[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 125 (Tuesday, September 8, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9118-S9123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2009

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate resumes 
consideration of S. 1023, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1023) to establish a nonprofit corporation to 
     communicate United States entry policies and otherwise 
     promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United 
     States.

  Pending:

       Reid (for Dorgan/Rockefeller) amendment No. 1347, of a 
     perfecting nature.
       Reid amendment No. 1348 (to amendment No. 1347), to change 
     the enactment date.
       Reid amendment No. 1349 (to the language proposed to be 
     stricken by amendment No. 1347), to change the enactment 
     date.
       Reid amendment No. 1350 (to amendment No. 1349), of a 
     perfecting nature.
       Reid motion to commit the bill to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation, with instructions.
       Reid amendment No. 1351 (to the instructions on the motion 
     to recommit), to change the enactment date.
       Reid amendment No. 1352 (to amendment No. 1351), of a 
     perfecting nature.
       Reid amendment No. 1353 (to amendment No. 1352), of a 
     perfecting nature.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the time until 5:30 
p.m. will be divided or controlled between the leaders or their 
designees.
  The Senator from North Dakota is recognized.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I want to begin the discussion, then I 
believe my colleague, Senator Ensign, who has worked hard on this 
legislation, will follow. Then Senator Klobuchar who also has played a 
significant role in this will follow with comments. If others arrive, 
of course we want them to be able to involve themselves in the debate.
  At a time when there is so much discussion about partisanship and how 
things don't work so well, this legislation, the cloture motion we vote 
on at 5:30 today, is bipartisan. Unlike some other discussions about 
partisanship, this is bipartisan. This legislation is called the Travel 
Promotion Act of 2009. It has 53 cosponsors. There are many Democrats 
and Republicans cosponsoring this legislation.
  Just today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to all Members 
of Congress saying they strongly support this legislation. The Chamber 
urges Members to support the legislation and to vote for cloture.
  Let me talk just for a moment about what this is. First of all, at a 
time when we need jobs, this is about jobs. At a time when we need to 
find ways to address budget deficits, this is one piece of legislation 
that is not going to cost money. In fact, the Congressional Budget 
Office scores it as actually a $425 million reduction in deficits over 
a 10-year period. Let me say again, it is pretty unusual. It is 
bipartisan, doesn't cost money--actually saves money--and addresses one 
of the most critical areas of our need, and that is jobs.
  What is the Travel Promotion Act and why the concern? Let me describe

[[Page S9119]]

it this way. We all know travel and promoting travel and tourism is job 
creating. It creates jobs in many areas--yes, hotels and gas stations 
and restaurants and tourist attractions, but with visitors just 
traveling across our country means people are spending money. It 
creates a lot of jobs.
  Let me talk especially about the issue of international or foreign 
travel to the United States. Did you know foreign travel is up very 
dramatically in this world? There is a great deal of foreign travel--56 
million more overseas trips were taken in 2008 than were taken in 2000. 
So in 8 years the number of overseas trips increased by 56 million 
people. But at the same time, overseas travel to the United States has 
decreased. We had 634,000 fewer foreign visitors to the United States. 
It means a lot of people are traveling, but since the year 2000 we have 
had a loss in our share of international tourists.
  Why is that important? Because when overseas travelers come to this 
country, on average they spend about $4,500. That supports a lot of 
jobs and a lot of businesses in this country. So why do we have 
600,000-plus fewer visitors to the United States? In 2001, after the 
terrorist attack against our country, we tightened visa requirements 
and so on. The Iraq war occurred. There was a lot of concern by people 
that maybe the United States didn't want them to come: They have 
tightened visa requirements.
  All of a sudden we discover that more people are traveling overseas, 
but they are not traveling here. Incidentally, the tourism that is 
happening internationally is not accidental. Most other countries are 
very aggressively going after the international traveler, saying: Come 
to our country.
  Let me go through a list of just a few of those. Here is a big travel 
promotion campaign that talks about ``Come to Australia. Arrived 
looking for an experience to remember, departed with an adventure we'll 
never forget.''
  The country of Ireland saying: ``Come to Ireland. Go where Ireland 
takes you.''
  The list goes on. Virtually every country is saying we want foreign 
tourists to come to our country. ``Sweet secrets from Japan.'' Come and 
visit Japan.
  We have all seen these. All of these countries are very aggressive. 
Come to France. I can't read the French piece down here, but I know 
what it says. It says come to France. Come here, be a part of what we 
are doing.
  Belgium, here is the Belgian approach: ``Where fun is always in 
fashion. Visit Belgium.''
  Finally, India. ``One special reason to visit India in 2009. Any time 
is a good time to visit the land of the Taj, but there is no time like 
now.''
  Virtually every country is saying: Come to our country; come visit 
us. But we are not, and we propose that we do promote our country 
because it will create a lot of jobs. Just as important, when people 
come here and experience what this country is about, they leave with a 
wonderful impression about what America is.

