[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 96 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4381-H4383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          UNITED STATES-MEXICO TOURISM IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2019

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 951) to promote bilateral tourism through cooperation 
between the United States and Mexico, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 951

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Mexico Tourism 
     Improvement Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The United States and Mexico have benefitted 
     economically from a bilateral, mutually beneficial 
     partnership focused on enhancing the tourism industry in both 
     countries.
       (2) In 2016, Mexican tourism to the United States peaked at 
     18,990,585 visitors, constituting 1 in 4 (24.9 percent) of 
     all tourists that year.
       (3) Additionally, in 2016, spending by Mexican tourists in 
     the United States totaled $20.3 billion, which represented a 
     3 percent growth from 2015.
       (4) Tourist activity to the United States from Mexico has 
     declined since 2016, which is in contrast to an overall 
     international tourism industry increase in the United States.
       (5) In 2017, international tourist arrivals totaled 
     76,900,000, up 0.7 percent from 76,400,000 in 2016.
       (6) The same year, 77,000,000 international visitors spent 
     a record $251.4 billion on hotels, travel, food, and 
     souvenirs, a 2-percent increase over 2016.
       (7) However, also in 2017, there was a 6.1-percent decline 
     in visitors to the United States from Mexico, comprising a 
     loss of 1,166,585 Mexican tourists from 2016.
       (8) The Department of Commerce has not yet released 2017 
     spending totals by Mexican tourists in the United States, but 
     a corresponding monetary decline would be approximately $1.24 
     billion in lost revenue.
       (9) This is a critical economic trend given that Mexico is 
     the biggest source of international visitors to the United 
     States after Canada.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States--

[[Page H4382]]

       (1) to continue deepening bilateral tourism through 
     governmental cooperation between the United States and 
     Mexico;
       (2) to improve third-party tourism to the United States and 
     Mexico through joint international promotional efforts; and
       (3) to seek to prioritize and expand the tourism industries 
     in both countries by emphasizing exchanges in various 
     international economic sectors, including relating to--
       (A) hospitality and accommodation;
       (B) retail; and
       (C) cultural education.

     SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO EXPAND BILATERAL TOURISM THROUGH 
                   COOPERATION WITH MEXICO.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall develop a 
     strategy through the High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) 
     platform to carry out the bilateral tourism policy described 
     in section 3 and to encourage the Government of Mexico to 
     take reciprocal action relating to bilateral tourism.
       (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) 
     shall--
       (1) encourage more joint tourism initiatives between the 
     United States and Mexico, including collaborations between 
     governmental and non-governmental entities; and
       (2) encourage United States and Mexican nonprofit 
     institutions and private businesses to assist prospective and 
     developing entrepreneurs in strengthening their business 
     skills in the United States and Mexico.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the strategy required under subsection 
     (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 951, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Cuellar), the recently-appointed chairman of the U.S.-Mexico 
Interparliamentary Group, for authoring this legislation, which sends a 
positive message from this Chamber to the Mexican people at a time 
when, frankly, it is needed more than ever in view of all the things 
that have been talked about with American belligerence toward Mexico 
and the unnecessary saber rattling.

                              {time}  1945

  I think it is important that we talk about positive things between 
our two countries, and tourism certainly is right there. It is one way 
to make a positive difference.
  In recent years, bilateral tourism between the United States and 
Mexico has steadily declined. This is in sharp contrast to a rise in 
the broader international tourism industry in the United States.
  In 2017 alone, there was a 6 percent decline in visitors to the 
United States from Mexico, and this decrease hurts our economy and 
American workers, specifically in the States along our southern border 
with Mexico where President Trump is still trying to build an ill-
advised wall.
  The legislation we are now considering would direct the State 
Department to expand tourism cooperation with Mexico, including by 
close collaboration with nonprofit organizations and the private 
sector. It also encourages expanded third-party tourism to the United 
States and Mexico through joint international promotional efforts.
  But more than anything, this bill is about jobs. It is about creating 
American jobs and maintaining a robust partnership with our neighbor to 
the south.
  Its consideration could not be more timely. Last month, the President 
again threatened to punish American workers and consumers for failures 
at the border, only to claim victory with a so-called deal that 
reverted to the status quo. The President has again managed to cause 
further harm to the U.S.-Mexico relationship for no good reason 
whatsoever, and tourists are staying home in response.
  Today, the House of Representatives is choosing to go in a different 
direction. With this bill, we are once again coming to the House floor 
to build bridges with our neighbor to the south.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Cuellar for his continued persistence in 
promoting the U.S.-Mexico relationship. I urge my colleagues to support 
the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the United States-Mexico Tourism 
Improvement Act of 2019.
  I want to thank Chairman Engel and also thank my good friend Henry 
Cuellar for leading this legislation, which we introduced together 
earlier this year.
  I must say, the timing probably couldn't be better, as we avoided a 
tariff situation on Mexico in exchange for some security cooperation.
  We know, being from Texas, that Mexico is our largest trading 
partner. Just last month, Mexico now has become the United States' 
largest trading partner.
  We understand well the value of tourism from our neighbors to the 
south, what that provides to our economy. As a matter of fact, Mr. 
Cuellar and I both chair the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group, and 
I look forward to working together to strengthen our ties with the 
Mexican Congress to address our mutual interests rather than divide.
  Tourism between the United States and Mexico, in both directions, is 
worth tens of billions of dollars to our economies every year. To help 
increase these benefits, this bill directs the State Department to 
develop a strategy to expand tourism through cooperation with Mexico, 
including collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental entities.
  Legitimate tourism between our two countries, in my view, strengthens 
our economies, strengthens our cultures and our partnership together, 
and should be encouraged and expanded.
  Madam Speaker, once again, let me just thank my good friend Mr. 
Cuellar for his hard work. He does a lot of good work between the 
United States and Mexico, and I fully look forward to working together 
with him as we serve together in this Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the author of this bill, who also happens to be 
the chair of the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Engel for 
yielding to me and for his leadership that he has provided in making 
sure that we develop a good working relationship with the Republic of 
Mexico.
  In fact, a few months ago, we also passed a U.S.-Mexico economic 
development bill that is over in the Senate, and now today we are 
passing a tourism bill that will be used to promote this important 
relationship.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership.
  I also want to thank the ranking member, a friend of mine who is also 
with me on the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group, and I want to 
thank him because, as a Texan, he also understands this very important 
relationship that we have with Mexico.
  Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the majority staff and, 
certainly, the minority staff for the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
because they get it. They understand the type of legislation that we 
need to have to improve this relationship that we have between the U.S. 
and Mexico. So I want to thank both staffs.
  The relationship with Mexico is very important. Let me first talk 
about trade.
  Every day, there is more than $1.7 billion of trade between the U.S. 
and Mexico. That is over $1 million every single minute, the trade that 
we have between these two countries.
  If we look at the more than 5 million jobs that have been created 
because of the trade that we have with Mexico, it is important that we 
nourish this relationship.
  So it is not only the trade that we have, the commerce that we have, 
but it is certainly also the tourism.
  In 2016, we had over 19 million Mexicans that came over and spent 
over $20.5 billion at our restaurants, at our

