Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., introduced S. 950, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act on April 30 in the Senate. He is pleased members in the House are introducing companion legislation. The following is a statement that shows his continued support for changing the U.S. policy toward Cuba.

"The House and Senate have measures pending that would make a simple and straightforward change it our travel policy. This change will get Americans into Cuba to talk to Cubans to promote the ideas that we believe in.

"We should not allow Castro's recent crackdown to tempt us to tighten the already strong restrictions on the relations between our two countries. If we allow more and freer travel to Cuba, if we increase trade and dialogue, we take away Castro's ability to blame the hardships of the Cuban people on the United States.

"The people of this country are our best ambassadors and we should let them show the people of Cuba what we as a nation are all about. Ideas of freedom and democracy are the keys to positive change in any nation and they can be expressed through people to people exchanges.

"It seems foolish to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results - that is exactly what we are doing in Cuba. Let's do something new, let's open the door and talk to the Cuban people."