Political Quotes

“Senator Kirk and I have introduced the Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act. This is a piece of legislation near to my heart. For those who have known me, they have known I have fought long and hard for Poland to become free and independent. I think about the dark days of martial law in Poland, when we worked to support the solidarity movement in Poland and remove the yoke of communism. And after Poland emerged from the Iron Curtain, I worked with many of my colleagues to secure Polish democracy and bring them into NATO, securing their future in Western Institutions. This legislation would help provide Poland a path to entry into the visa waiver program. It would eliminate the need for Polish citizens to obtain a visa to travel to America. As the granddaughter of a woman who came to America from Poland over 100 years ago, it would warm my heart to know a grandmother from Gdansk would no longer need a visa to visit her grandchildren in Baltimore. This legislation does much more than just strengthen our relationship with Poland. It is a jobs bill. The visa waiver program makes America open for business for more tourists from allied countries. This can have a profound impact. South Korea entered the VWP in early 2009. In 2010, there was an increase of 49 percent in arrivals to the United States from South Korea, which created $789 million in new spending and supported 4,800 new jobs.…”