Opponents of the 42-year-old ban on travel to Cuba wanted to use the spending bill for the Treasury Department, Postal Service, and White House to undermine the ban. They supported an amendment to this spending bill brought by Flake (R-AZ). The amendment forbade any spending on enforcement of the travel ban, thus effectively killing it by starving it for cash. Progressives supported this amendment because they felt the travel ban was a restriction on personal liberty that had done nothing in 40 years to undermine the Castro regime. Together with virtually all Democrats and a sizable minority of Republicans, the amendment was adopted 262-167.