[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 17, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8059-S8060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    KOREA VISA WAIVER PILOT PROGRAM

 Mr. D'AMATO. I am pleased to join as co-sponsor of the Korea 
Visa Waiver Pilot Program, S. 1616. This bill authorizes the United 
States to allow tourists from South Korea to enter the United States 
without a visa. This Korea visa waiver will create a new and easier 
system for Korean citizens that want to visit the United States. The 
usual delays that presently accompany a request for a U.S. visa from 
the U.S. Embassy in Seoul will now be avoided.
  The Visa Waiver Pilot Program was first established in 1986 in order 
to encourage growth in the tourism industry. Since its inception, 
citizens from certain countries are able to enjoy travel to the United 
States for short visits without the hassles of waiting for a visa. This 
legislation will extend this treatment to the Republic of Korea, in 
addition to the three countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
  The bill would allow certain travel agencies in Korea to issue 
temporary travel permits to tour groups, of stays no longer than 15 
days. The visitor must possess a round-trip ticket and certain other 
requirements are imposed to insure that these visitors return home. 
These requirements should satisfy the critics who are fearful of the 
overstayers.
  Overseas tourism must be encouraged, for our culture and for our 
economy. The boost by travelers to the United States will benefit 
everyone. South Korean travelers will have this positive impact on the 
travel industry in this country.
  When Canada and New Zealand relaxed their visas for South Korean 
citizens, those nations saw a massive increase in tourism. According to 
1994 estimates cited by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, 
Koreans ranked 10th out of all nations in terms of the number of 
visitors to the United States. This visa-free travel from South Korea 
will only serve this country's interest.
  Korea is important to the United States: Korea has been the 6th 
largest

[[Page S8060]]

United States trading partner and has the 11th largest economy in the 
world. The Chamber of Commerce in Korea expects that demand for travel 
to the United States by Koreans may increase. This should be 
encouraged, rather than discouraged, especially when other countries 
are offering Korean travelers visa-free travel.
  I encourage my colleagues to look into the merits of this legislation 
and support its ultimate passage.


                        Commander John J. Jaskot

  Mr. JOHNSTON. Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of myself and 
Senator Breaux to say thank you to a dedicated public servant whose 
career serves to remind us that it is honest hard work and devotion to 
duty that makes this Government work.
  Comdr. John J. Jaskot, United States Coast Guard, has served on 
Capitol Hill since 1992, first as a Coast Guard Congressional Fellow to 
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and most 
recently as the Coast Guard's Liaison Officer to the U.S. Senate. 
During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Commander Jaskot has proven his 
unquestionable integrity and steadfast loyalty while demonstrating the 
tireless commitment to putting forth the effort required to make a 
difference.
  Mr. President, Senator Breaux and I, and our staffs, have worked 
extensively with Commander Jaskot in achieving our shared objectives. 
In cases where those objectives were not mutually shared, it has been 
Commander Jaskot who has helped bridge the gap between the Senate and 
the Coast Guard. His untiring work ethic and creativity have helped 
find solutions to some challenging problems which would otherwise have 
tarnished the already embattled reputation of the Federal Government.
  On issues specific to Louisiana, Commander Jaskot has ensured that a 
proper dialog has been maintained on tough issues such as the 
enforcement of the use of the contentious Turtle Excluder Devices 
[TEDs] by the Gulf Coast shrimping fleet, the placement of aides to 
navigation on the newly opened Red River Waterway, and the replacement 
of the dangerous Florida Avenue Bridge. He has made similar efforts on 
issues of national and international scope such as the implementation 
of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Haitian and Cuban refuge crises, 
and maintaining funding to help keep our waterways operating safely.
  More importantly, Mr. President, through his hard work, ingenuity, 
integrity, and genuine good nature, Commander Jaskot has proven that it 
is people who really make the difference between a government that 
works for its people and one that fails. We can all learn from his 
example, that on local, as well as national issues, an individual can 
make a difference. Commander Jaskot certainly has.
  Commander Jaskot is retiring after 20 years of highly decorated 
public service in the United States Coast Guard. Senator Breaux and I 
thank him for his dedication to our country and wish he and his family 
``fair winds and following seas'' in their future endeavors.

                          ____________________