[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3411-H3413]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL PASSPORT MONTH

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 327) supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Passport Month.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 327

       Whereas, through international travel, Americans can 
     individually play a major role towards improving foreign 
     relations by building bridges and making connections with 
     citizens of other countries;
       Whereas interacting with the global community inspires 
     Americans to reflect on the diverse multi-cultural background 
     that has defined the United States as a great country of 
     cooperation and progress;
       Whereas having a passport and traveling abroad creates 
     connections with the global community, supporting goodwill 
     throughout the world;
       Whereas having a passport and traveling abroad promotes 
     understanding and goodwill throughout the world, opening the 
     doors to increased peace, tolerance, and acceptance;
       Whereas having a passport and traveling abroad opens up a 
     preponderance of educational opportunities and experiences 
     for Americans of all ages;
       Whereas having a passport and traveling abroad enables 
     Americans to see first-hand the effect of the United States 
     on the world, including the tremendous amount of humanitarian 
     aid given by the United States through both public and 
     private sectors;
       Whereas having a passport and traveling abroad reminds 
     Americans that they are members of a global family and gives 
     them opportunities to mend rifts around the world;
       Whereas fewer than 23 percent of Americans have passports, 
     thereby limiting their ability to travel outside the United 
     States;
       Whereas the more Americans travel outside the United 
     States, the more they will experience opportunities to 
     increase their understanding of the world and the place of 
     the United States in it;
       Whereas the creation and support of a National Passport 
     Month signals to Americans the important role they can play 
     as ambassadors for the United States by serving as agents of 
     understanding, tolerance, and mutual respect; and
       Whereas travel publishers along with travel editors from 
     the most prestigious media outlets in the United States, 
     student travel organizations, and book sellers have 
     designated September as ``National Passport Month'' to 
     educate the public about the importance of having a passport 
     and the positive impact international travel has on 
     individuals: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Passport 
     Month; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the Federal Government, States, localities, 
     schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, 
     and the people of the United States to observe the month with 
     appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Issa) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today in the United States, fewer than 23 percent of 
Americans have an issued passport, meaning that millions of our 
citizens are unable to take advantage of the culturally enriching 
opportunities presented by international travel. International travel 
can help promote understanding, tolerance and mutual respect for other

[[Page H3412]]

cultures and traditions around the world.
  National Passport Month would support the goal of encouraging and 
inspiring Americans to participate in the educational opportunities 
that having a passport can provide.

                              {time}  2245

  By opening the doors to the rewards of traveling beyond the boarders 
and the equally important potential that we have to build bridges 
connecting cultures throughout the world, makes it extremely pertinent 
that we encourage especially the young and old to apply for past ports.
  Mr. Speaker, recently it became necessary to have a passport to go 
into Mexico. Most Americans are not yet aware of that. I would 
particularly remind people listening tonight throughout the world and 
those who will read the official record of our proceedings here today 
that having a passport takes time. I would encourage people to have 
them before they intend to travel so that they are prepared for the 
quick trip from San Diego to Tijuana or the trip from here to Abu 
Dhabi.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I will include for the record a statement from 
Representative Barbara Lee, who is the sponsor of this resolution. 
Congresswoman Barbara Lee could not be with us here today, though she 
sincerely wanted to be. In her absence, she asked me to give a few 
remarks on her behalf.
  Congresswoman Lee would like to thank ranking member Waxman and the 
chairman of the Government Reform Committee, Tom Davis, along with the 
leadership on both sides of the aisle, for bringing this bill to the 
floor today. Representative Lee expresses her appreciation to the over 
55 cosponsors of this bipartisan resolution for their support and she 
wants in particular to thank her Republican leader on the resolution, 
Congressman Chris Smith from New Jersey, for his support.
  This resolution is extremely straightforward and noncontroversial. It 
details and recognizes the value of international travel and requests 
the President to issue a proclamation calling on the Federal 
Government, State localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, 
businesses and other entities and the people of the United States to 
observe National Passport Month with appropriate ceremonies, programs 
and activities.
  As the senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations 
Committee and a traveler herself, Congresswoman Lee truly understands 
and appreciates the value and importance of international travel. As 
Congresswoman Lee notes in her statement for the record, there is no 
substitute for the experience that you get from visiting other 
countries. Travel changes the way we see the world. It broadens our 
horizons and deepens our appreciation for different countries and 
cultures. It also helps us to be more understanding, tolerant and to 
have respect for other cultures.
  Not only does travel provide enriching opportunities for the 
individual, it can also have profound benefits to our Nation as a whole 
by allowing Americans to spread the message of freedom and democracy 
around the world. In addition, having a passport and traveling abroad 
enables Americans to see the American influence on the world firsthand, 
including the tremendous amount of humanitarian aid given by Americans 
throughout both the public and private sectors.
  I agree with the Congresswoman, who states that Americans of all ages 
are our best ambassadors and we should promote policies that encourage 
them to travel, to forge connections with people from other countries, 
to foster mutual understanding and tolerance and to help open new doors 
to peace.
  The timing of this resolution could not be more critical, because 
America needs a boost in foreign public opinion. When Lonely Planet, 
which is located in Representative Lee's district in Oakland, 
California, raised the idea of a National Passport Month, she 
immediately embraced it. In Representative Lee's statement for the 
record she notes how proud she was to introduce H. Res. 327 and to be 
part of the campaign to recognize the importance of international 
travel and how overwhelmed she was by the support she has received for 
the effort.
  In April of this year, Lonely Planet presented her with over 5,000 
petition signatures from people all over the country who support these 
efforts. This resolution has the support of a broad coalition of over 
70 supporting travel organizations and associations. This includes 
corporations such as American Express and Yahoo and the State 
Department. In fact, Congresswoman Lee is submitting the letter of 
support from the State Department along with her statement today.
  Representative Lee would like to thank all the supporters of the 
resolution, and notes that she looks forward to working with them to 
ensure that the White House issues the proclamation in ample time for 
the inaugural National Passport Month celebrations this September.
  I, too, Mr. Speaker, would urge support for this resolution. And 
since we have had so many items on the agenda this evening coming out 
of Government Reform, I also want to simply state that it has indeed 
been a pleasure to work with the gentleman from California. I am not 
looking forward to another long session like this coming from 
Government Reform, but if it has to be, then I look forward to working 
with him.
  I urge passage of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge passage and thank the gentleman from 
Illinois. It is a pleasure working on the Committee on Government 
Reform. It is also a privilege serving on the International Relations 
Committee, in which public diplomacy has been a major initiative that 
Chairman Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos have been reaching out and 
trying to have done.
  There is no better public diplomacy than for Americans to reach out 
to people, perhaps from their ancestry or simply from an area of 
interest, by visiting. So I too encourage all the Members to vote for 
this, to travel themselves and to be the diplomats in public diplomacy 
that we need so badly in this time of strife throughout the world.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 327, legislation I 
sponsored to support the goals, ideals and creation of National 
Passport month.
  I want to thank my colleague Congressman Danny Davis for managing the 
bill today and for his leadership on the Government Reform committee. I 
also want to thank the Ranking Member of the Committee, Congressman 
Waxman and the Chairman of the Committee, Tom Davis along with 
leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing this bill to the 
floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to express my appreciation to the over 55 
co-sponsors of this bipartisan resolution for their support, and want 
to especially thank my colleague and the Republican lead on this 
effort, Congressman Chris Smith from New Jersey for his support.
  This resolution is extremely straightforward and noncontroversial. It 
details and recognizes the value of international travel and requests 
the President to issue a proclamation calling on the Federal 
Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, 
businesses, other entities, and the people of the United States to 
observe National Passport month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, 
and activities.
  The purpose of National Passport Month is to create a time to educate 
the public about the incredible opportunities available to those who 
obtain passports as well as the positive impact international travel 
has on individuals and the global community.
  Today, less than 23 percent of Americans have a passport, thereby 
limiting their ability to travel outside the United States. As a 
result, millions of Americans are unable to take advantage of the 
enriching opportunities presented by international travel.
  As the Senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations 
Committee, and a traveler myself, I understand and appreciate the value 
and importance of international travel.
  There really is no substitute for the experience that you get from 
visiting other countries, from meeting the people, tasting the food and 
interacting with the culture. It changes the way we see the world. It 
broadens our horizons and deepens our appreciation for different 
countries and cultures and our shared humanity. It also helps us learn 
understanding, tolerance and mutual respect for other cultures.
  Not only does travel provide enriching opportunities for the 
individual, it can also have

