U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the introduction of H.R. 9141—the Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act:

“We must stop turning away international travelers due to 400-plus day wait times that visitor visa applicants are facing worldwide. It is absolutely unacceptable and a significant deterrent to our national economic recovery. We applaud the bipartisan legislative action introduced by Reps. Salazar (R-FL) and Lee (D-NV) that directs the U.S. State Department to address this urgent problem. Spending by international travelers is critical to getting the U.S. economy back on track, and reducing visa wait times and welcoming these visitors should be a focused national priority.”

The U.S. Travel Association also thanks the bill’s cosponsors: Representatives Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Trone (D-MD), Gimenez (R-FL), Wild (D-PA), Titus (D-NV), Malinowski (D-NJ), Newhouse (R-WA), Horsford (D-NV), Larson (D-CT), Swalwell (D-CA), Case (D-HI), Kuster (D-NH), Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Plaskett (D-USVI).