This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Monday, January 4th, 2010.

I'm Caleb Brown.

It's a new year.

So how about a new policy towards Cuba?

Over decades, the U.S. has fought unsuccessfully to dislodge Fidel Castro's communist regime.

Most Americans, including most Cuban Americans, now favor ending the travel ban,

and congressional support for changing this policy is increasing.

Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake on December 2nd 2009

told the Cato Capitol Hill briefing audience that ending the travel embargo means

respecting Americans' rights to travel

and promotes freedom in Cuba.

I appreciate being here. If you haven't heard, I just heard that the last

license is just granted to travel to Cuba were given to Tariq and McHale

Salahhi. On condition they don't come back. It's just I'm kidding. No they

weren't granted. But anyway, we had hearings just a couple of weeks ago as you know in the Foreign Affairs Committee here in the house.

The first hearing we've had since I've been here in

10 years, specifically on the question is specifically with the question, should

the US lift its travel ban? And of course the answer is a resounding yes, I think to all of us here and I think to most people

there at the hearing, certainly those watching.

But I was amazed there at the creativity and some of the arguments that people

come up with or why we should keep this embargo in place.

If you remember way back 20 years ago,

...