Speech #920041562

Mr. President. today I introduce a bill to carry out a farreaching proposal "to enlarge upon our national tradition as an open nation and an open society" set forth in President Nixons message of January 26. 1971. on unfinished business of the 91st Congress. This bill is designed to carry out the need expressed in that message to Congress "to encourage travel and tourism in the United States." This bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act so as to enable the Secretary of State. on the basis of reciprocity or on the basis of a determination that such designation would promote the foreign policy of the United States to designate foreign countries whose nationals could be permitted to enter the United States for a period of not more than 90. days as temporary visitors for business or pleasure without having to obtain visitors visas. We Americans and especially those of us from my Aloha State think of ourselves as friendly people. anxious to show our great country and its natural and technological wonders to the peoples of the world. In fact. we create quite a contrary impression. Over 30 countries permit us to visit their country for specified lengths of time without the fuss of obtaining visitors visas. We only permit our Canadian neighbors to visit us without the need to obtain visas. From our Mexican neighbors. we require that they obtain a tourist cardnot technically a visitors visa. but closely akin to one. Visitors from all other countries. whether for business or pleasure. must obtain visitors visas. Monday last I spoke to a group of several hundred leading Chinese industrialists and businessmen gathered from all over the world who met in Los Angeles to discuss trade development--which would be beneflcial to our country. The most welcome part of my remarks was the announcement that I contemplated introducing legislation to permit visitors from countries to be designated by the Secretary of State to come for business or pleasure without having to obtain a visitors visa. It was only then that they felt free to express to me their delight at learming we Americans do welcome visitors to our shores. Up until then. they confessed to a feeling that visitors were accepted. but not welcomed.