It’s
the journalism equivalent of a Friday news dump. The United
States Senate approved
a package of six appropriations bills, including legislation to avoid a government shutdown and create funding for an Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism.
The bill's overwhelming passage took place on Friday just as a deadline loomed.
The bills now go to President Joe Biden's desk for approval. Together, they are more than 1,000 pages. This is a bipartisan negotiation.
It was also overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives earlier in the week.
Biden Expected to Sign Bill
Biden was expected to sign the bills into law today.
"Because
obligations of federal funds are incurred and tracked on a daily basis, and the
President will sign the bill (Saturday), agencies will not shut down and may
continue their normal operations," the White House said in a statement.
There are still six more appropriations bills to be considered,
although they do not involve travel.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman was
pleased with the outcome on Friday night.
“Funding this critical position is a step in ensuring the
long-term global competitiveness of the United States. While other countries
are laser-focused on growing their share of global travel, the U.S. has been
stuck in neutral -- in part due to a lack of a coordinated, whole-of-government
approach to increasing travel,” he said in a statement.
“The Assistant
Secretary will play a valuable role in coordinating across the government to
help innovate travel facilitation and address persistent challenges that stand
in the way of growth. This position will also be integral as the U.S. prepares
to host significant international events over the next decade -- including the
World Cup -- and compete for a greater share of the global travel market. U.S.
Travel thanks congressional leaders for funding this key government position.
We also urge the Biden administration to immediately fill the role and
prioritize the travel economy to benefit American workers and all regions
across the United States.”
After nearly two years of advocacy efforts, the American
Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) commends Congress for funding the newly
created office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism.
In a larger appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024 funding, Congress included
$3.5 million to implement the Visit America Act, which Congress approved at the
end of 2022.
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the scattered nature of
government oversight and authority of the U.S. travel and tourism industry,”
said Zane Kerby, ASTA President & CEO. Contending with various agencies and
ever-changing rules while struggling to keep their businesses alive put
unnecessary and avoidable hardships on travel advisors during an already
stressful time. For this reason, ASTA members took to Capitol Hill in June 2023
to advocate for this position to better prepare for the next catastrophe and
elevate travel policy moving forward.”
The United States is the only G20 country that does not have
an agency or official in charge of travel and tourism policy. This funding will
create a high-level leadership position within the federal government focused
on travel industry concerns and would protect the industry from unnecessary
setbacks due to conflicting and confusing policy decisions in the future. ASTA
urges President Biden to swiftly nominate a qualified appointee for the
position.
By way of background, on September 29, 2022, the House of
Representatives passed the Visit America Act (H.R. 6965), introduced by Rep.
Dina Titus (D-NV). The Senate version of the bill (S. 1947) was introduced by
Sen. Sullivan (R-AK). In addition to the bill sponsors, ASTA further
appreciates the efforts of Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) for
advancing the legislation in the appropriations process.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