  So what we have put together is a piece of legislation that is 
bipartisan. It is funded by and large with an entry-exit fee--that is 
imposed by most other countries, by the way--a $10 fee on visa waiver 
countries, the people who come from those countries who visit our 
country. It is a minimal fee compared to what many other countries are 
charging. We establish with that fee a corporation for travel 
promotion, an independent nonprofit corporation governed by an 11-
member board of directors appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. It 
sets up this travel promotion fund financed by a public-private 
matching program.
  In short, this is a very simple proposition. It will not only create 
a lot of new jobs in this country at a time when we desperately need 
new jobs by saying to foreign travelers come to our country, be a part 
of what America has to offer you, come see our wonderful country, 
experience what America is about, we know when they come to this 
country they have an unbelievably good impression of what they have 
just seen--the greatest democracy on the face of this planet by far, 
and they experience the magic and wonders of this country.
  What we are saying to them is, at a time when travel around the world 
is up, that is visitors to other countries, and ours is down, let's 
solve this problem and let's do it without breaking the bank. In fact, 
this will not cost money; this will save money. Let's do it by working 
in a bipartisan way on one of the significant problems we face in 
America, and that is the loss of jobs.
  In case someone thinks perhaps there are just a few of us who think 
this is a good idea, here are a few examples of others who think this 
is a great idea. The Dallas Morning News:

       The travel promotion act is a sensible first step toward 
     putting the welcome mat back on America's doorstep.

  What a wonderful way to put it.
  The Los Angeles Times:

       Considering the U.S. spends hundreds of millions of dollars 
     on public diplomacy with dubious results and nearly nothing 
     on promoting tourism, it might do well to invest a little 
     money in wooing travelers.

  Sacramento Bee:

       This country needs to reclaim its stand as a global magnet 
     for visitors even in this post-9/11 climate--and Congress can 
     help by passing the Travel Promotion Act by the end of this 
     year.

  Duluth News Tribune:

       Ideas to bolster economic recovery without plunging the 
     Nation any deeper into debt would be welcomed by taxpayers 
     from coast to coast.

  The Detroit Free Press:

       Doesn't it make sense to encourage, at no cost to 
     taxpayers, foreign visitors to come here and leave us some 
     money? There is no good reason not to pass this bill.

  I needn't go on. This is not rocket science. This is something our 
country should do. If, in fact, in a smaller and smaller world, more 
and more people are traveling, then why should fewer people travel to 
the United States of America? This ought to be one of the great 
destination places on the entire planet. I expect and hope most people 
want to come to this country and see what America has to offer. But I 
think post-9/11 what we have done with visas and so on, which we are 
now correcting and have corrected by and large--longer waiting times, 
we have made them shorter and so on--I think there was a notion out 
there somehow that the welcome mat doesn't exist. We are changing that. 
Republicans and Democrats can work together to change that. This 
legislation is good legislation, and I hope my colleagues will join me 
today in voting for cloture and moving this bill as soon as possible 
through the Senate, through the House, and to the President for 
signature.
  When we do, those people who have had to come home to say to their 
spouse: Honey, I have lost my job--some of those millions of people, 
are going to be able to come home someday and say: I have a new job. 
There is some new activity going on in our State. I have a new job 
that relates to the substantial increase in international tourism to 
the United States.

