U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI) announced on Wednesday that he would travel to Cuba with President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
Ribble, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Relations, has identified two key objectives in normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Opening up access to Cuban markets for agricultural and commodity exports in one objective. The second is to expose Cuban people to American freedom and democracy.
“Not only has the Cuban embargo been unsuccessful, but American producers are missing out on a market that imports the vast majority of its agricultural products, and Cubans are missing out on exposure to the freedom and democracy that lies just 90 miles from their shore,” Ribble said.
Ribble cosponsored the Cuba Agricultural Exports Act, the Cuba Trade Act, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act and the Cuban Military Transparency Act to help achieve his objectives.
“I am one of a majority of Americans who believe that it is time to change policies that have not worked,” Ribble said. “Lifting the embargo would be a win both for American businesses and for the Cuban people, who stand to benefit enormously from our ideas, technology, medicine and agriculture. Whether it’s cranberries, dairy or any other Wisconsin product, Wisconsin stands to benefit from increased access to the Cuban market.”