[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
H.R. 4066, A BILL TO SUSPEND TEMPORARILY THE DUTY ON ARTICLES IMPORTED 
                FOR CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENTS

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                         HON. DAN ROSTENKOWSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 1994

  Mr. ROSTENKOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing a bill to 
exempt from customs duty the personal effects, equipment, and other 
materials to be imported in connection with several important 
international sporting events to be held in the United States this 
summer and over the next 2 years. I am pleased to have Mr. Gibbons, Mr. 
Jacobs, Mrs. Kennelly, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Crane, 
and Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut join me as original cosponsors of this 
bill.
  The events covered by this bill include the World Cup soccer games 
starting in June 1994, to be held in nine venues throughout the United 
States; the 1994 World Rowing Championships in Indianapolis in 
September 1994; the Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, CT, in 
July 1995; the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996; and shortly after 
the Olympic games, the Paralympics, also in Atlanta.
  Thousands of athletes and officials from hundreds of countries will 
be bringing in equipment for these events. Suspending the duty, thus 
eliminating a requirement to post bond for temporary entry, will 
greatly facilitate the success of these events. It is a goodwill 
gesture customarily done by the host country. The Congress passed 
similar legislation for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1990 Goodwill 
Games, and the 1993 World University Games.
  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill would cause 
no change in Federal Government receipts. This is because without this 
legislation, most of the goods would enter free of duty, either under 
an individual's personal exemption or under bond for temporary import. 
Also, many educational and cultural goods already enter free of duty 
under various international agreements. This bill merely simplifies the 
entry procedure and avoids the necessity of posting bonds.
  The United States is fortunate to be hosting this group of 
prestigious sporting events. Many thousands of visitors will come to 
the United States for this purpose and millions will watch on 
television. The World Cup alone is expected to bring in more than $4 
billion in spending by visitors and organizers. The Olympics will 
generate over $5 billion. In addition to the sporting events, cultural 
events and festivals will take place in connection with the games.
  The Federation Internationale de Football Association [FIFA] World 
Cup will open in Chicago on June 17. Games will also be played in 
Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, San 
Francisco, and Washington, DC. The World Cup is the world's largest 
single-sport event and the World Cup trophy remains the single most 
coveted sports trophy in the world. More than 1 billion people watched 
the 1990 World Cup final on television.
  The World Rowing Championships will be held in Indianapolis, IN, 
September 11-18, 1994, the first time that this event has been held in 
the United States. The championship will feature over 1,000 athletes 
from more than 40 countries.
  The Special Olympics World Games will take place in New Haven, CT, in 
July 1995. The games bring together adults and children with mental 
retardation to compete in sport. A half-million people will gather to 
witness more than 6,500 athletes from over 130 countries. Millions more 
will watch on worldwide television. There will also be a celebration of 
the United Nations' 50th anniversary, a parade of tall ships, and 
numerous festivals and cultural activities.
  Atlanta is host to the Summer Olympics in July and August of 1996. 
The Games of the XXVIth Olympiad will celebrate 100 years of the modern 
Olympics and will be the first ever held on the east coast of the 
United States. Over 16,000 athletes and coaches from 200 countries will 
participate. Olympic officials, media, and staff will add another 
116,000.
  The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games is conducting a Cultural 
Olympiad as part of the 1996 games. This program has already begun, 
with a collaboration between Atlanta and Lillehammer, Norway, in 
February 1993. It will bring theater groups, art exhibitions, and 
musicians to the United States from a large number of countries. The 
Cultural Olympiad will culminate in the summer of 1996 with an 
International Olympic Arts Festival.
  The Paralympic Games are the ultimate competition for elite athletes 
with physical disabilities, and as such are linked to the Olympic 
celebration each 4 years. The 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games will host 
102 nations in 16 sports over 10 days of competitions. Some 4,000 
athletes will compete.
  It is my intention to move this legislation quickly through the 
Committee on Ways and Means and to seek early floor action. Expeditious 
passage of this bill is important since the World Cup is only several 
months away.

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