  That will be a good thing for our country. So as the principal 
author, along with Senator Ensign, of this legislation--and let me say 
also the chair of the Tourism Subcommittee, Senator Klobuchar--I am 
pleased to be able to work together with my colleagues to get this 
legislation completed today.
  I reserve the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada is recognized.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, first let me thank the coauthor of this 
legislation, Senator Dorgan, for his leadership on recognizing how 
important this legislation is to our country, especially at this 
critical time when our country need jobs. All of us who just went back 
to our home States realize there are a lot of people who are truly 
hurting out there. It is not just people who have already lost their 
jobs, but there are a lot of people who are afraid they are going to 
lose their jobs.
  There are people who are afraid to invest to create jobs. I would say 
the number one emotion I heard during the August recess was that of 
fear. It is fear of what is going to happen in this country. I think 
Senator Dorgan eloquently put it that this bill is about jobs. It is 
about creating jobs without adding to the Federal debt.
  Another thing I heard throughout the State of Nevada is that people 
are very concerned about Federal spending and the deficits this year we 
are facing. This looming Federal debt that people believe is a threat 
to the future of the United States. This bipartisan bill helps create 
jobs without adding to the deficit. The bill is paid for through 
contributions from the private sector plus

[[Page S9120]]

$10 entry fee into the United States. Countries are able to participate 
in what is called a visa waiver program. It is cheaper for those 
countries who participate in the visa waiver program because $10 is 
actually cheaper than if you were to get a full visa. Most countries 
charge more than $10 for such a program; the $10 entry fee will not 
deter people from coming to the United States. As a matter of fact, the 
money is going to let people know that the United States is open for 
business.
  I am obviously from a tourist-driven State. We spend a lot of money 
advertising, whether it is Las Vegas, Reno or Lake Tahoe, we spend a 
lot of money advertising to other places, including internationally. 
Nevada does a lot of advertising. The Las Vegas Convention Authority 
and private businesses advertise because it works.
  What we are saying in this bill is, let's do it as a country. Let us 
show how many amazing places there are to see. Let's tell the rest of 
the world about it.

