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(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, along
with U.S. Reps. Marion Berry, Mike Ross, and John Boozman, and other Members
of Congress representing rice-producing states, are urging the Bush Administration
to direct the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to limit rice imports
to Iraq to CPA members.
In two letters issued to President Bush from a bipartisan group of Senators
and House Members, the Members expressed concern that the CPA is importing
food from non-coalition members. In both letters the delegation stated,
"We think the CPA policy for food tenders should be consistent with the
CPA reconstruction policy and restrict contracts to countries that have
sacrificed and invested in the Coalition effort to free Iraq."
During the mid-1980s, U.S. rice sales to Iraq averaged 345,000 metric
tons annually. However, due to sanctions imposed by the U.N. in 1991, the
U.S. rice industry lost the market. Currently, other major rice-exporting
nations such as Vietnam - who are not members of the Provisional Authority
- are permitted to bid on World Food Program administered tenders. The
World Food Program currently coordinates food imports and exports to Iraq.
In fact, Vietnam successfully bid recently on a WFP tender for 70,000 tons
of rice for Iraq. This tendor should have been restricted to rice from
CPA members.
Lincoln, Pryor, Berry, Ross, and Boozman are working with the USA Rice
Federation, the nation's largest rice industry advocate, on this effort.
Other Members of Congress sending the Senate letter include Senators Christopher
"Kit" Bond (R-Mo.), John Breaux (D-La.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Jim Talent(R-Mo.),
and Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Other Members sending the House letter include
Representatives Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), House Majority Whip Roy Blunt(R-Mo.),
Chris John(D-La.), Rodney Alexander (D-La.), Richard Baker (R-La.), David
Vitter (R-La.), Wally Herger (R-Calif.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dennis
Cordoza (D-Calif.), Doug Ose (R-Calif.), and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). |
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