The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRAVEL PROMOTION, ENHANCEMENT, AND MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2014” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6626-H6631 on July 22, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRAVEL PROMOTION, ENHANCEMENT, AND MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2014
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 4450) to extend the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4450
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Subsection (b)(2)(A) of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009
(22 U.S.C. 2131(b)(2)(A)) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i)--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``promotion and marketing'' and inserting ``promotion or marketing''; and
(B) by inserting after the first sentence the following:
``At least 5 members of the board shall have experience working in United States multinational entities with marketing budgets. At least 2 members of the board shall be audit committee financial experts (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with section 407 of Public Law 107-204 (15 U.S.C. 7265)). All members of the board shall be a current or former chief executive officer, chief financial officer, or chief marketing officer, or have held an equivalent management position.''; and
(2) in clause (x), by striking ``intercity passenger railroad business'' and inserting ``land or sea passenger transportation sector''.
SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Subsection (c)(3) of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (22 U.S.C. 2131(c)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (I); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
``(G) a description of, and rationales for, the Corporation's efforts to focus on specific countries and populations;
``(H)(i) a description of, and rationales for, the Corporation's combination of media channels employed in meeting the promotional objectives of its marketing campaign;
``(ii) the ratio in which such channels are used; and
``(iii) a justification for the use and ratio of such channels; and''.
SEC. 4. BIANNUAL REVIEW OF PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE FAIR
MARKET VALUE OF GOODS AND SERVICES.
Subsection (d)(3) of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (22 U.S.C. 2131(d)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``80 percent'' and inserting ``70 percent''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) Maintenance of an in-kind contributions policy.--The Corporation shall maintain an in-kind contributions policy.
``(F) Formalized procedures for in-kind contributions policy.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014, the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Corporation, shall establish formal, publicly available procedures specifying time frames and conditions for--
``(i) making and agreeing to revisions of the Corporation's in-kind contributions policy; and
``(ii) addressing and resolving disagreements between the Corporation and its partners, including the Secretary of Commerce, regarding the in-kind contributions policy.
``(G) Biannual review of procedures to determine fair market value of goods and services.--The Corporation and the Secretary of Commerce (or their designees) shall meet on a biannual basis to review the procedures to determine the fair market value of goods and services received from non-Federal sources by the Corporation under subparagraph (B).''.
SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2009.
(a) In General.--The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (22 U.S.C. 2131) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(5)(A)(iv), by striking ``all States and the District of Columbia'' and inserting ``all States and territories of the United States and the District of Columbia,''; and
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``2015'' and inserting
``2020''; and
(B) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``fiscal year 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, or 2015'' and inserting ``each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2020''.
(b) Sunset of Travel Promotion Fund Fee.--Section 217(h)(3)(B)(iii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(iii)) is amended by striking ``September 30, 2015'' and inserting ``September 30, 2020''. SEC. 6. ACCOUNTABILITY; PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS.
The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (22 U.S.C. 2131), as amended by this Act, is further amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as subsections (h), (e), (i), and (j), respectively;
(2) by moving subsection (e) (as so redesignated) so that it follows subsection (d);
(3) in paragraph (2) of subsection (c), by striking
``$5,000,000'' and inserting ``$500,000''; and
(4) by inserting after subsection (e), as redesignated, the following:
``(f) Accountability.--
``(1) Performance plans and measures.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014, the Corporation shall--
``(A) establish performance metrics including, time frames, evaluation methodologies, and data sources for measuring--
``(i) the effectiveness of marketing efforts by the Corporation, including its progress in achieving the long-term goals of increased traveler visits to and spending in the United States;
``(ii) whether increases in visitation and spending have occurred in response to external influences, such as economic conditions or exchange rates, rather than in response to the efforts of the Corporation; and
``(iii) any cost or benefit to the economy of the United States; and
``(B) conduct periodic program evaluations in response to the data resulting from measurements under subparagraph (A).
``(2) GAO accountability.--Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Corporation receives a report from the Government Accountability Office with recommendations for the Corporation, the Corporation shall submit a report to Congress that describes the actions taken by the Corporation in response to the recommendations in such report.
``(g) Procurement Requirements.--The Corporation shall--
``(1) establish a competitive procurement process; and
``(2) certify in its annual report to Congress under subsection (c)(3) that any contracts entered into were in compliance with the established competitive procurement process.''.
SEC. 7. REPEAL OF ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY.
The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (22 U.S.C. 2131), as amended by this Act, is further amended by striking subsection (e) (as redesignated by section 6(1) of this Act).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.
General Leave
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on this bill, and I would like to include an exchange of letters between the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Homeland Security.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Today, I rise in support of H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act, which was reported out of the subcommittee I chair, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, on July 9, 22-0. H.R. 4450 then sailed through the full Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 15 by voice vote.
I thank Congressman Bilirakis for his hard work, not only in crafting a very smart bill with the appropriate reforms, but also gaining strong bipartisan support along the way. And I also thank his cosponsor, Mr. Welch of Vermont, for being the lead Democratic sponsor.
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The Travel Promotion Act matches $100 million in fees from foreign travelers with $100 million in voluntary contributions from the industry to invest in advertising abroad. In 2013 alone, Brand USA generated 1.1 million visitors to the United States, who spent $3.4 billion and supported 53,181 U.S. jobs.
Now, we always think of Orlando, California, Miami, Disneyland, Hollywood, and Disney World as the tourist spots that are known worldwide, but thanks to the TPA and Brand USA, travel agents from abroad can educate their clients on popular attractions in America's heartland, not just New York City or Los Angeles. Nebraska alone has seen $4.4 billion spent and 44,275 jobs supported throughout the life of Brand USA.
With H.R. 4450, we increase accountability, as well as transparency requirements and performance metrics to ensure Brand USA is run efficiently. I am also pleased that the legislation makes contributions to Brand USA voluntary, rather than compulsory.
Conservative publications, such as RedState and Human Events have picked up on these changes and recognize these reforms as critical to the success of the Travel Promotion Act.
I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) for their hard work in drafting H.R. 4450 and for gathering enough supporters that we can pass this legislation under suspension of the rules.
I was fortunate to be able to report the bill out of my subcommittee, so that our committee can continue to benefit from Brand USA, and I encourage a ``yea'' vote from all of the Members on both sides of the aisle.
I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC, July 16, 2014.Hon. Fred Upton,Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Upton: I write to you regarding H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014, which was ordered reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 15, 2014. I wanted to notify you that the Committee on Homeland Security will forgo action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.
This is being done with the understanding that the Committee on Homeland Security is not waiving any of its jurisdiction, and the Committee will not be prejudiced with respect to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar legislation.
I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming this understanding, and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the report accompanying H.R. 4450 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 4450 on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Michael T. McCaul,Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, July 17, 2014.Hon. Michael T. McCaul,Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McCaul, Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 4450, the ``Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014.''
I appreciate your willingness to forgo action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. I agree that your decision is not a waiver of any of the Committee on Homeland Security's jurisdiction, and the Committee will not be prejudiced with respect to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar legislation.
I will include a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter in the report accompanying H.R. 4450 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 4450 on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, I am pleased that this bipartisan bill, H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014, was reported out of the full Energy and Commerce Committee last week.
The bill, which authorizes the Brand USA program through fiscal year 2020, is an important achievement for our committee. I appreciate the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentleman from Nebraska
(Mr. Terry), the chairman of our committee and subcommittee, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the full committee ranking member, for helping to bring this legislation to the floor.
I strongly support Brand USA's mission of promoting international travel to the United States, and I have heard from travel and tourism professionals across my district about the need to reauthorize this program, but it is not just the Chicago area that benefits.
Brand USA supports an estimated 53,000 jobs and $3.4 billion in visitor spending each year from coast to coast, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
I would like to thank Mr. Bilirakis and Mr. Welch, the sponsors of H.R. 4450, for their continued commitment to the promotion of international tourism. The sponsors worked with me to make some important improvements to this legislation during the committee markup process.
The amendment we made to the bill will make Brand USA even more accountable and economically viable, moving forward.
Due to our efforts, the bill incorporates several recommendations that the Government Accountability Office made in a 2013 report. The Department of Commerce is now required to establish specific publicly available timeframes and conditions for how Brand USA revises and resolves disagreements related to its in-kind contribution policy.
Having a set policy will not only promote greater transparency, but it will also, in the words of GAO, ``enable productive interactions and facilitate collaboration.''
GAO has also suggested that Brand USA be directed to develop a plan that specifies timeframes, methodologies, and data sources for measuring its performance and the campaign's impact.
By explicitly requiring those criteria, the bill now gives the organization more direction on the type of information it should collect and establishes metrics that can more effectively determine the success of the program.
I was glad that the bill's sponsors proposed lowering the cap on in-
kind contributions in the underlying bill, and I am thankful that Mr. Bilirakis joined me to offer an amendment to lower the cap even further during the full committee markup last week.
Every contribution to Brand USA, whether public or private, cash or in-kind, is important to the organization's ongoing success, but I believe that the program is in the best possible position to maintain and build on its success through robust cash contributions by the private sector.
Brand USA's continued long-term success is essential to communities that--like my district--realize the economic and cultural benefits of tourism and travel. Brand USA has been successful in its first few years, and I firmly believe that this legislation improves the program even more.
Again, I applaud Brand USA for its ongoing efforts to encourage people from all over the world to enjoy everything our country has to offer, and I assure the chairman of our subcommittee that we will benefit not just coast to coast, but also the center of the country as well.
I thank the sponsors for their continued efforts to ensure the longevity of this valuable program and strongly encourage my colleagues to support this important bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the full committee chair.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, this bill, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014--yes, it is a very important bill that is going to increase jobs and boost the economy by promoting the U.S. as a world-class travel destination.
The bill reauthorizes Brand USA and increases program accountability and transparency, thanks in large part to the amendments and the regular process that we went through in committee.
In 2013, Brand USA generated an additional 1.1 million visitors to the U.S. and, as the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) said, $3.4 billion in additional spending at U.S. businesses.
This increase in spending triggered the creation of more than 53,000 American jobs and $2.2 billion in payroll, so Brand USA delivers all those benefits to the U.S. economy at no cost to the American taxpayers--no cost.
Earlier this month in my district, I held a roundtable to discuss the benefits of tourism and how this program contributes to southwest Michigan's economy.
We had local legislators. We had chambers of commerce. We had tourism organizations. We had State officials. It was noted that in my district, in southwest Michigan, we had nearly $1 billion in spending in 2012, supporting over 9,300 jobs and $200 million in payroll annually just for tourists. There was $1 billion spent in southwest Michigan by tourists.
It was also noted that the reauthorization of this bill was their number one priority. It expires next year, and one of the commitments that I made was to see if we could move it in an expeditious manner to give the Senate a little time, so that it doesn't get caught up later on and we can just get it off our plate, knowing in fact that it was bipartisan from the get-go.
I applaud particularly the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), who is going to speak a little bit later, and his colleague from Vermont (Mr. Welch), who are both very good members on our committee, for their working together and their leadership to spearhead this bipartisan bill.
I was glad to see it pass on a recorded vote that was unanimous in subcommittee and in full committee as well, and I appreciate the leadership of the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) as we work through this bill and to really get it to the floor as quickly as we can.
These are jobs. This is not a cost to the American taxpayer. It ought to be something that we can pass on a pretty good vote this afternoon.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada, Dina Titus, from a place that certainly benefits from tourism and is a place where many of us go to have fun.
Ms. TITUS. I thank my friend from Illinois for yielding and for visiting my district whenever she can.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014. I am an original cosponsor of this legislation, and I thank my friend from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for his leadership on this issue.
During the 111th Congress, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of the first Travel Promotion Act, which actually established Brand USA. Prior to the passage of that act, the United States was one of the only countries in the world that did not promote its unique destination to foreign visitors.
Since its creation, Brand USA has played a critical role in bringing foreign visitors to destinations throughout the United States, including my district of Las Vegas.
Through innovative, targeted, and effective marketing campaigns, Brand USA has directly connected foreign visitors with world-famous destinations in Nevada's First Congressional District, including the fabulous strip; the new arts district; and the hip, edgy downtown section of Las Vegas.
Foreign visitors to the United States are critical for the success of the travel and tourism industry. Average foreign visitors stay 17 days in the United States and spend $4,500 during their visit. This certainly creates jobs in Las Vegas and around the country.
Brand USA has been very effective in bringing more of these visitors to the United States. For example, as you have heard, in 2013, Brand USA was directly responsible for a million new visits, generating $3.4 billion in new visitor spending and supporting 53,000 U.S. jobs, and this is all without spending a dime of taxpayer dollars.
Today, we have a chance to reauthorize the work that began with the Travel Promotion Act and remains so critical to our economy still today.
I look forward to continuing my work with Brand USA to support the travel and tourism industry, to bring more visitors to Las Vegas and to other destinations around the country, from the Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls, Chicago, and even Nebraska, so I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4450.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the author and chief negotiator of this bill, who worked in a very bipartisan way and allowed the bill to come out of our committee unanimously.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his good work on this bill, as well as his leadership on this very important subcommittee, and I appreciate it very much.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act, which would reauthorize Brand USA for a limited time, adds numerous accountability measures and strengthens the transparency of the public-private partnership that promotes increased tourism to the United States.
Passage of H.R. 4450 will be good for the economy. It is a jobs bill, Mr. Speaker. A recent analysis performed by the independent firm Oxford Economics estimated that, in fiscal year 2013, Brand USA generated 1.1 million additional international visitors who spent an estimated $3.4 billion, generating economic revenue and supporting job creation in communities across America.
Brand USA does not impose a cost upon the Federal Government. It has helped to reduce the deficit during the last 2 fiscal years and is expected to continue to do so. In fact, the respected and nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that H.R. 4450 will reduce the deficit by $231 million over 10 years. It is a win-win, Mr. Speaker.
It is important to note that Federal taxpayer dollars are not used to fund Brand USA. Brand USA is supported by international visitors and voluntary private sector contributors.
After it receives contribution from the private sector, Brand USA can only collect up to $100 million in matching funds from fees paid by foreign travelers. Amounts collected in excess of that cap are returned to the Treasury for deficit reduction.
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Finally, given the benefits to the economy across State lines, as well as the competitive nature of foreign competitors in travel promotion, Congress is well within its authority under the Commerce Clause to extend the Travel Promotion Act. Small State and local tourism offices and local small businesses across America are some of the strongest supporters of the Travel Promotion Act and benefit greatly from international tourism. Brand USA helps bridge these communities and opens up new markets to American competition.
I appreciate consideration of this legislation, which several commentators have noted includes important reforms. This bill improves an already existing partnership, Mr. Speaker.
I thank Chairman Upton for his leadership, again, the subcommittee chair, Chairman Terry, doing an outstanding job, all those who have contributed to this bill, our lead cosponsor, Mr. Peter Welch, and the cochair of the Tourism Caucus, Mr. Farr--who I believe will speak in a few minutes--for their work on this legislation, and also the ranking member of the subcommittee, Ms. Schakowsky. I urge support of this prudent and narrow reauthorization of the Travel Promotion Act.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. It is now my pleasure to yield for such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), who is from a beautiful area of the country.
Mr. FARR. Thank you very much for yielding. Thank you for your leadership on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill for many reasons. The first reason is that America needs to market itself. You think that, oh, everybody loves America, but I found in my travels in talking with people that not everybody has the same opinion about America. Right now, if you turn on your television, the rest of the world is trying to get people who live in this country to go travel to their country--go to Spain; go to the Caribbean; go to New Zealand; go everywhere; go to Canada. It is all trying to get our people to be tourists in their country.
Well, finally, we did something about it. We have been doing this in agriculture for a long time. With the Agricultural Marketing Act, we decided, well, let's market America. Let's tell people what this great country is, how you can get here, and what you are going to see when you get here. It has had a tremendous effect. It really has. It, to me, is the biggest jump-starter for jobs that we can do because tourism is everywhere. It is all those things. It is little restaurants. It is museums. It is essentially Washington, D.C., from parks to rivers to everything. That is what America is made of.
There is also, I think, in this hot world right now, this complicated world--the news is full of bad stuff, and, unfortunately, America, because of all our movies and television, also has an opinion of people this is the most dangerous country in the world to visit. We have got to get over that, because everybody who comes here finds that it is not true at all. It is very friendly people and wonderful help. So it is very important. It is kind of foreign policy to say: Come on, come see this great country, this little pillar of the world, and meet the people.
Next year, we are going to have the 100th anniversary of our National Park System. We are the only country in the world that has a national park system like this one. They are the most beautiful places in America.
I would suggest that, frankly, this is a great, bipartisan product. Mr. Bilirakis and I have been cochairs of this Tourism Caucus. We have been trying to get every Member to join. It was interesting; we got more Democrats to join the caucus than Republicans. And hopefully now with this bill and this sort of discussion of how important this is to your local districts, and there is isn't a chamber of commerce in the United States that isn't watching this vote and hoping that we will pass this bill because those tourists, just like politics, all of it is local. All tourism is local. They go to some community, and they go to the main street and they help the small businesses.
I represent a pretty remote area of California called Big Sur, a beautiful coastline. The foreign tourists are carrying the economy of that area by their visits. The Europeans are visiting it in greater numbers than ever before. If you talk to any of the merchants, they will say, but for that European travel after the recession we have had, we wouldn't be recovering like it is.
So I want every Member of Congress to join our caucus because what do we do? Caucuses produce things. We produced this reauthorization, a bill, and Mr. Bilirakis as cochair carried it, and he has done a tremendous job. It is important that we focus for a moment on the importance of tourism as an industry just like steel, electronics, and airlines, but it is made up of all these other parts. That industry is in every single congressional district. If this is the tide that lifts the ships that bring the tourists here, it is also the tide that will help leave that tourist tax dollar, that tourist expenditure dollar in our local community and hire people to be a service-oriented industry.
So I applaud our colleagues in Congress for reauthorizing. We have done this before without controversy because it is a pay-for. It is already paid for. It is not a tax. It is a fee that is levied on tourists coming to this country to get a visa, and a portion of that fee then goes into paying for this promotion. So it is a win-win. It is a job promotion, and it is good for everybody. I hope we get a unanimous vote on both sides of the aisle, and I hope those that vote for it will also join the Tourism Caucus.
Mr. TERRY. At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from southern Florida (Mr. Jolly).
Mr. JOLLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4450, legislation to reauthorize the public-private program that is often known as Brand USA. This is a bill that was passed unanimously by the subcommittee and by voice vote through the full committee. I understand questions have been raised today, so let's address some very specific, important components of this legislation.
First, in 1981, Ronald Reagan signed the National Tourism Policy Act to promote the United States as a destination for international tourism, to expand our economy, and to grow jobs here in the United States. In 2009, this body passed the Travel Promotion Act.
Second, this is an activity that extends across State lines bringing this bill, this legislation, within the article I Commerce Clause authority of this body, the constitutional authority of this body.
Third, no Federal taxpayer dollars are used to fund Brand USA. It is funded by industry contributions and by international visitors. The United States is the only major destination that does not fund its promotion programs through taxpayer dollars. It is through private contributions of industry matched by international traveler fees.
There is a cap on the program, the amount of funds it can expend from those fees collected from international visitors; and when the funds exceed that cap, that money is returned to the Treasury for deficit reduction. In FY13, that was $27 million in deficit reduction to benefit the taxpayers. This bill was recently scored, and over the next 10 years, this would reduce the deficit, contribute to the Treasury $231 million not from taxpayers but from international travelers.
This bill rightly is supported by associations and organizations across the country, from hotel and lodging, including those in Florida, from business travel to cruise lines to amusement parks, shopping malls, restaurants, convention and visitors' bureaus, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and in my home State, by the organization Visit Florida. And rightly so.
Let's revisit why. There is no cost to the Federal Government by this program. There is no cost to the U.S. taxpayer for this program. This program reduces the Federal deficit, and it fosters economic growth in communities across the country, in each and every one of our congressional districts that we are sent here to represent.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the discussion that is being had on this bill, but I ask my colleagues, let's not stand in our own way when it comes to sensible, good legislation that we can pass to promote the economy across the country and in the communities that we represent.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, can I ask how many minutes remain on either side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Illinois has 10\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentleman from Nebraska has 7\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I have no more speakers, but I want to just make a couple of comments. I think in addition to this being a really important bill and recognized in a bipartisan way, I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will realize how good it feels when we work together, and maybe this could be the beginning or a model for how we can deal with legislation. There were some changes to the bill. We sat down. We agreed on them. We worked it out, and we have a product at the end of the day. It is called compromise. It is not a dirty word. We have achieved, I think, an excellent product.
The other thing I wanted to mention, we have talked about Big Sur, Carmel, Las Vegas, and other places. I just wanted to say that I am kind of pushing an idea for an organization called To Chicago, which is our tourism bureau to bring people to Chicago, especially for the summer. I thought a really good idea would be to promote: Come to Chicago, swim in Chicago, no sharks. And so I thought I would use this opportunity to push my ``no sharks'' idea for Chicago. You could add
``no salt'' as well, but I thought particularly ``no sharks.'' We have beautiful beaches in Chicago. So I am trying to get To Chicago under the banner of brand Chicago to promote my good idea of no sharks.
But there are so many ideas I think that we have for many small communities. I was in the delta of Louisiana at the original blues bars and blues restaurants down there, and all of us have something wonderful and unique in our communities. That is what Brand USA is about, to bring tourists not only to the likely suspects of places but to so many of our communities so they get the real flavor of the people, the diversity, the color, the smell, the feel, and the sound of the United States of America. So this is a great piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Gardner).
Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I will take this time to talk about Brand USA. To the chairman of the subcommittee, thank you for your leadership on this important, bipartisan issue. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and urge its favorable passage today.
Just looking at the Colorado Tourism Office, just reading the Colorado tourism industry facts, it starts with saying that tourism equals jobs and revenue for Colorado. It is a vital piece of our economy. Tourism is one of the largest industries in Colorado in terms of jobs, employing 144,000 people in the tourism sector. Overall, these employees earn $4.1 billion annually, contributing to State revenue through income taxes. And, in fact, it is a little known fact that, without the taxes that are paid by tourists who visit from out of country, out of State to Colorado, the average Colorado family would have to pay an additional $407 a year in taxes to make up for the money that would be lost if we didn't have those tourism dollars being spent in Colorado. It has been a tremendous success.
When it comes to Brand USA, a quick look at the work that Brand USA has done in Colorado, partnering with Colorado to market the State to international visitors--marketing activities include both traditional media from TV display out of homes, social media, and more--but also our work in Colorado when it comes to craft beer being featured as part of Brand USA's 2014 Great American Road Trip, talking about the work we are doing in Colorado, thousands of people being employed in a new and growing industry.
Colorado was featured in Brand USA's 2014 inspirational visitors' guide, over 16 international audiences exposed because of Brand USA's international visitors' guide, which will generate over 30 million impressions through Brand USA. The list goes on and on, the work that we do.
I think it is also important to highlight the work Colorado has done with Brand USA's Discover America Pavilion at international trade shows around the world, like the Japanese Association of Travel Agents, work that we can do to highlight the opportunities to come to the United States, to create opportunities, perhaps a tourist the first time but a business partner the next time. I think it is a number of jobs that we can create.
Again, I thank the chairman for his work on this legislation, the bipartisan support for the legislation, and urge its passage today with the support of the House of Representatives.
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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I will close by just thanking the gentleman--all of the gentlemen--and ladies who have participated in making this important legislation come to fruition.
I do hope we are able to move it very quickly and, hopefully, unanimously here, move it over to the Senate and get it done right away. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill to extend the Brand USA program and ensure it is successful, accountable, and transparent going forward.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
I want to thank Jan Schakowsky, the ranking member, for her great work on this bill. She and I understand and have worked together in a very bipartisan way to try and encourage more foreign investment in the United States.
That builds our economy and helps to create jobs when you bring money from outside the United States in. We had a bill that passed earlier, overwhelmingly in this House, that is sitting over in the Senate, to do a study to figure out what the barriers are to direct foreign investment in the United States.
This is the easy lift here. This is providing visas to people from all around the world that want to come spend some time in the United States because they want to go to the Windy City on the big Ferris wheel on the pier or to one of our great amusement parks or to Colorado skiing. We attract people from all over the world. We have to encourage them.
There is a worldwide competition for the tourism dollar, and we need to make sure that the United States is competitive, and Brand USA is that program that promotes the United States, so that the tourists come here, whether it is from Brazil to go shopping in the Miami area--which is very popular--or whatever they want to do as their destination.
When they decide to make that trip, they get a visitor's visa, and they pay a fee for that visa. The interesting part is when some of that money is then invested in Brand USA through this act, over that period of the year, there is actually more dollars that go towards budget or deficit reduction than are used for the processing and for Brand USA, so it actually reduces our deficit. Who wouldn't want that?
It is also the point that it creates jobs, and I think of this bill more as a jobs bill. 53,000 jobs per year are supported because of Brand USA and foreign visitors to the United States--1.1 million visitors directly from Brand USA.
I would like to see us do 2 million next year, but we are only going to do that if there is a way to get the word out around the world that we want visitors to the United States, so this is a great bill.
Gus Bilirakis, the gentleman from Florida that worked this bill, resolved all of the major issues. He negotiated, and this is now a voluntary program on the business side, not compulsory.
I don't think there are any real issues here, any barriers or bumps here, so I think we should have a unanimous vote on this. Therefore, I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote
``yea'' on this great pro-U.S.A. bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, I am pleased to see the House of Representatives take up the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 today. I want to thank my caucus co-chair, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, for introducing this legislation to reauthorize Brand USA--our nation's Destination Marketing Organization or DMO.
This legislation will allow our country to continue its success in the international travel and tourism market, bringing greater numbers of international visitors to our shores. These travelers provide a substantial boost to our economy and produce many U.S. jobs. Did you know that international visitors coming to the United States are measured as an export? They are, and travel and tourism is the top export industry. Number One! Seventy million international visitors, spending over $180 billion, have produced a trade surplus every year since 1989--and Brand USA is a crucial part of this. Brand USA's most recent annual report showed that FY13 saw an increase of 1.1 million visitors. That increase brings an additional $3.4 billion in spending to our economy and supports over 50,000 new jobs.
International visitors are drawn to America's well known destinations like New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Chicago. And yet, it is our
``amber waves of grain'' and ``purple mountain majesties'' that attract travelers to all corners of our country. Our scenery sells us to the world and the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service will highlight some of our most notable scenery.
Brand USA's efforts bring substantial benefits to our economy with a return on investment of more than 30 to 1. If only my investments did this well. This unbeatable value is done at no U.S. taxpayer expense. Funding for this program is provided by the international visitors who come to the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I like to point out that travel and tourism is in every state, every territory, and congressional district across this country, and I encourage all my colleagues to join Rep. Bilirakis and myself in supporting America's travel and tourism industry by voting aye for this bipartisan legislation.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today the House will consider H.R. 4450 and I rise in strong support of this legislation. I would like to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership in bringing this bill to the House floor, and also the Tourism Caucus and co-sponsors for their support.
One of the most important amendments in H.R. 4450 includes the U.S. territories among the states and the District of Columbia whose benefits the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion plan must ensure. This provision is particularly important to my district- the U.S. Virgin Islands--where tourism is the primary economic activity. The Virgin Islands normally host approximately 2 million visitors a year, many of whom visit on cruise ships.
Tourism is a critical component of economic development in the U.S. Virgin Islands; especially with the closure of the oil refinery, HOVENSA, on St. Croix. The closure eliminated close to 1,200 refinery positions and raised our unemployment rate to the double digits. The ripple effect also included school closures, home foreclosures and a large number of residents leaving the island. As the Virgin Islands struggles to turn around its economy, it is critical that we continue to grow and sustain our tourism industry. Including the territories in the Corporation's promotion plan will significantly support these efforts. The territories are a major destination point for national and international travelers alike and should be a focal point for the Corporation.
H.R. 4450 is sponsored by more than a third of the House of Representatives, and almost equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats. Independent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and the U.S. Travel Association concluded that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $231 million over a year and not cost taxpayers a dime, all while creating jobs and economic opportunities in communities across America.
I think it is a Win-Win situation for our nation's economy and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4450.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4450, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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