Mr. President. for the past 9 years the visa waiver pilot program has been a resounding success. Today. citizens from twentyfive countries are able to travel to the United States without the burden of obtaining a visa from a U.S. embassy before leaving home. Because the program makes travel so much easier. business has boomed. tourism has soared. and family members have been able to be with each other on occasions when it mattered. Cutting the bureaucratic red tape has strengthened our economic and cultural ties with participating countries. In addition. streamlining this administrative process has enabled the State Department to use its resources more efficiently and effectively. saving the American taxpayers thousands of dollars. Today. I am introducing a bill which will extend the privilege of the visa waiver program to additional countries with strong ties to our Nation. This legislation will slightly modify the criteria that a country must meet in order to participate in the program. Under these modifications. one country which will gain admittance to the visa waiver program is Portugal. Portugal is one of only two members of the European Union which is not included in the visa waiver program. It is time for that inequity to be corrected. The Portuguese were some of the earliest explorers and settlers of the United States and they have been contributing to our country ever since. Over one million U.S. citizens claim Portuguese descent and there are thriving Portuguese communities from New England to Hawaii. We owe these members of our American community the opportunity to see family members who live in Portugal when they need them. without the worry and hassle of obtaining a visa. Inclusion in the visa waiver program will promote the economic exchange between Portugal and the United States. Portugal is a valued trading partner and if members of the business community are able to travel to the U.S. without delaying to obtain a business. their contributions to this country will only increase. At a time when the U.S. economy is the wonder of the world and our market is truly global. ourcountry should seek out and facilitate additional economic opportunities.