Political Quotes

“I would urge all Senators to consider cosponsoring this legislation, and I would hope that the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration of the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on the problems of visa issuance for Koreans, and the partial solution offered by S. 1616. This bill addresses the problem of the slow issuance of United States tourist visas to Korean citizens, and their, too often, subsequent decision not to vacation in the United States, including Alaska even though there are direct flights available for tourists from Korea to Alaska. The main problem is that Koreans typically wait 2 to 3 weeks to obtain visas from the United States Embassy in Seoul. As a result, these spontaneous travelers decide to go to one of the other 48 nations that allow them to travel to their country without a visa, including both Canada and New Zealand. This bill provides the legal basis for a carefully controlled pilot program for visa free travel by Koreans to the United States.”