  You know the old saying: If you build it they will come? We already 
have built it, or God built it with our natural resources we have, but 
you have to let them know they are welcome and it is easy to travel to 
the United States. That is what this legislation will do.
  Plus, when you tell them about the United States, it will paint a 
mental picture in their minds when they are thinking about where to 
spend their next holiday or vacation. They say: You know what, I just 
saw that ad. It is kind of in the back of my mind. I always wanted to 
go to the United States.
  Maybe they want to see some of our national wonders, whether it is 
Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, or Hawaii. Nevada has 
Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in the entire world. 
I would argue it is the most beautiful Alpine lake in the entire world.
  There are so many places to see that are manmade in this country. 
Washington, DC is one of the most incredible cities in the world. If we 
tell people about it, and they come and learn about our history and our 
democracy, they may get a better view of the people and of the 
Government of the United States. The statistics are clear. People who 
visit the United States have a much more favorable view of the United 
States. There are plenty of other places to see, whether it is going to 
see the amazing culture of New York City or some of the other amazing 
cities, such as Chicago.
  My hometown of Las Vegas is a world-class destination with some of 
the most amazing restaurants and entertainment on the planet. There are 
great beaches in California and on the East Coast. There are some of 
the most amazing golf destinations, whether it is Hilton Head, SC, or 
the Monterey Peninsula in California.
  The United States has some amazing places to see. If we tell people 
about it, they will come in greater numbers. The studies are fairly 
significant on this. If you spend money to bring people, they will 
come. And when they come, they will bring their money.
  Senator Dorgan talked about the average visitor who comes from 
overseas comes from a long ways away; not just Canada or Mexico. When 
they come from a long way away, they spend, on average, $4,500 in the 
United States. If we can attract some of those 58 million new visitors 
who are traveling worldwide now since the year 2000, even a small piece 
of that number, it is going to create tens of thousands of jobs in the 
United States. Who around here does not think we need jobs? The 
unemployment rate of Clark County, NV, which is where Las Vegas is 
located, is 14 percent now.
  Tourism, when you total it all together, is the number one industry 
in the United States. We ought to do something to promote it. That is 
why this legislation, I believe, is so important. This country is 
crying out for bipartisanship. This bill does not add to the deficit. 
That is why this bill makes so much sense at this time in our country's 
history.
  Over the next couple of days, we are going to be debating this bill. 
Tonight is a procedural vote to get on the bill. I believe all Senators 
should support it. When we get on the bill, we will have a lot more to 
say about it, a lot more examples of why this is good legislation.
  I appreciate the work that has been done. I will yield the floor to 
allow the Subcommittee Chairwoman to speak, Senator Klobuchar. She has 
done great work on this bill. We appreciate her support as well. This 
is a bipartisan piece of legislation that this country needs right now. 
Our country needs anything that is going to create jobs and not add to 
the deficit.
  I yield the floor and I reserve the remainder of our time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. DORGAN. I yield 10 minutes of our time to Senator Klobuchar.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, as the Senator from Nevada was 
discussing, all of us were home in the last month. I heard a lot about 
health care and I know we will be having an extensive debate and doing 
some very important work in this area. I heard a lot about the economy.
  Well, this bill is about an industry that one out of every eight 
Americans is employed in--one out of every eight Americans. And if 
there is something we know we can do, which we know we can do in this 
bill to help promote more jobs in this country without costing 
taxpayers any money, this is the time to do it.
  I first thank Senator Dorgan from North Dakota for his tireless work 
for years on this bill. I was listening as Senator Ensign went through 
all of the wonders of Nevada. And we all know there is some great 
tourism there. But he failed to mention Teddy Roosevelt Park in North 
Dakota, a place I have been visited myself. And, of course, I hope many 
people have come to the Mall of America in Minnesota as well as a lot 
of our beautiful forests and lakes.
  Every State has something to be proud of when it comes to travel. 
Today we have the opportunity to help this industry with the Travel 
Promotion Act. We should not let it go to waste. As was mentioned, I am 
the Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee that deals with tourism. But I 
also come from a State that values common sense. And supporting 
legislation that will create jobs, generate spending, and reduce the 
deficit, all at no cost to the taxpayer, is the definition of common 
sense.
  Look at the numbers. This bill is expected to bring in 1.6 million 
new international visitors each year--1.6 million. And you know how 
much they spend? They spend $4,500, on average, when they come here. 
You can do the math: some 1.6 million new visitors times $4,500 every 
single year in this country. In fact, some economists expect the bill 
to generate $4 billion in new spending and $321 million in new Federal 
tax revenue.
  It is estimated to create 40,000 new jobs. The Congressional Budget 
Office estimates that this bill will reduce the budget deficit by $425 
million over the next 10 years. Remember those numbers: $4,500 per 
person for every new visitor; 1.6 million new people every year coming 
to our country; $4 billion in new spending, 40,000 new jobs. Costs to 
the taxpayer: zero.
  During these tough economic times, how could we not pass this bill 
right now when we know it would do so much good? This past summer I 
visited, along with my family, many areas in our State and we did 
tourism hearings and various events around this bill.
  In Northern Minnesota, I will be honest, at first I thought: Well, 
they want tourism, it is a big industry in our State, but do they care 
about this bill. That is when I found out that they do care about this 
bill. Because so many visitors traditionally have come down from 
Canada. And some of the barriers in getting the visas processed, and 
the barriers at the border have affected tourism up in northern 
Minnesota, in places such as Grand Marais and International Falls, and 
Bemidji, and the Brainerd Lakes area, home of the statue of Paul Bunyan 
and Babe the Blue Ox.
  Minnesota shares this border with Canada. I was very surprised at how 
much interest there was in getting this bill passed. They understand 
that we want to promote our country internationally, like other 
countries which Senator Dorgan and Senator Ensign have pointed out have 
done for so long. But they also want to make it easier to process these 
visas.
  As you know, this problem started way before the economy started 
having

[[Page S9121]]

