Full Text of SJR0017 95th General Assembly
SJ0017 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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SJ0017 |
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland is a free, democratic, and | 3 |
| independent
nation; and
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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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| unilaterally repealed the visa obligation to United States | 18 |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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SJ0017 |
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| 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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| 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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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 22 |
| transmitted to the President of the
United States, the |
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| 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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