[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H3735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRAVEL AND TOURISM SHRINKS TRADE IMBALANCE

  (Mr. ROTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, did my colleagues see yesterday where the 
trade deficit is down by over 18 percent? Now that is something to 
cheer about.
  But do my colleagues know why the trade deficit is down? According to 
the Commerce Department, it is because the travel and tourist industry 
reported a temporary surge in foreign visitors to the United States. 
Unfortunately, this trend cannot continue unless we in Congress work 
right now to continue the trend by passing the Travel and Tourism 
Partnership Act.
  Now we have 226 cosponsors. That is terrific. I want everyone to 
cosponsor this bill. We want to do even more, because terrific is not 
good enough when it comes to travel and tourism.
  Travel and tourism is the largest industry in America. Travel and 
tourism employs one out of every nine working Americans, and it is time 
that we in Congress, and we are, awaken to the tremendous potential in 
this industry, and I ask everyone to help me.
  Let us cosponsor this bill, and let us pass it so we can get our 
trade deficit down even further.

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