Congress Introduces New "Jay-Z And Beyonce Bill"

Congress Proposes New “Jay-Z And Beyonce Bill”

Earlier this year, Carter couple Jay-Z and Beyonce made headlines yet again when they traveled to Cuba to celebrate their wedding anniversary amid the United States government supposedly restricting American travel to Cuba.

Three months and one White House press conference Jay-Z shoutout later, Congress is now considering the approval of a bill that would prevent U.S. citizens from using working their way around the restrictions to travel to Cuba anyway. One democratic senator not in favor of the GOP-backed bill has decided to point out the foolish irony in the proposal by labeling it the “Jay-Z and Beyonce Bill.”

via Huffington Post/em>

Celebrity power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who controversially visited Cuba earlier this year, might face tougher government restrictions on travel to countries considered U.S. adversaries if congressional Republicans get their way.

A bill that just made its way out of a House Appropriations subcommittee would limit the use of Department of Treasury funds to approve “travel-related or other transactions incident to non-academic educational exchanges” described in American legal restrictions on travel to Cuba.

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), an advocate for easing travel restrictions to Cuba, labeled the proposal the “Jay-Z and Beyoncé bill.”

In April, Beyoncé and Jay Z visited Havana to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. When the couple returned, a variety of groups and lawmakers criticized their choice of destination.

The federal government became involved when the Treasury Department announced it had authorized the trip.

A pair of lawmakers began investigating the incident, and the White House denied that it played a role in the authorization, in light of President Barack Obama’s friendship with the couple.

Politico reported the subcommittee’s chair, Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), said Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s trip was an “example” of how people could use legal loopholes to travel to Cuba, which has been subject to a strict United States trade embargo since the Kennedy administration.

“I think that if we’re going to say that we have this policy in place that relates to travel in Cuba, that it ought to be enforced, and that becomes a grey area where they’re probably not really following the guidelines,” Crenshaw told Politico.

If Congress were really THAT concerned about seriously limiting government funds allocated for trips to Cuba, wouldn’t this bill have already been in place long before the Carters decided to travel there?

What’s your take on this, Bossip fam?