The U.S. Travel Association today applauded the U.S. Senate for passing a Continuing Resolution that includes key travel priorities, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staffing, transportation funding and the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT).
"Today's Senate vote underscores a recent realization by many in Congress: travel is a key driver of our economy and American jobs, and pro-travel policies will only spur future economic growth for the United States," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "We applaud the Senators who voted for this legislation, and we urge passage by the House so that President Obama can quickly sign it into law."
Among the key travel provisions in the legislation are:
• Funding to rectify CBP's salary shortfall created by implementation of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement;
• A requirement for CBP to submit their workload staffing model to Congress;
• The development of a Transportation Security Administration strategy for PreCheck expansion;
• $4.5 million for the Global Entry program;
• Protection of the SIAT, an on-going research program that gathers critical statistical data about air passenger travelers in the U.S., including travel patterns, demographics and spending; and
• Funding for highway and transit programs in line with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) law, which Congress passed last year with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $1.9 trillion in economic output and supports 14.4 million jobs. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.
Visit www.ustravel.org.
