Travel Promotion Act of 2009

Floor Speech

TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2009 -- (Senate - September 09, 2009)

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Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, I wish to speak on the issue of travel that is before the Senate this morning.

We live in a world divided. International tension, mistrust, even wars too often separate nation from nation. But every 2 years, 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries come together to celebrate the human spirit. They meet in competition, arriving on the world stage from all five inhabited continents.

Each of these five continents is represented by a single color circle, a ring entwined with four others to form the familiar symbol worn by every Olympic athlete.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are a powerful force for world unity and a boon to any city that hosts them. In 2016, the summer games will bring millions of dollars and international spotlight to one of four world cities. Selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee from a broad field of candidate cities, Chicago is one of only four finalists for the 2016 Olympics, along with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee will make their final selection in October. That is in the coming month. We must work hard to bring the Olympics back to the United States of America.

There is no greater honor than representing your country on the world stage. I am convinced there is no greater world city than Chicago.

As President Obama and I both can attest, Chicago is a diverse and inclusive city. Situated on the banks of beautiful Lake Michigan, it is the jewel of the Midwest. Chicago has always been a global leader in culture, architecture, commerce, sports, and even cuisine, if you like a good meal.

The Olympic spirit is alive and well in Chicago. The Chicago 2016 Committee recognized the importance of the games and renewing old friendships around the world, as well as establishing new ones. This ideal--and the value of ``friendship through sport''--is at the heart of the city's Olympic bid. It is a beautiful city, and I am proud to call it home. It showcases much of what makes this country so great. That is why it is an ideal site for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For athletes, world-class training facilities and event locations would be very close together, allowing for convenience and ease.

For visitors, outstanding public transportation and modern infrastructure would make all events readily accessible and easy to attend.

For residents of the city and people across the United States, Chicago would shine on the world stage and millions of dollars would pour in from across the globe.

Especially if we pass S. 1023, promoting travel to the United States and relaying better information to visitors, Chicago will be the clear choice of the International Olympic Committee in October.

This important legislation, known as the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, would create a not-for-profit corporation, as well as a government Office of Travel Promotion. These organizations would work together to encourage business, leisure, and scholarly travel to the United States, restoring important components of our struggling economy.

Travel and tourism, which generates as much as $1.3 trillion in the United States every year, have been on the decline since 2001, although those same industries have grown in many other countries. We must act swiftly to protect the 8.3 million American jobs that are directly related to travel and tourism. This means welcoming more overseas visitors each year--visitors who already pour $142 billion into the United States on an annual basis. An increase in international tourism would increase the profile of Chicago's Olympic bid.

The 2016 Olympics, in turn, would generate even more international tourism in Illinois and across the country. S. 1023 would help this massive influx of visitors travel to the United States with ease. This would create jobs, increase tax revenue, and build stronger relationships across the globe.

There are few international spectacles as singular and as inspiring as the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are very few of those. A force for unity in a world divided, these competitions have the power to bring us together as one people, celebrating the human spirit with one voice.

I urge my colleagues to join Senator Dorgan and Senator Ensign in supporting S. 1023. I thank Leader Reid for his leadership on this important issue.

This legislation would help to bring visitors from all over the world to the United States, and it would help bring the 2016 Olympic games to Chicago, IL.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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