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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The United States government launched the Visa
3Waiver Program (VWP) in 1986 to make it easier for tourists and
4business travelers from friendly nations to visit without a
5visa, as long as their homeland met stringent security and
6law-enforcement standards; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Poland is currently one of the few European
8nations to be excluded from the VWP, despite its nearly
9century-long diplomatic relationship with the United States;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Polish government repealed its visa
12requirement for U.S. citizens traveling to Poland in 1991; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Poland has been one of the staunchest U.S. allies
14during the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, where
152,500 Polish soldiers are currently deployed; at least 24
16Polish troops have been killed in action in Iraq and
17Afghanistan; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In his December 2010 meeting with Polish President
19Bronislaw Komorowski, President Barack Obama said he would make
20Poland's admission into the VWP a "priority", and pledged to
21complete that process expeditiously; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Expansion of the VWP would bring increased revenue
2to the travel industry, at a time when America's economy needs
3it the most; in 2008, the countries in the VWP generated more
4than 16 million visits to the U.S., accounting for 65% of all
5overseas arrivals that year; VWP travelers spent more than $51
6billion in the U.S., which generated an estimated 512,000 jobs,
7$13 billion in payroll and $7.8 billion in taxes for the U.S.
8economy; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Secure Travel and Counterterrorism
10Partnership Program Act of 2011, currently under consideration
11in Congress, aims to update and modernize VWP requirements,
12ultimately making Poland and other U.S. allies eligible to
13participate in VWP; the Act would also enhance national
14security by encouraging information sharing between the United
15States and member countries; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to
18pass the Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership
19Program Act of 2011 in an effort to improve our international
20diplomatic relationships, create jobs, stimulate the economy,
21and strengthen national security; and be it further
 
22    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be

 

 

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1delivered to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United
2States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority
3Leaders of the United States Senate, and the members of the
4Illinois congressional delegation.