Mr. President. the visa bill would make it possible for the Secretary of State to waive. on a reciprocal basis. visa requirements for tourists and business visitors entering the United States for less than 90 days. The bill would ease travel from 43 countries which currently require no visas for U.S. tourists for stays of up to 60 or 90 days. The recent action of the State Department abandoning the long form questionnaire for visa applicants and substituting a simplified form is a step in the right direction but we need to go much further. It has been well established that we need to attract more foreign tourists to America to help correct the unfavorable balance of payments. American tourists now spend more than $2 billion a year abroad while foreign visitors to this country spend less than half that amount. Whether we will correct that imbalance may well depend on whether the United States removes restrictions that tend to reduce the number of foreigners visiting our shores. Other bills I am introducing would: First. Eliminate visas for intransit visitors. who now require them when they pass through the United States as part of a continuous journey. This would help visitors to Canada or Mexico. for example. who must land in New York because of transportation problems. before going on by plane or train to their destination. Second.
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