trouble. It occurred after 9/11 where, for very good reasons, there 
were some tighter visa requirements put in place. The problem is, we 
have gotten so behind that a lot of people who are living in, say, 
France think: Well, am I going to go to America where it is maybe going 
to take months to process my visa? Maybe I will go over to England or 
maybe I will go to Japan. And so we need to speed up that process.
  We know that tourism creates good jobs that cannot be outsourced. It 
increases sales for local businesses and it brings in tax revenue for 
local and State economies. One of my favorite examples is Duluth. It is 
not Las Vegas but listen to this story. Duluth is a port city that was 
hit hard by recessions of the 1970s and the early 1980s.
  My dad is from northern Minnesota. We would go up there a lot. I 
could see how much that community was hurting during that time. At one 
point it was so bad that they put a famous billboard on the edge of 
town that said: Will the last one out please turn off the lights.
  Well, the lights are still on in Duluth; they are as bright as ever. 
A lot has to do with the promotion of tourism. The city has transformed 
itself on the beautiful shores of Lake Superior into a popular tourist 
destination, welcoming nearly 4 million visitors each year with an 
annual economic impact of over $700 million.
  We know that the tourism industry is feeling the effects of the 
economic downturn. On top of that, as I mentioned, the United States 
has seen its decline in the tourism industry in the past decade. As we 
see here, the U.S. share of the world travel market has decreased by 
nearly 20 percent, costing us hundreds of thousands of jobs and 
billions of dollars in revenue.
  When a traveler decides to go somewhere else besides the United 
States, there is a ripple effect throughout our economy. You think 
about the hotels, of course; you think about the airlines. But you know 
who else you should be thinking about? You should be thinking about 
that person who is working making beds in the hotel or the waitress who 
is working in the restaurant where people would stop by on their drive 
or you think about the florist who is getting those flowers ready for 
the business conference. These are all jobs, those are all jobs in this 
economy.
  Last year nearly 200,000 travel-related jobs were lost, and the 
Commerce Department predicts that we will lose another 247,000 jobs 
this year. We can do something about this. We can bring in more 
travelers, we can create more jobs, and we can boost our economy. That 
is why we need to pass the Travel Promotion Act.
  First, this bill will create the Corporation for Travel Promotion, a 
public-private partnership to promote the United States as an 
international travel destination, and finally establish a coordinated 
national tourism program.
  Senator Dorgan has some amazing blowups of some of the work that you 
have seen in other countries. Just look. Indonesia has its own tourism 
program. The Bahamas entice people to go there; Scotland, Taiwan, South 
Korea; Australia with their kangaroo. What do we have right now? 
Nothing. Individual cities are going out there, places such as 
New York, places such as Las Vegas. It is not so easy for some small 
resorts in Minnesota or North Dakota or Vermont or New Hampshire to do 
that.

  But this is the chance where we can actually promote our country 
internationally. And we are in major competition for international 
travel, but we are not competing. In 2005, Greece spent more than $150 
million on travel promotion; France spent $63 million. That is what we 
are up against. It is time for the United States to catch up to the 
rest of the world. It is time for us to play on an even playing field.
  Second, the bill will establish the Office of Travel Promotion in the 
Department of Commerce to work with the Corporation for Travel 
Promotion and the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to make 
sure that international visitors are processed efficiently. It is time 
to cut through the redtape so we can get the people who are going to 
these countries to come to our country.
  We have always been a country that has opened our arms to people who 
want to come and visit. We have been proud of that, because we know 
that it does not only have an economic benefit, it has also a 
diplomatic benefit. People who visit the United States are 74 percent 
more likely to have a favorable opinion of our country than those who 
have not visited.
  As we enter a new era in our international relations, travel can play 
an important role in building bridges between Americans and people from 
across the globe.
  Finally, as I mentioned earlier, this legislation will not cost 
taxpayers a dime. I say to Senator Dorgan, it is a very good way to 
begin this session, to begin it by looking at something that is paid 
for by combination of private sector contributions and a small fee on 
international travelers, non-U.S. taxpayers, who are entering the 
United States. This is commonsense legislation.
  When you think about the positive ripple effect that will happen as 
more international visitors visit our country, it will increase sales 
for businesses ranging from airlines to hotels, to those little flower 
shops. It will increase revenues in our local economy, and it will 
increase jobs.
  The United States is home to some of the world's wonders. And the 
Travel Promotion Act will give us the tools we need to promote the 
United States as a premiere travel destination.
  As Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee that includes tourism, I have 
seen how important tourism is to communities, both small and large 
across our country. We have the opportunity to boost travel and boost 
our economy. We cannot let that go to waste.
  I am glad we are debating this bill today. I am looking forward to 
this vote and the days that we have here to focus on this. But I urge 
my colleagues to support this. They have been home. They know people 
are crying out for jobs. They know this is something at no cost to the 
taxpayers, bipartisan support, which will help to get us there. Let's 
get this done.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. DORGAN. How much time remains?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 8 minutes, 15 seconds.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, first, let me thank Senator Klobuchar for 
her work, and Senator Ensign. I think they have said what needs to be 
said.
  If 48 million more people are now traveling internationally, foreign 
travelers moving around the world, 48 million more, but 600,000 fewer 
are traveling in the United States as foreign travelers, then something 
is wrong and we need to fix it.
  I want to market this country to foreign travelers, to say: Come to 
all of America. Yes, come to see the Statue of Liberty, and come to see 
New York City and its vibrancy, and the Empire State Building, and Las 
Vegas, and Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and the Golden Gate 
Bridge. And in my State, the Pembina Gorge, the Red River Valley, and 
the Badlands
  I would love to have foreign tourists come to experience the history 
and the culture the values of all of our country. I have told the story 
before on the floor of the Senate about Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore 
Roosevelt was in his home in New York when on the same day, on 
different floors of his home, his mother died and his wife died. In his 
diary for that day, there is a big mark. It is just an X for that day. 
He lost both his wife and his mother. Same day, different floors of his 
house.
  A broken spirit, he went to what was then North Dakota and began to 
ranch in the Badlands of North Dakota, in what is now the Theodore 
Roosevelt National Park.
  I would love to encourage foreign tourists to come to the heartland 
of America, the northern Great Plains, and see what restored the spirit 
of Theodore Roosevelt. What a great way to understand and see the 
history and the culture and values of this country. Isn't it 
interesting and alarming that 48 million more people are traveling 
around the world as foreign tourists and 600,000 fewer are traveling in 
the United States? The United States, which should be the premier 
destination for travel of anywhere on this Earth, and yet we have 
633,000 fewer foreign travelers than we had 9 years ago. There is 
something not connected here. We propose to connect it with something 
that is bipartisan, something that doesn't cost money but

