Rep. Quigley Discusses the Importance of Tourism in America

New Dem Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05) authored an op-ed discussing the importance of America being a top tourist destination. Travel is America’s largest service export and one of the top job generating industries. Rep. Quigley calls for Congress to look for ways to support the industry and increase international tourism.

Rep. Quigley references his work with the New Democrat Coalition on this end: “Alongside fellow members of the New Democrat Coalition, I have continued to urge Congress to support job-creating opportunities to maintain America’s standing in our increasingly global economy.”

How Congress can keep America’s top talent in tourism

Tourism has grown to be one of the United States’ most important industries, with one in nine U.S. jobs depending on it. Travel employment increased for the tenth month in a row this past April, according to an U.S. Travel Association estimate. And in 2015, domestic and international travelers spent $947 billion in the U.S. and directly supported more than 8.1 million U.S. jobs. Travel is also America’s largest service export, as well as one of our top job generating industries. So, it would stand to reason that Congress should be looking for ways to support this industry and increase international tourism.

That is why I have been advocating for Congress to update America’s visa travel protocols so we can increase opportunities for international tourists, create jobs, and drive valuable tourism dollars to cities across the country. Alongside fellow members of the New Democrat Coalition, I have continued to urge Congress to support job-creating opportunities to maintain America’s standing in our increasingly global economy.

To meet this end, I introduced the bipartisan Jobs Originating through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act with Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada. It reduces visa wait times, increases national security standards, and expands both the Visa Waiver Program and the Global Entry Program, making it easier and more attractive for international travelers to visit America. The JOLT Act alone has the potential to increase annual visitation by more than 600,000 tourists, adding more than $7 billion to our economy and supporting more than 40,000 additional American jobs.

Included in the JOLT Act is an expansion of the visa waiver program (VWP), which will not only increase tourism but will also strengthen our national security and enhance international diplomacy. The VWP is a critical component of our strategy to secure borders, build security partnerships and encourage counterterrorism information sharing between the United States and member countries. In these challenging times, the JOLT Act would grow the economy while keeping Americans safe.

Over the last 10 years, the U.S. intelligence community and law enforcement agencies have used the VWP to protect our homeland. Participating countries must meet U.S. level security requirements in order for their citizens to travel to America visa free. These measures enhance our government’s ability to identify travelers and increase awareness of any potential risks at the earliest possible moment. Partner governments are often the best source of information on what potential risks their citizens could pose, and intelligence sharing assists our ability to prevent security risks from entering the U.S. Additionally, countries have to meet internationally recognized standards for passports. These VWP standards make it harder for individuals to enter the U.S. with fake identities.

I’m proud to have the JOLT Act featured in New Democrat Coalition’s recently released American Prosperity Agenda: Winning the Future, which maintains America’s standing as the most competitive and innovative country in the world. The New Democrat Coalition is made up of 52 democratic, pro-growth, innovation-focused lawmakers committed to seeking pragmatic solutions to help hard working Americans compete in our increasingly globalized economy.

In the 113th Congress, the JOLT Act had over a third of the House of Representatives signed on as cosponsors, the support of President Obama, and actually passed the Senate as part of comprehensive immigration reform. There is clearly broad support of the bill on both sides of the aisle, like many New Democrat led bills, because of the huge economic impact and increased security that the JOLT Act will bring to our country. As long as Congress continues to delay its action, the U.S. continues to lose out on top talent from around the world, and our economy suffers as bright minds go elsewhere. Unfortunately, the JOLT Act is a jobs bill that has been held up by the politics of immigration. I look forward to working with my New Dem colleagues on a renewed effort to gain additional support and pass this bill.

Rep. Mike Quigley represents Illinois’ 5th District.