H-3134.2  _______________________________________________

                     HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4018

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Veloria, Morell, Grant, Mastin, Chase, Clements, Hunt, Santos, Schoesler and Haigh

Read first time 01/16/2002.  Referred to Committee on Trade & Economic Development.

Petitioning to end restrictions on trade with Cuba.

    TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, Washington state is one of the leading agricultural states in the nation and has a vested interest in promoting and expanding its agricultural market to Cuba; and

    WHEREAS, Washington is the fourth largest exporting state of the United States, ranking among the top ten states for thirty-five separate commodities; and

    WHEREAS, Washington state ranks twelfth in the nation for agricultural products, accounting for approximately twenty-nine billion dollars of this state's total economy; and

    WHEREAS, There are currently not enough apple, wheat, and potato markets in Washington state; and

    WHEREAS, Washington state and Cuba have historical economic ties; and

    WHEREAS, Polling results have indicated that an overwhelming majority of American people support the normalization of relations with Cuba; and

    WHEREAS, Representative George Nethercutt sponsored the Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, 22 U.S.C. Sec. 7201-7209, P.L. 106-387, to liberalize United States sanctions on exports of our agricultural commodities to Cuba; and

    WHEREAS, Initial sales of agricultural commodities have been made to Cuba, but continuing United States restrictions limit full access to the Cuban market; and

    WHEREAS, Lack of economic access with neighboring countries weakens the agricultural market in Washington state; and

    WHEREAS, Expanding agricultural trade will benefit both the people of Cuba and America; and

    WHEREAS, The House of Representatives and Senate of the state of Washington are committed to working diligently toward the goal of full normalization of relations between the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully petition Congress and the President of the United States to end the policy of restrictions on trade with Cuba.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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