[[Page S9122]]

something that reduces the Federal budget deficit, something that 
creates jobs when we have lost so many, to be able to do that working 
together, to say: Here is something on which we can agree. Here is 
something we think would boost America's economic strength, here is 
something we believe would contribute to building new jobs, and, most 
importantly for me, here is something that when people come to our 
country and leave, it will allow them to leave America with a positive 
impression about what this country is, who the American people are, 
what they believe, what they practice. This is a remarkable place. To 
come here and then leave here after having visited America is to 
experience one of the great travel opportunities on this planet.
  When we look at a problem and see that something is not working 
right, the question is, How do we fix it? I have said so often before, 
but I will say it again--because I know we have had some discussion 
today in opposition to this that I think mischaracterizes it--Mark 
Twain, when asked if he would engage in a debate, said: Of course, as 
long as I can take the negative side.
  They said: We haven't even told you the subject.
  He said: It doesn't matter. The negative side will take no 
preparation at all.
  So it is with legislation. It is so much easier with no preparation 
to come and say: I am opposed to this; I don't support this; this won't 
work. The fact is, this is a problem that hurts this country. Losing 
our share of international tourism at a time when more people are 
traveling around the world, finding fewer people traveling to our 
country, that is a problem. We can fix it in a way that doesn't spend 
more, doesn't increase the Federal budget deficit, but attracts more 
people to this country and creates more jobs. What a remarkable piece 
of legislation that is a good investment in the future.
  We have a lot to be proud of in this country, all of us. We take it 
for granted every day because we wake up in this country, but, boy, do 
we have a lot to be proud of. We want to show it off to foreign 
visitors.
  Since 9/11, I understand there has been a notion somehow that it is 
harder to come to America. It is more hassle. What we want to say is: 
That is done. It is not a hassle. We invite you to come here. Come here 
and be a part of our experience.
  Here is what we see in the Sidney Morning Herald: ``Coming to America 
Isn't Easy''; in the Guardian, United Kingdom: ``America--more hassle 
than it's worth?''; the Sunday Times of London: ``Travel to America? No 
thanks.'' These are all 2008 headlines. We want to say: This country 
has a welcome mat out for you. Come here. Experience what we have to 
experience in America. We invite you to be a part of our experience. We 
want you to come to the United States when you are considering 
traveling internationally.
  That is what this legislation is about. This is not complicated. It 
is the right thing to do. It is the reason there are so many Democrats 
and Republicans who have joined together in something we think will 
strengthen the country.
  I yield the floor and reserve the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I wish to make a couple other points 
before the vote.
  Some folks have questioned why we need the Travel Promotion Act. They 
say that tourism will take care of itself and that this is not a role 
for the Federal Government. One of the reasons I remember for years why 
I wanted to go to Australia was because they advertised in the United 
States. The advertisements talked about the various places, whether it 
was the Great Barrier Reef, some of the sites of Sydney, Australia, or 
the gorgeous beaches they have. The United States and our resources 
here are so vast for people to come and see, I think to not tell folks 
of the world what we have here or to remind them of what we have is a 
disservice to our country. If we remind them, whether by brochures, 
internet advertising, television advertising, or whatever the 
advertising media we choose, we will attract people here.
  There is no question that a lot of folks would love to visit the 
United States. It may just take a little spark to get them to realize 
that is someplace they want to go. I have thought about that. Hey, 
let's take the kids. Let's go to America. Let's see some of the 
incredible sites. We have heard about the Grand Canyon. We have heard 
about some of the national parks. Let's go to Washington, DC, and see 
the Capitol, that beacon of democracy throughout the world. Let's 
remind folks of the types of things we have here in New York City.
  When people come here, not only will they bring their money and 
create jobs, but I believe, very importantly, people will come away 
from America with a different attitude about our country. They will 
come away talking about an America that is different than what they get 
told about in their news media. If you are in Europe and other places, 
their news media is not necessarily kind to the United States. When 
people come here and meet Americans, they see our places that we have 
and learn some of the history of our country. They come away with a 
different attitude. That is important today when America needs friends 
in the world. I believe this legislation is important not only for the 
jobs it will create but for America's image in the world. This 
legislation really is needed at this point.
  In 1996, we eliminated a Federal program that was basically about 
promoting travel to the United States. We have had private programs and 
we have had public programs. None of them worked very well on their 
own--privately, because they couldn't get the funding necessary; on a 
public side, it was because the government doesn't run those things 
very well.
  This is a public-private partnership that I believe can work. That is 
the reason I support this. It is the reason I think a public-private 
partnership, where some of the public funding is matched with private 
expertise, can bring more tourists to the United States.
  Senator Klobuchar mentioned that 1.6 to 1.8 million new visitors will 
come to the United States because of this legislation. That creates 
many jobs. That brings a lot of revenue. That also creates a lot more 
people who have visited here and will go back to their countries and 
talk positively about the United States. I believe in our country, and 
I believe in the goodness of our country. When people are exposed to 
that goodness, I believe they will go home and talk about the goodness 
of the country and the goodness of the people in the United States.
  Mr. DORGAN. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. ENSIGN. I am happy to yield.
  Mr. DORGAN. I should also mention that Senator Reid, along with 
Senator Ensign, has played a significant role in working on this 
legislation. That is very important to mention. Obviously, both come 
from a State that relies a great deal on tourism. My State's tourism 
industry is second in the State. It plays a very large role in every 
State, even though most of us don't have a traditional tourist 
destination city like Las Vegas, for example.
  Early on Senators talked about how companies advertise because 
advertising works. It is the case that companies advertise only on 
behalf of their company. I just described circumstances of aggressive 
efforts for countries to advertise on behalf of their countries saying: 
Come to Italy, experience what Italy has to offer. Come to France. Come 
to India. The countries are very aggressive in saying: If you are 
thinking of traveling around this planet, take a look at this; come to 
see the Eiffel Tower.
  Our country is not doing that. We are not involved in trying to reach 
out to people to say: You are welcome in this country. We have so much 
to offer, so much for you to see. We want you to come here and 
experience it, to understand it.
  This legislation creates a public-private partnership in which our 
country will advertise to the world and say: Come to America. Isn't 
that the case with respect to advertising of companies versus 
countries?
  Mr. ENSIGN. My friend is correct. It is absolutely the case. It has 
been proven time and time again. These countries wouldn't continue to 
spend the money if it wasn't working. Certainly, companies wouldn't 
continue to spend the money if it wasn't working to bring more people, 
for instance, to Las

