| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The United States government launched the Visa | ||||||
3 | Waiver Program (VWP) in 1986 to make it easier for tourists and | ||||||
4 | business travelers from friendly nations to visit without a | ||||||
5 | visa, as long as their homeland met stringent security and | ||||||
6 | law-enforcement standards; and
| ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, Poland is currently one of the few European | ||||||
8 | nations to be excluded from the VWP, despite its nearly | ||||||
9 | century-long diplomatic relationship with the United States; | ||||||
10 | and
| ||||||
11 | WHEREAS, The Polish government repealed its visa | ||||||
12 | requirement for U.S. citizens traveling to Poland in 1991; and
| ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, Poland has been one of the staunchest U.S. allies | ||||||
14 | during the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, where | ||||||
15 | 2,500 Polish soldiers are currently deployed; at least 24 | ||||||
16 | Polish troops have been killed in action in Iraq and | ||||||
17 | Afghanistan; and
| ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, In his December 2010 meeting with Polish President | ||||||
19 | Bronislaw Komorowski, President Barack Obama said he would make | ||||||
20 | Poland's admission into the VWP a "priority", and pledged to | ||||||
21 | complete that process expeditiously; and |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, Expansion of the VWP would bring increased revenue | ||||||
2 | to the travel industry at a time when America's economy needs | ||||||
3 | it the most; according to the USTA, in 2010, more than 17 | ||||||
4 | million visitors to the U.S. were from
VWP countries, | ||||||
5 | comprising 65% of all visitors; while visiting, they spent | ||||||
6 | nearly $61 billion,
supporting 433,000 American jobs and | ||||||
7 | generating $9 billion in tax revenues; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, The Secure Travel and Counterterrorism | ||||||
9 | Partnership Program Act of 2013, currently under consideration | ||||||
10 | in Congress, aims to update and modernize VWP requirements, | ||||||
11 | ultimately making Poland and other U.S. allies eligible to | ||||||
12 | participate in VWP; the Act would also enhance national | ||||||
13 | security by encouraging information sharing between the United | ||||||
14 | States and member countries; therefore, be it
| ||||||
15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
16 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
17 | we urge Congress to pass the Secure Travel and Counterterrorism | ||||||
18 | Partnership Program Act of 2013 in an effort to improve our | ||||||
19 | international diplomatic relationships, create jobs, stimulate | ||||||
20 | the economy, and strengthen national security; and be it | ||||||
21 | further
| ||||||
22 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | delivered to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United | ||||||
2 | States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority | ||||||
3 | Leaders of the United States Senate, and the members of the | ||||||
4 | Illinois congressional delegation.
|