Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today made the following statement on the nomination of Trudy Rautio, CEO of Carlson, to the National Tourism and Travel Advisory Board. Klobuchar recommended Rautio for the Board, which advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. Klobuchar chairs the bipartisan Senate Tourism Caucus and is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and the President’s Export Council. She is also the Senate Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC).
“Tourism is a powerful engine for job creation, and Trudy has been a strong leader in Minnesota’s travel industry and business community,” Klobuchar said. “I am confident she will represent Minnesota well and will work to increase international tourism and lift up local businesses.”
Klobuchar has long supported efforts to increase tourism to the United States as a way to drive economic growth. