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 ACT OF 2009” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Senate section on pages S9118-S9123 on Sept. 8, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2009
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate resumes consideration of S. 1023, which the clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1023) to establish a nonprofit corporation to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States.
Pending:
Reid (for Dorgan/Rockefeller) amendment No. 1347, of a perfecting nature.
Reid amendment No. 1348 (to amendment No. 1347), to change the enactment date.
Reid amendment No. 1349 (to the language proposed to be stricken by amendment No. 1347), to change the enactment date.
Reid amendment No. 1350 (to amendment No. 1349), of a perfecting nature.
Reid motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, with instructions.
Reid amendment No. 1351 (to the instructions on the motion to recommit), to change the enactment date.
Reid amendment No. 1352 (to amendment No. 1351), of a perfecting nature.
Reid amendment No. 1353 (to amendment No. 1352), of a perfecting nature.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the time until 5:30 p.m. will be divided or controlled between the leaders or their designees.
The Senator from North Dakota is recognized.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I want to begin the discussion, then I believe my colleague, Senator Ensign, who has worked hard on this legislation, will follow. Then Senator Klobuchar who also has played a significant role in this will follow with comments. If others arrive, of course we want them to be able to involve themselves in the debate.
At a time when there is so much discussion about partisanship and how things don't work so well, this legislation, the cloture motion we vote on at 5:30 today, is bipartisan. Unlike some other discussions about partisanship, this is bipartisan. This legislation is called the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. It has 53 cosponsors. There are many Democrats and Republicans cosponsoring this legislation.
Just today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to all Members of Congress saying they strongly support this legislation. The Chamber urges Members to support the legislation and to vote for cloture.
Let me talk just for a moment about what this is. First of all, at a time when we need jobs, this is about jobs. At a time when we need to find ways to address budget deficits, this is one piece of legislation that is not going to cost money. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office scores it as actually a $425 million reduction in deficits over a 10-year period. Let me say again, it is pretty unusual. It is bipartisan, doesn't cost money--actually saves money--and addresses one of the most critical areas of our need, and that is jobs.
What is the Travel Promotion Act and why the concern? Let me describe it this way. We all know travel and promoting travel and tourism is job creating. It creates jobs in many areas--yes, hotels and gas stations and restaurants and tourist attractions, but with visitors just traveling across our country means people are spending money. It creates a lot of jobs.
Let me talk especially about the issue of international or foreign travel to the United States. Did you know foreign travel is up very dramatically in this world? There is a great deal of foreign travel--56 million more overseas trips were taken in 2008 than were taken in 2000. So in 8 years the number of overseas trips increased by 56 million people. But at the same time, overseas travel to the United States has decreased. We had 634,000 fewer foreign visitors to the United States. It means a lot of people are traveling, but since the year 2000 we have had a loss in our share of international tourists.
Why is that important? Because when overseas travelers come to this country, on average they spend about $4,500. That supports a lot of jobs and a lot of businesses in this country. So why do we have 600,000-plus fewer visitors to the United States? In 2001, after the terrorist attack against our country, we tightened visa requirements and so on. The Iraq war occurred. There was a lot of concern by people that maybe the United States didn't want them to come: They have tightened visa requirements.
All of a sudden we discover that more people are traveling overseas, but they are not traveling here. Incidentally, the tourism that is happening internationally is not accidental. Most other countries are very aggressively going after the international traveler, saying: Come to our country.
Let me go through a list of just a few of those. Here is a big travel promotion campaign that talks about ``Come to Australia. Arrived looking for an experience to remember, departed with an adventure we'll never forget.''
The country of Ireland saying: ``Come to Ireland. Go where Ireland takes you.''
The list goes on. Virtually every country is saying we want foreign tourists to come to our country. ``Sweet secrets from Japan.'' Come and visit Japan.
We have all seen these. All of these countries are very aggressive. Come to France. I can't read the French piece down here, but I know what it says. It says come to France. Come here, be a part of what we are doing.
Belgium, here is the Belgian approach: ``Where fun is always in fashion. Visit Belgium.''
Finally, India. ``One special reason to visit India in 2009. Any time is a good time to visit the land of the Taj, but there is no time like now.''
Virtually every country is saying: Come to our country; come visit us. But we are not, and we propose that we do promote our country because it will create a lot of jobs. Just as important, when people come here and experience what this country is about, they leave with a wonderful impression about what America is.
So what we have put together is a piece of legislation that is bipartisan. It is funded by and large with an entry-exit fee--that is imposed by most other countries, by the way--a $10 fee on visa waiver countries, the people who come from those countries who visit our country. It is a minimal fee compared to what many other countries are charging. We establish with that fee a corporation for travel promotion, an independent nonprofit corporation governed by an 11-
member board of directors appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. It sets up this travel promotion fund financed by a public-private matching program.
In short, this is a very simple proposition. It will not only create a lot of new jobs in this country at a time when we desperately need new jobs by saying to foreign travelers come to our country, be a part of what America has to offer you, come see our wonderful country, experience what America is about, we know when they come to this country they have an unbelievably good impression of what they have just seen--the greatest democracy on the face of this planet by far, and they experience the magic and wonders of this country.
What we are saying to them is, at a time when travel around the world is up, that is visitors to other countries, and ours is down, let's solve this problem and let's do it without breaking the bank. In fact, this will not cost money; this will save money. Let's do it by working in a bipartisan way on one of the significant problems we face in America, and that is the loss of jobs.
In case someone thinks perhaps there are just a few of us who think this is a good idea, here are a few examples of others who think this is a great idea. The Dallas Morning News:
The travel promotion act is a sensible first step toward putting the welcome mat back on America's doorstep.
What a wonderful way to put it.
The Los Angeles Times:
Considering the U.S. spends hundreds of millions of dollars on public diplomacy with dubious results and nearly nothing on promoting tourism, it might do well to invest a little money in wooing travelers.
Sacramento Bee:
This country needs to reclaim its stand as a global magnet for visitors even in this post-9/11 climate--and Congress can help by passing the Travel Promotion Act by the end of this year.
Duluth News Tribune:
Ideas to bolster economic recovery without plunging the Nation any deeper into debt would be welcomed by taxpayers from coast to coast.
The Detroit Free Press:
Doesn't it make sense to encourage, at no cost to taxpayers, foreign visitors to come here and leave us some money? There is no good reason not to pass this bill.
I needn't go on. This is not rocket science. This is something our country should do. If, in fact, in a smaller and smaller world, more and more people are traveling, then why should fewer people travel to the United States of America? This ought to be one of the great destination places on the entire planet. I expect and hope most people want to come to this country and see what America has to offer. But I think post-9/11 what we have done with visas and so on, which we are now correcting and have corrected by and large--longer waiting times, we have made them shorter and so on--I think there was a notion out there somehow that the welcome mat doesn't exist. We are changing that. Republicans and Democrats can work together to change that. This legislation is good legislation, and I hope my colleagues will join me today in voting for cloture and moving this bill as soon as possible through the Senate, through the House, and to the President for signature.
When we do, those people who have had to come home to say to their spouse: Honey, I have lost my job--some of those millions of people, are going to be able to come home someday and say: I have a new job. There is some new activity going on in our State. I have a new job that relates to the substantial increase in international tourism to the United States.
That will be a good thing for our country. So as the principal author, along with Senator Ensign, of this legislation--and let me say also the chair of the Tourism Subcommittee, Senator Klobuchar--I am pleased to be able to work together with my colleagues to get this legislation completed today.
I reserve the remainder of my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada is recognized.
Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, first let me thank the coauthor of this legislation, Senator Dorgan, for his leadership on recognizing how important this legislation is to our country, especially at this critical time when our country need jobs. All of us who just went back to our home States realize there are a lot of people who are truly hurting out there. It is not just people who have already lost their jobs, but there are a lot of people who are afraid they are going to lose their jobs.
There are people who are afraid to invest to create jobs. I would say the number one emotion I heard during the August recess was that of fear. It is fear of what is going to happen in this country. I think Senator Dorgan eloquently put it that this bill is about jobs. It is about creating jobs without adding to the Federal debt.
Another thing I heard throughout the State of Nevada is that people are very concerned about Federal spending and the deficits this year we are facing. This looming Federal debt that people believe is a threat to the future of the United States. This bipartisan bill helps create jobs without adding to the deficit. The bill is paid for through contributions from the private sector plus
$10 entry fee into the United States. Countries are able to participate in what is called a visa waiver program. It is cheaper for those countries who participate in the visa waiver program because $10 is actually cheaper than if you were to get a full visa. Most countries charge more than $10 for such a program; the $10 entry fee will not deter people from coming to the United States. As a matter of fact, the money is going to let people know that the United States is open for business.
I am obviously from a tourist-driven State. We spend a lot of money advertising, whether it is Las Vegas, Reno or Lake Tahoe, we spend a lot of money advertising to other places, including internationally. Nevada does a lot of advertising. The Las Vegas Convention Authority and private businesses advertise because it works.
What we are saying in this bill is, let's do it as a country. Let us show how many amazing places there are to see. Let's tell the rest of the world about it.
You know the old saying: If you build it they will come? We already have built it, or God built it with our natural resources we have, but you have to let them know they are welcome and it is easy to travel to the United States. That is what this legislation will do.
Plus, when you tell them about the United States, it will paint a mental picture in their minds when they are thinking about where to spend their next holiday or vacation. They say: You know what, I just saw that ad. It is kind of in the back of my mind. I always wanted to go to the United States.
Maybe they want to see some of our national wonders, whether it is Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, or Hawaii. Nevada has Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in the entire world. I would argue it is the most beautiful Alpine lake in the entire world.
There are so many places to see that are manmade in this country. Washington, DC is one of the most incredible cities in the world. If we tell people about it, and they come and learn about our history and our democracy, they may get a better view of the people and of the Government of the United States. The statistics are clear. People who visit the United States have a much more favorable view of the United States. There are plenty of other places to see, whether it is going to see the amazing culture of New York City or some of the other amazing cities, such as Chicago.
My hometown of Las Vegas is a world-class destination with some of the most amazing restaurants and entertainment on the planet. There are great beaches in California and on the East Coast. There are some of the most amazing golf destinations, whether it is Hilton Head, SC, or the Monterey Peninsula in California.
The United States has some amazing places to see. If we tell people about it, they will come in greater numbers. The studies are fairly significant on this. If you spend money to bring people, they will come. And when they come, they will bring their money.
Senator Dorgan talked about the average visitor who comes from overseas comes from a long ways away; not just Canada or Mexico. When they come from a long way away, they spend, on average, $4,500 in the United States. If we can attract some of those 58 million new visitors who are traveling worldwide now since the year 2000, even a small piece of that number, it is going to create tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. Who around here does not think we need jobs? The unemployment rate of Clark County, NV, which is where Las Vegas is located, is 14 percent now.
Tourism, when you total it all together, is the number one industry in the United States. We ought to do something to promote it. That is why this legislation, I believe, is so important. This country is crying out for bipartisanship. This bill does not add to the deficit. That is why this bill makes so much sense at this time in our country's history.
Over the next couple of days, we are going to be debating this bill. Tonight is a procedural vote to get on the bill. I believe all Senators should support it. When we get on the bill, we will have a lot more to say about it, a lot more examples of why this is good legislation.
I appreciate the work that has been done. I will yield the floor to allow the Subcommittee Chairwoman to speak, Senator Klobuchar. She has done great work on this bill. We appreciate her support as well. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that this country needs right now. Our country needs anything that is going to create jobs and not add to the deficit.
I yield the floor and I reserve the remainder of our time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. DORGAN. I yield 10 minutes of our time to Senator Klobuchar.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, as the Senator from Nevada was discussing, all of us were home in the last month. I heard a lot about health care and I know we will be having an extensive debate and doing some very important work in this area. I heard a lot about the economy.
Well, this bill is about an industry that one out of every eight Americans is employed in--one out of every eight Americans. And if there is something we know we can do, which we know we can do in this bill to help promote more jobs in this country without costing taxpayers any money, this is the time to do it.
I first thank Senator Dorgan from North Dakota for his tireless work for years on this bill. I was listening as Senator Ensign went through all of the wonders of Nevada. And we all know there is some great tourism there. But he failed to mention Teddy Roosevelt Park in North Dakota, a place I have been visited myself. And, of course, I hope many people have come to the Mall of America in Minnesota as well as a lot of our beautiful forests and lakes.
Every State has something to be proud of when it comes to travel. Today we have the opportunity to help this industry with the Travel Promotion Act. We should not let it go to waste. As was mentioned, I am the Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee that deals with tourism. But I also come from a State that values common sense. And supporting legislation that will create jobs, generate spending, and reduce the deficit, all at no cost to the taxpayer, is the definition of common sense.
Look at the numbers. This bill is expected to bring in 1.6 million new international visitors each year--1.6 million. And you know how much they spend? They spend $4,500, on average, when they come here. You can do the math: some 1.6 million new visitors times $4,500 every single year in this country. In fact, some economists expect the bill to generate $4 billion in new spending and $321 million in new Federal tax revenue.
It is estimated to create 40,000 new jobs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill will reduce the budget deficit by $425 million over the next 10 years. Remember those numbers: $4,500 per person for every new visitor; 1.6 million new people every year coming to our country; $4 billion in new spending, 40,000 new jobs. Costs to the taxpayer: zero.
During these tough economic times, how could we not pass this bill right now when we know it would do so much good? This past summer I visited, along with my family, many areas in our State and we did tourism hearings and various events around this bill.
In Northern Minnesota, I will be honest, at first I thought: Well, they want tourism, it is a big industry in our State, but do they care about this bill. That is when I found out that they do care about this bill. Because so many visitors traditionally have come down from Canada. And some of the barriers in getting the visas processed, and the barriers at the border have affected tourism up in northern Minnesota, in places such as Grand Marais and International Falls, and Bemidji, and the Brainerd Lakes area, home of the statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.
Minnesota shares this border with Canada. I was very surprised at how much interest there was in getting this bill passed. They understand that we want to promote our country internationally, like other countries which Senator Dorgan and Senator Ensign have pointed out have done for so long. But they also want to make it easier to process these visas.
As you know, this problem started way before the economy started having trouble. It occurred after 9/11 where, for very good reasons, there were some tighter visa requirements put in place. The problem is, we have gotten so behind that a lot of people who are living in, say, France think: Well, am I going to go to America where it is maybe going to take months to process my visa? Maybe I will go over to England or maybe I will go to Japan. And so we need to speed up that process.
We know that tourism creates good jobs that cannot be outsourced. It increases sales for local businesses and it brings in tax revenue for local and State economies. One of my favorite examples is Duluth. It is not Las Vegas but listen to this story. Duluth is a port city that was hit hard by recessions of the 1970s and the early 1980s.
My dad is from northern Minnesota. We would go up there a lot. I could see how much that community was hurting during that time. At one point it was so bad that they put a famous billboard on the edge of town that said: Will the last one out please turn off the lights.
Well, the lights are still on in Duluth; they are as bright as ever. A lot has to do with the promotion of tourism. The city has transformed itself on the beautiful shores of Lake Superior into a popular tourist destination, welcoming nearly 4 million visitors each year with an annual economic impact of over $700 million.
We know that the tourism industry is feeling the effects of the economic downturn. On top of that, as I mentioned, the United States has seen its decline in the tourism industry in the past decade. As we see here, the U.S. share of the world travel market has decreased by nearly 20 percent, costing us hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue.
When a traveler decides to go somewhere else besides the United States, there is a ripple effect throughout our economy. You think about the hotels, of course; you think about the airlines. But you know who else you should be thinking about? You should be thinking about that person who is working making beds in the hotel or the waitress who is working in the restaurant where people would stop by on their drive or you think about the florist who is getting those flowers ready for the business conference. These are all jobs, those are all jobs in this economy.
Last year nearly 200,000 travel-related jobs were lost, and the Commerce Department predicts that we will lose another 247,000 jobs this year. We can do something about this. We can bring in more travelers, we can create more jobs, and we can boost our economy. That is why we need to pass the Travel Promotion Act.
First, this bill will create the Corporation for Travel Promotion, a public-private partnership to promote the United States as an international travel destination, and finally establish a coordinated national tourism program.
Senator Dorgan has some amazing blowups of some of the work that you have seen in other countries. Just look. Indonesia has its own tourism program. The Bahamas entice people to go there; Scotland, Taiwan, South Korea; Australia with their kangaroo. What do we have right now? Nothing. Individual cities are going out there, places such as New York, places such as Las Vegas. It is not so easy for some small resorts in Minnesota or North Dakota or Vermont or New Hampshire to do that.
But this is the chance where we can actually promote our country internationally. And we are in major competition for international travel, but we are not competing. In 2005, Greece spent more than $150 million on travel promotion; France spent $63 million. That is what we are up against. It is time for the United States to catch up to the rest of the world. It is time for us to play on an even playing field.
Second, the bill will establish the Office of Travel Promotion in the Department of Commerce to work with the Corporation for Travel Promotion and the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to make sure that international visitors are processed efficiently. It is time to cut through the redtape so we can get the people who are going to these countries to come to our country.
We have always been a country that has opened our arms to people who want to come and visit. We have been proud of that, because we know that it does not only have an economic benefit, it has also a diplomatic benefit. People who visit the United States are 74 percent more likely to have a favorable opinion of our country than those who have not visited.
As we enter a new era in our international relations, travel can play an important role in building bridges between Americans and people from across the globe.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, this legislation will not cost taxpayers a dime. I say to Senator Dorgan, it is a very good way to begin this session, to begin it by looking at something that is paid for by combination of private sector contributions and a small fee on international travelers, non-U.S. taxpayers, who are entering the United States. This is commonsense legislation.
When you think about the positive ripple effect that will happen as more international visitors visit our country, it will increase sales for businesses ranging from airlines to hotels, to those little flower shops. It will increase revenues in our local economy, and it will increase jobs.
The United States is home to some of the world's wonders. And the Travel Promotion Act will give us the tools we need to promote the United States as a premiere travel destination.
As Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee that includes tourism, I have seen how important tourism is to communities, both small and large across our country. We have the opportunity to boost travel and boost our economy. We cannot let that go to waste.
I am glad we are debating this bill today. I am looking forward to this vote and the days that we have here to focus on this. But I urge my colleagues to support this. They have been home. They know people are crying out for jobs. They know this is something at no cost to the taxpayers, bipartisan support, which will help to get us there. Let's get this done.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. DORGAN. How much time remains?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 8 minutes, 15 seconds.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, first, let me thank Senator Klobuchar for her work, and Senator Ensign. I think they have said what needs to be said.
If 48 million more people are now traveling internationally, foreign travelers moving around the world, 48 million more, but 600,000 fewer are traveling in the United States as foreign travelers, then something is wrong and we need to fix it.
I want to market this country to foreign travelers, to say: Come to all of America. Yes, come to see the Statue of Liberty, and come to see New York City and its vibrancy, and the Empire State Building, and Las Vegas, and Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and the Golden Gate Bridge. And in my State, the Pembina Gorge, the Red River Valley, and the Badlands
I would love to have foreign tourists come to experience the history and the culture the values of all of our country. I have told the story before on the floor of the Senate about Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt was in his home in New York when on the same day, on different floors of his home, his mother died and his wife died. In his diary for that day, there is a big mark. It is just an X for that day. He lost both his wife and his mother. Same day, different floors of his house.
A broken spirit, he went to what was then North Dakota and began to ranch in the Badlands of North Dakota, in what is now the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
I would love to encourage foreign tourists to come to the heartland of America, the northern Great Plains, and see what restored the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt. What a great way to understand and see the history and the culture and values of this country. Isn't it interesting and alarming that 48 million more people are traveling around the world as foreign tourists and 600,000 fewer are traveling in the United States? The United States, which should be the premier destination for travel of anywhere on this Earth, and yet we have 633,000 fewer foreign travelers than we had 9 years ago. There is something not connected here. We propose to connect it with something that is bipartisan, something that doesn't cost money but something that reduces the Federal budget deficit, something that creates jobs when we have lost so many, to be able to do that working together, to say: Here is something on which we can agree. Here is something we think would boost America's economic strength, here is something we believe would contribute to building new jobs, and, most importantly for me, here is something that when people come to our country and leave, it will allow them to leave America with a positive impression about what this country is, who the American people are, what they believe, what they practice. This is a remarkable place. To come here and then leave here after having visited America is to experience one of the great travel opportunities on this planet.
When we look at a problem and see that something is not working right, the question is, How do we fix it? I have said so often before, but I will say it again--because I know we have had some discussion today in opposition to this that I think mischaracterizes it--Mark Twain, when asked if he would engage in a debate, said: Of course, as long as I can take the negative side.
They said: We haven't even told you the subject.
He said: It doesn't matter. The negative side will take no preparation at all.
So it is with legislation. It is so much easier with no preparation to come and say: I am opposed to this; I don't support this; this won't work. The fact is, this is a problem that hurts this country. Losing our share of international tourism at a time when more people are traveling around the world, finding fewer people traveling to our country, that is a problem. We can fix it in a way that doesn't spend more, doesn't increase the Federal budget deficit, but attracts more people to this country and creates more jobs. What a remarkable piece of legislation that is a good investment in the future.
We have a lot to be proud of in this country, all of us. We take it for granted every day because we wake up in this country, but, boy, do we have a lot to be proud of. We want to show it off to foreign visitors.
Since 9/11, I understand there has been a notion somehow that it is harder to come to America. It is more hassle. What we want to say is: That is done. It is not a hassle. We invite you to come here. Come here and be a part of our experience.
Here is what we see in the Sidney Morning Herald: ``Coming to America Isn't Easy''; in the Guardian, United Kingdom: ``America--more hassle than it's worth?''; the Sunday Times of London: ``Travel to America? No thanks.'' These are all 2008 headlines. We want to say: This country has a welcome mat out for you. Come here. Experience what we have to experience in America. We invite you to be a part of our experience. We want you to come to the United States when you are considering traveling internationally.
That is what this legislation is about. This is not complicated. It is the right thing to do. It is the reason there are so many Democrats and Republicans who have joined together in something we think will strengthen the country.
I yield the floor and reserve the remainder of my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I wish to make a couple other points before the vote.
Some folks have questioned why we need the Travel Promotion Act. They say that tourism will take care of itself and that this is not a role for the Federal Government. One of the reasons I remember for years why I wanted to go to Australia was because they advertised in the United States. The advertisements talked about the various places, whether it was the Great Barrier Reef, some of the sites of Sydney, Australia, or the gorgeous beaches they have. The United States and our resources here are so vast for people to come and see, I think to not tell folks of the world what we have here or to remind them of what we have is a disservice to our country. If we remind them, whether by brochures, internet advertising, television advertising, or whatever the advertising media we choose, we will attract people here.
There is no question that a lot of folks would love to visit the United States. It may just take a little spark to get them to realize that is someplace they want to go. I have thought about that. Hey, let's take the kids. Let's go to America. Let's see some of the incredible sites. We have heard about the Grand Canyon. We have heard about some of the national parks. Let's go to Washington, DC, and see the Capitol, that beacon of democracy throughout the world. Let's remind folks of the types of things we have here in New York City.
When people come here, not only will they bring their money and create jobs, but I believe, very importantly, people will come away from America with a different attitude about our country. They will come away talking about an America that is different than what they get told about in their news media. If you are in Europe and other places, their news media is not necessarily kind to the United States. When people come here and meet Americans, they see our places that we have and learn some of the history of our country. They come away with a different attitude. That is important today when America needs friends in the world. I believe this legislation is important not only for the jobs it will create but for America's image in the world. This legislation really is needed at this point.
In 1996, we eliminated a Federal program that was basically about promoting travel to the United States. We have had private programs and we have had public programs. None of them worked very well on their own--privately, because they couldn't get the funding necessary; on a public side, it was because the government doesn't run those things very well.
This is a public-private partnership that I believe can work. That is the reason I support this. It is the reason I think a public-private partnership, where some of the public funding is matched with private expertise, can bring more tourists to the United States.
Senator Klobuchar mentioned that 1.6 to 1.8 million new visitors will come to the United States because of this legislation. That creates many jobs. That brings a lot of revenue. That also creates a lot more people who have visited here and will go back to their countries and talk positively about the United States. I believe in our country, and I believe in the goodness of our country. When people are exposed to that goodness, I believe they will go home and talk about the goodness of the country and the goodness of the people in the United States.
Mr. DORGAN. Will the Senator yield for a question?
Mr. ENSIGN. I am happy to yield.
Mr. DORGAN. I should also mention that Senator Reid, along with Senator Ensign, has played a significant role in working on this legislation. That is very important to mention. Obviously, both come from a State that relies a great deal on tourism. My State's tourism industry is second in the State. It plays a very large role in every State, even though most of us don't have a traditional tourist destination city like Las Vegas, for example.
Early on Senators talked about how companies advertise because advertising works. It is the case that companies advertise only on behalf of their company. I just described circumstances of aggressive efforts for countries to advertise on behalf of their countries saying: Come to Italy, experience what Italy has to offer. Come to France. Come to India. The countries are very aggressive in saying: If you are thinking of traveling around this planet, take a look at this; come to see the Eiffel Tower.
Our country is not doing that. We are not involved in trying to reach out to people to say: You are welcome in this country. We have so much to offer, so much for you to see. We want you to come here and experience it, to understand it.
This legislation creates a public-private partnership in which our country will advertise to the world and say: Come to America. Isn't that the case with respect to advertising of companies versus countries?
Mr. ENSIGN. My friend is correct. It is absolutely the case. It has been proven time and time again. These countries wouldn't continue to spend the money if it wasn't working. Certainly, companies wouldn't continue to spend the money if it wasn't working to bring more people, for instance, to Las Vegas. The individual companies, as well as the Convention and Visitors Authority, spend a lot of money to bring people to Las Vegas. Most Americans have heard the slogans: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. That became a very famous slogan. But it is the sights, the sounds, the smells, everything together that attracts people to come.
If tourists come to the Grand Canyon, most people will also go to California, Las Vegas, New York City or someplace else. When folks come from overseas, they usually don't just visit one place, they visit several places. If we attract people using some of the iconic places we have in the United States, other places around the country will benefit. That is why a national advertising campaign is very important for the country.
Mr. DORGAN. If the Senator will yield further, the fact is, we have lost a lot of jobs in the deepest recession since the Great Depression. All of us are striving to find ways to put people back to work. There is not going to be some Big Bang theory by which everyone goes back to work. We can do this incrementally. We need manufacturing to be restored. We need tourism, a significant job creator. A lot of people don't understand that it is not some big hotel that benefits from tourism. In most cases, it is a small business someplace struggling to make a living. It is a lot of small businesses, rental car companies, and so on. That is why we have such faith that if we do what we say we can do in this legislation, we will put a lot of people back to work.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Will the Senator yield for a question?
Mr. ENSIGN. Yes.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. As Senator Dorgan was discussing, it seems to me that the people don't always think about the ripple effect. I know Nevada has suffered because of some of the economic downturn with tourism. Could the Senator talk a little bit about what he has seen in terms of other businesses that have lost business when we don't promote tourism the way we are supposed to? I think that is something people don't think about. They think about the big airlines, the big hotels, but they don't think about the ripple effect on some of the other jobs that matter.
Mr. ENSIGN. Tourism is such a huge part of our economy today. For instance, somebody who cleans hotel rooms is out of a job, they don't have that money to go down to a fast-food restaurant or go to a store to buy clothes. They have to tighten their belts. Many people also work for tips.
Those tips have gone down, that ripple effect has happened through the American economy today. Nevada has felt it probably more than any other.
But there is no question of the ripple effect. It affects restaurants. I am a veterinarian; it affects the veterinary business. It affects dentists. It affects the construction industry. It is almost like a negative ripple effect when those jobs are being lost in the tourism industry. What we are trying to with this legislation is to create a positive ripple effect where we actually create tourism jobs that will then help to create other jobs in other sectors. So I think that is a great question on the ripple effect with the tourism industry.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me mention again the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has sent out a letter today in strong support of this legislation precisely because of the job-creating nature of this legislation.
Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I guess all time has expired.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired.
Cloture Motion
Under the previous order, the motion to proceed to the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on amendment No. 1347 is agreed to, the motion to reconsider is agreed to, and the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture, which the clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the Dorgan amendment, No. 1347, to S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act of 2009.
Harry Reid, Byron L. Dorgan, Barbara Boxer, Ron Wyden,
Mark Begich, Evan Bayh, Charles Schumer, Max Baucus,
Jon Tester, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Amy Klobuchar,
Patrick Leahy, Barbara Mikulski, Robert Menendez, Jeff
Bingaman, Joseph Lieberman.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call is waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate on amendment No. 1347, offered by the Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, for Mr. Dorgan, to S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 80, nays 19, as follows:
YEAS--80
AkakaAlexanderBaucusBayhBegichBennetBennettBingamanBondBoxerBrownBurrisByrdCantwellCardinCarperCaseyChamblissCochranCollinsConradCorkerDoddDorganDurbinEnsignFeingoldFeinsteinFrankenGillibrandGrahamHaganHarkinHatchInouyeIsaksonJohannsJohnsonKaufmanKerryKlobucharKohlLandrieuLautenbergLeahyLevinLiebermanLincolnLugarMartinezMcCaskillMenendezMerkleyMikulskiMurkowskiMurrayNelson (NE)Nelson (FL)PryorReedReidRockefellerSandersSchumerShaheenShelbySnoweSpecterStabenowTesterThuneUdall (CO)Udall (NM)VitterVoinovichWarnerWebbWhitehouseWickerWyden
NAYS--19
BarrassoBrownbackBunningBurrCoburnCornynCrapoDeMintEnziGrassleyGreggHutchisonInhofeKylMcCainMcConnellRischRobertsSessions
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 80, the nays are 19. Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
Cloture having been invoked, the motion to commit falls.
____________________
