Washington ? House members took aim Thursday at the Bush administration’s Cuba policy, calling for an easing of the trade embargo and an end to restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans.

“Quite simply, our Cuba policy has failed,” said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a member of the House International Relations Committee. “After 40 years, the U.S. policy toward Cuba has yielded few results. I think it’s time to try something new.”

He said that only through engagement can the United States promote democracy and improve human rights in Cuba.

At a news conference, Flake recommended an end to restrictions that limit legal travel for Americans to those who have a professional interest in the island.

Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., said it was an anomaly for the government to bar most Americans from visiting Cuba while allowing them to visit Iran and North Korea.

“By my calculation that’s two-thirds of the axis of evil,” Delahunt said, referring to the description of Iran, Iraq and North Korean by President Bush in his State of the Union address.

The administration is determined to maintain the embargo and the travel restrictions. Lifting these curbs would give a boost to the Cuban economy and prolong communist rule, the administration says.