[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SUPPORT TRAVEL AND TOURISM

  (Mrs. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am a member of the travel and 
tourism caucus under the leadership of the gentleman from Wisconsin 
[Mr. Roth]. I just wanted to say this to America, that tourism and 
related travel supported 644,500 jobs. We are talking about jobs, so 
why do we not work harder to be sure we already have the base for these 
jobs. In my home State of Florida, they generated more than $5 billion 
in taxes for the State and local governments and more than $11 billion 
in payrolls. No wonder tourism and related travel is the largest 
employer in Florida, the largest employer in 44 of the 50 States and 
the second largest employer in the Nation. Why should we not continue 
very hard to push travel and tourism? Nationally, the travel and 
tourism industry accounts for more than 14 million jobs and an annual 
payroll of more than $110 billion.
  To all of my colleagues I say, Mr. Speaker, travel and tourism is 
America's leading export. In 1995, 44.7 million visitors generated 
$76.7 billion. Please support the Travel and Tourism Caucus.

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