UPDATE: Statement on the House Passage on Reauthorizing the Brand USA Program

The House passed the H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act on Tuesday. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who played an important role in amending the bill, issued the following statement on the Committee’s action:

"I am a strong supporter of H.R. 4450, which reauthorizes the Brand USA program,an excellent public-private partnership that attracts foreign visitors to the United States, through Fiscal Year 2020. Along with benefiting local communities across the Chicago area, Brand USA supports an estimated 53,000 jobs and $3.4 billion in visitor spending each year from coast to coast, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

I would like to thank the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Rep. Peter Welch, for moving this important legislation forward, and also accepting language I proposed which will make sure that dollars are spent wisely to sustain the Brand USA program. My language ensures that there will be greater transparency in Brand USA’s operations, stipulates that the program’s progress will be evaluated through new benchmarks, and requires that the travel and tourism industry will put more of its own capital into the program. Those changes will improve the success and viability of Brand USA long into the future.

Brand USA’s continued, long-term success is essential to communities that – like my district – realize the economic and cultural benefits of travel and tourism. Brand USA has been successful in its first few years, and I firmly believe that this legislation improves the program even further. I am very pleased with the strong bipartisan support this bill has received, which serves as a great example of the House working together to benefit the economy.”