[[Page S9123]]

Vegas. The individual companies, as well as the Convention and Visitors 
Authority, spend a lot of money to bring people to Las Vegas. Most 
Americans have heard the slogans: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. 
That became a very famous slogan. But it is the sights, the sounds, the 
smells, everything together that attracts people to come.
  If tourists come to the Grand Canyon, most people will also go to 
California, Las Vegas, New York City or someplace else. When folks come 
from overseas, they usually don't just visit one place, they visit 
several places. If we attract people using some of the iconic places we 
have in the United States, other places around the country will 
benefit. That is why a national advertising campaign is very important 
for the country.
  Mr. DORGAN. If the Senator will yield further, the fact is, we have 
lost a lot of jobs in the deepest recession since the Great Depression. 
All of us are striving to find ways to put people back to work. There 
is not going to be some Big Bang theory by which everyone goes back to 
work. We can do this incrementally. We need manufacturing to be 
restored. We need tourism, a significant job creator. A lot of people 
don't understand that it is not some big hotel that benefits from 
tourism. In most cases, it is a small business someplace struggling to 
make a living. It is a lot of small businesses, rental car companies, 
and so on. That is why we have such faith that if we do what we say we 
can do in this legislation, we will put a lot of people back to work.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. ENSIGN. Yes.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. As Senator Dorgan was discussing, it seems to me that 
the people don't always think about the ripple effect. I know Nevada 
has suffered because of some of the economic downturn with tourism. 
Could the Senator talk a little bit about what he has seen in terms of 
other businesses that have lost business when we don't promote tourism 
the way we are supposed to? I think that is something people don't 
think about. They think about the big airlines, the big hotels, but 
they don't think about the ripple effect on some of the other jobs that 
matter.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Tourism is such a huge part of our economy today. For 
instance, somebody who cleans hotel rooms is out of a job, they don't 
have that money to go down to a fast-food restaurant or go to a store 
to buy clothes. They have to tighten their belts. Many people also work 
for tips.
  Those tips have gone down, that ripple effect has happened through 
the American economy today. Nevada has felt it probably more than any 
other.
  But there is no question of the ripple effect. It affects 
restaurants. I am a veterinarian; it affects the veterinary business. 
It affects dentists. It affects the construction industry. It is almost 
like a negative ripple effect when those jobs are being lost in the 
tourism industry. What we are trying to with this legislation is to 
create a positive ripple effect where we actually create tourism jobs 
that will then help to create other jobs in other sectors. So I think 
that is a great question on the ripple effect with the tourism 
industry.

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me mention again the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce has sent out a letter today in strong support of this 
legislation precisely because of the job-creating nature of this 
legislation.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I guess all time 
has expired.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired.


                             Cloture Motion

  Under the previous order, the motion to proceed to the motion to 
reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on amendment No. 
1347 is agreed to, the motion to reconsider is agreed to, and the 
Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture, which the clerk will 
report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the Dorgan 
     amendment, No. 1347, to S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act of 
     2009.
         Harry Reid, Byron L. Dorgan, Barbara Boxer, Ron Wyden, 
           Mark Begich, Evan Bayh, Charles Schumer, Max Baucus, 
           Jon Tester, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Amy Klobuchar, 
           Patrick Leahy, Barbara Mikulski, Robert Menendez, Jeff 
           Bingaman, Joseph Lieberman.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum 
call is waived.
  The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate on 
amendment No. 1347, offered by the Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, for 
Mr. Dorgan, to S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, shall be 
brought to a close?
  The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 80, nays 19, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 271 Leg.]

                                YEAS--80

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Begich
     Bennet
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burris
     Byrd
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Chambliss
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Corker
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Ensign
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Inouye
     Isakson
     Johanns
     Johnson
     Kaufman
     Kerry
     Klobuchar
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lugar
     Martinez
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (NE)
     Nelson (FL)
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Rockefeller
     Sanders
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Thune
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Vitter
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Webb
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden

                                NAYS--19

     Barrasso
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burr
     Coburn
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     DeMint
     Enzi
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Kyl
     McCain
     McConnell
     Risch
     Roberts
     Sessions
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 80, the nays are 
19. Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in 
the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
  Cloture having been invoked, the motion to commit falls.

                          ____________________