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1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland is a free, democratic, and | ||||||
3 | independent
nation; and
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4 | WHEREAS, In 1999, the United States and the Republic of | ||||||
5 | Poland became
formal allies when Poland was granted membership | ||||||
6 | in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization; and
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7 | WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland has proven to be an | ||||||
8 | indispensable ally in the global campaign against terrorism; | ||||||
9 | and
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10 | WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland has actively participated | ||||||
11 | in Operation Iraqi
Freedom and the Iraqi reconstruction, | ||||||
12 | shedding blood along with American
soldiers; and
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13 | WHEREAS, The President of the United States and other high | ||||||
14 | ranking officials have described Poland as "one of our closest | ||||||
15 | friends"; and
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16 | WHEREAS, On April 15, 1991, the Republic of Poland | ||||||
17 | unilaterally repealed the visa obligation to United States | ||||||
18 | citizens traveling to Poland; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, The United States Department of State's Visa |
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1 | Waiver Program
currently allows approximately 23 million | ||||||
2 | citizens from 27 countries to travel to the United States for | ||||||
3 | tourism or business for up to 90 days without having first to | ||||||
4 | obtain visas for entry; and | ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, The countries that currently participate in the | ||||||
6 | Visa Waiver Program include Andorra, Australia, Austria, | ||||||
7 | Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, | ||||||
8 | Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the | ||||||
9 | Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, | ||||||
10 | Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the | ||||||
11 | United Kingdom; and | ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, It is appropriate that the Republic of Poland be | ||||||
13 | made eligible for the United States Department of State's Visa | ||||||
14 | Waiver Program; therefore, be it
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15 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | ||||||
16 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
17 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we respectfully urge the President of | ||||||
18 | the United States and the Congress of the United States to make | ||||||
19 | the Republic of Poland eligible for the United States | ||||||
20 | Department of State's Visa Waiver Program; and be it further
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21 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
22 | transmitted to the President of the
United States, the |
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1 | presiding officers of the United States Senate and the House of | ||||||
2 | Representatives, all members of the Illinois Congressional | ||||||
3 | delegation, and to Dr. Janusz Reiter, the Ambassador of the | ||||||
4 | Republic of Poland to the United
States.
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