Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) today joined U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Tom Udall (D-NM), John Boozman (R-AR), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to introduce S. 299, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act.

The bipartisan bill would end restrictions in laws enacted in 1996 and 2000 on travel by American citizens and legal residents to Cuba – restrictions that do not exist for travel by Americans to any other country in the world. The bill would also end restrictions on related transactions incident to such travel, such as banking transactions.

The four Republican and four Democrat sponsors introduced the legislation with the belief that the exchange of ideas and values via people-to-people travel can have a far greater, positive impact than the decades-old failed policy of isolation.

Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Mark Sanford (R-SC) plan to introduce a companion bill to S. 299 in the House of Representatives next week.

"For 50 years, we have tried the current policy of prohibiting travel to Cuba, and it hasn’t worked. It’s time for something new: It’s time to allow Americans to travel freely to Cuba,” said Flake. “I’m pleased to be joined by my colleagues from both sides of the aisle and I look forward to working with them to pass this long-overdue legislation.”

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