[[Page H4383]]

hotels, at our malls, at our stores--a lot of money that has been spent 
here in the United States. But the last couple years, we have seen a 
different trend.
  While international tourist arrivals in the U.S. have totaled 79.6 
million visitors, which has been almost a 5 percent increase, a 4.2 
percent increase, the tourism from Mexico has actually decreased, and, 
again, for different reasons.
  Again, if we call them murderers, rapists, and other words, they are 
not going to come and spend the money. So we have to make sure that we 
get our friends to the south to come back and spend money because, 
again, in 2016, Mexican tourism to the United States peaked at almost 
19 million, which means that one out of every four international 
visitors, that is almost 25 percent of the tourists coming from across 
the world, was coming here to the United States from Mexico.
  Madam Speaker, this is why, with Chairman Engel and my good friend, 
the ranking member,   Michael McCaul, we are trying to make sure that 
we get this tourism back because, again, it is good for our economy.
  What does this bill do? Basically, it is asking that we focus on 
doing a couple things:
  Having the State Department develop a strategy to expand this 
bilateral tourism with Mexico;
  Encouraging collaboration between governmental and nongovernmental 
entities;
  Making sure that this strategy is at the highest level, which is, 
again, at the High Level Economic Dialogue platform with Mexico; and
  Making sure that the Mexican Government is involved.
  I have spoken to some of the Mexican congressmen that we met last 
time we were there, like, for example, Congressman Luis Alegre from the 
Cancun area. They know that this tourism business is very important.
  Madam Speaker, again, I want to thank the chairman; I want to thank 
the ranking member; and, again, I want to thank the staff for putting 
this bill up.
  Madam Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this 
measure which will return the economic benefits of bilateral tourism 
with Mexico again to our U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Laredo, Texas, who really 
made a good case for this bill. He knows, being the largest land port 
in the United States, what trade and tourism means for Mexico and the 
United States.
  This bill will not only strengthen our economies, which is always a 
positive thing, but I think it will strengthen our relationship. It 
will also strengthen our security, working together, and it deepens our 
rich cultural ties that we have and that we know is so important.
  I think it is good for both nations, a step forward in the right 
direction.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my good friend Henry Cuellar for 
bringing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume for the purpose of closing.
  Madam Speaker, the U.S.-Mexico relationship is too important to be 
held hostage to petty politics, and yet here we are again for the last 
2 weeks.
  We don't want to hurt the U.S.-Mexico relationship. In fact, I was in 
Mexico City just a few weeks ago and met with the new Mexican 
President, who told us that he really wanted to have good relations and 
work closely with us. I was impressed with him because he has a steady 
hand.
  I think that we should not be alienating our neighbors. We should be 
welcoming them, welcoming the partnership with them.
  We don't want to undermine tourism; we don't want to hurt Americans; 
and we don't want to raise taxes on the working class while doing 
nothing to address the humanitarian challenges on the U.S.-Mexico 
border.
  I am glad that we seem to not be going that way in terms of clashing 
with Mexico, but, again, this is a win-win bill: a win for us because 
it helps tourism, a win for Mexico as well.
  Congress has chosen to pursue a positive agenda with Mexico instead. 
This legislation will play an important role in showcasing the mutually 
beneficial relationship Congress and most Americans want with Mexico.
  Madam Speaker, I again thank Mr. Cuellar for his continued leadership 
and for wanting a stronger relationship between the United States and 
Mexico. I thank the ranking member, as usual, for working with us on 
this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 951, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________