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| | HR0246 | | LRB098 11712 GRL 44497 r |
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1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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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
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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
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11 | | WHEREAS, The Polish government repealed its visa |
12 | | requirement for U.S. citizens traveling to Poland in 1991; and
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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
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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 |
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| | HR0246 | - 2 - | LRB098 11712 GRL 44497 r |
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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
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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
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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
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22 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |