Senate to proceed with tourism bill

The Senate agreed Tuesday to proceed to a tourism bill that is a priority for Majority Leader Harry Reid .

The Senate agreed Tuesday to proceed to a tourism bill that is a priority for Majority Leader Harry Reid .

The Nevada Democrat pushed the bill to the front of the agenda because of a decline in tourism that started after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks and has since been exacerbated by recession.

The Senate voted 90-3 to limit debate on proceeding to the bill.

The measure would create a private company to advertise the United States as a tourist destination to foreigners. The company would be funded by private contributions matched by up to $100 million a year from the federal government. The bill also would establish assessments, including a $10-per-trip fee on foreign travelers, to help pay for the governmentโ€™s matching funds.

โ€œOther countries around the world spend millions of dollars promoting their countries,โ€ Reid said Monday. โ€œThe United States spends nothing. We should compete.โ€

The measure currently has a small window of opportunity in the Senateโ€™s summer agenda because Reid would like to clear the war spending bill and a fiscal 2010 Homeland Security spending bill before the end of next week.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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