash. The amendment, attached to an agriculture spending bill, would lift the U.S. food and medicine embargo on Cuba, Libya, Sudan, Iran and North Korea.

The measure would require congressional approval for future embargoes. In addition, all approved embargoes would expire after two years unless the president requested an extension and Congress approved it.

Emerson said Congress should pass the measure for both humanitarian and economic reasons. Lifting the embargo would boost the sale of U.S. farm commodities, providing a boost for the farm economy in the 8th Congressional District and across the country.

The House Republican leadership continues to oppose the amendment.

"They have had their heads in the sand," Emerson complained Friday at the start of a weeklong congressional recess for the Memorial Day holiday.

Republican leaders avoided a key vote Thursday on a procedural measure that would set down the rules of debate on the agriculture bill.

Emerson said House leaders didn't let the procedural measure come up for a vote because they knew they didn't have the votes.

"We know we have the votes to beat them in floor debate," she said.

Opponents like Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, oppose any trade with terrorist countries.

Emerson said the House leadership hasn't met with her or Nethercutt to discuss the issue.

The House Rules Committee, in a midnight session earlier in the week, passed a rule that would have allowed the embargo language to be stripped from the agriculture appropriations bill without a vote.

Rules are important because they govern debate regarding specific bills in the House, Emerson explained.

Both Emerson and Nethercutt said they weren't notified of the meeting in time to testify.

Emerson said she was at her Washington area home when the committee acted.

But House leaders didn't bring the rule before the full House Thursday because House members would have voted it down, she said.

"The leadership now has to write another rule or sit down and talk to us about this," said Emerson.

The Cape Girardeau Republican said the controversy centers on lifting the trade embargo on Cuba.

"It really boils down to Cuba," she said. Some lawmakers are opposed to any trade with Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Emerson said the House leadership may reflect concern by some Republicans that lifting the trade sanctions could cost the party votes in the presidential election, particularly among Cuban Americans.

But Emerson said the amendment is "tightly written." She said it wouldn't allow the federal government to extend credit to Cuba and the other specified countries.

It would allow the sale of food and medicine only through the private sector, she said.

Rice farmers, including those in Southeast Missouri, could benefit from the lifting of trade sanctions on Cuba, Emerson said.

In the early 1960s, Cuba was the biggest importer of U.S. rice. After the embargo was imposed on Cuba, Iran became the biggest importer of U.S. rice until it too was slapped with an embargo, Emerson said.

"The bottom line is that embargoes on food and medicine don't work and only hurt our farmers and ranchers right here in the U.S.," she said.

"Farmers export more than a third of their production and they need access to overseas markets to provide for their families," Emerson said.