[[Page H3413]]

profound benefits to our Nation as a whole by allowing Americans to 
spread the message of freedom and democracy around the world. In 
addition, having a passport and traveling abroad enables Americans to 
see the American influence on the world first-hand, including the 
tremendous amount of humanitarian aid given by Americans through both 
the public and private sectors.
  Americans of all ages are our best ambassadors and we should promote 
policies that encourage them to travel, to forge connections with 
people from other countries, to foster mutual understanding and 
tolerance and to help open new doors to peace.
  The timing of our efforts could not be more critical. I think we can 
all recognize that America needs a boost in foreign public opinion and 
I am confident that connections made with American travelers can and 
will make a huge difference improving our image abroad.
  So, for all of these reasons, when Lonely Planet, which I am pleased 
to say is located in Oakland in my district, first raised the idea of a 
national passport month, I immediately embraced it.
  I am proud to have introduced H. Res. 327 and to be part of this 
campaign to recognize the importance of international travel, and I am 
overwhelmed by the support we have received. In April of this year, 
Lonely Planet presented me with over 5,000 petition signatures from 
people all over the country who support these efforts. And this 
campaign has the support of a broad coalition of over 70 supporting 
travel organizations and associations to corporations like American 
Express and Yahoo.
  Moreover, the U.S. Department of State is on record in supporting 
September as National Passport month. I want to read a quote from its 
letter: ``Since September is a time of the year when schools are re-
opening and many students are considering travel or study abroad, it is 
a highly appropriate month to promote public awareness of the value of 
the U.S. passport. The Department shares your appreciation of the U.S. 
passport and supports your resolution.''
  So, today I'm pleased the House will go on record in support of 
proclaiming September National Passport Month.
  Again, I want to thank all the supporters of this resolution and I 
look forward to working with you all to ensure the White House issues 
this proclamation in ample time for the inaugural National Passport 
month celebrations this September. 

      U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Legislative Affairs,

                                  Washington, DC, August 29, 2005.
       Dear Ms. Lee: Thank you for your letter addressed to 
     Secretary Rice regarding H. Res. 327, a resolution to 
     encourage President Bush to proclaim September National 
     Passport Month. It is a pleasure to acknowledge your comments 
     on the positive impact international travel has on 
     individuals and the global community. We, too, recognize the 
     value of travel as a means of enhancing international 
     understanding.
       Even though the State Department will issue more than 10 
     million passports this fiscal year, still less than 23 
     percent of Americans have a passport. The Department strives 
     to make the process of issuing passports to U.S. citizens as 
     efficient and as courteous as possible. Since September is a 
     time of the year when schools are re-opening and many 
     students are considering travel or study abroad, it is a 
     highly appropriate month to promote public awareness of the 
     value of the U.S. passport. The Department shares your 
     appreciation of the U.S. passport and supports your 
     resolution.
           Sincerely,
                                              Matthew A. Reynolds,
                                       Acting Assistant Secretary.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 327.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________