Quigley Calls for Poland’s Inclusion in Visa Waiver Program
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) testified before the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement in favor of expanding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to include Poland and other U.S. allies.
"This is an issue of fairness and equity for a longstanding friend and partner, Poland," said Rep. Quigley. "Expansion of the Visa Waiver Program will improve our international diplomatic relationships, create jobs, stimulate the economy and strengthen national security. It's time to expand outdated travel standards to include our proven allies."
Expansion of the VWP would bring increased revenue to the travel industry at a time when America's economy needs it most. In 2008, the countries in the VWP generated more than 16 million visits to the U.S., accounting for 65 percent of all overseas arrivals that year. VWP travelers spent more than 51 billion dollars in the U.S. , which generated an estimated 512,000 jobs, 13 billion dollars in payroll and 7.8 billion dollars in taxes for the U.S. economy.
"This nation must keep its doors open. Foreign travelers who come to America gain an understanding of what makes America great, and they share these positive experiences with their neighbors," said Rep. Quigley.
PHOTO: Rep. Quigley testifies before Congress in favor of expanding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to include Poland and other U.S. allies.
Poland is a member of both the EU and NATO but remains one of the few major democratic allies excluded from the VWP. The VWP enables citizens of 36 countries to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without obtaining a non-immigrant visitor visa. The program was established to eliminate unnecessary barriers to travel, stimulate the tourism industry and permitting the Department of State to focus consular resources in other, high risk areas. Today's hearing marks the first House Judiciary Committee hearing solely dedicated to the issue in nearly 10 years.
Quigley introduced legislation to expand the Visa Waiver Program to include Poland that has been endorsed by President Obama and has worked tirelessly to promote Polish-American relations during his two terms in Congress. In 2010, he traveled to Poland and attended a conference in Krakow commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Community of Democracies.
Illinois' 5th Congressional District is home to more than 100,000 citizens of Polish ancestry. More than 1 million Poles call Chicago home, making it the highest concentration of Poles of any city outside of Warsaw.
Rep. Quigley is currently serving his second term in the House of Representatives, where he sits on the House Committees on the Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform. He is also the Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services, and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs.
Text of Rep. Quigley's opening statement during today's hearing can be found here.
A high resolution photo is available upon request.