U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin recently returned from a trip to Cuba. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Dick Durbin)

By Eric Stock 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin just got back from Cuba and he wants all Americans to be able to travel to the Caribbean nation. 

Durbin (D-Ill.) is co-sponsoring a bipartisan measure that would allow travel to Cuba for the first since the U.S. placed an economic embargo on Cuba 50 years ago.

Many Republicans have fought normalizing relations with Cuba because of the island country's communist regime.  Durbin told WJBC's Scott Laughlin, critics who decry the communist government should see this as a chance for change. 

"You want to change that regime, you want to change Cuba?," Durbin asked. "Throw the doors open, let some visitors in there and let the people of Cuba see what's outside and Cuba will change for the better."

President Barack Obama recently announced U.S. intentions to normalize relations with Cuba. He wants that embargo lifted.

Durbin said lawmakers who support opening Cuba to U.S. travel and trade have a secret weapon – agribusiness.  He said Caterpillar and Deere and Co. are among the companies that want to see the U.S. lift its half-century old embargo with Cuba so they can expand their exports. 

"They understand, this is an opportunity to sell," Durbin said. "This is a market to get into."

Durbin said in his recent visit to Cuba he saw that Cubans ship in powered milk from New Zealand, rather than getting it from the U.S. just 90 miles away. 

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen's interview with Durbin on WJBC.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].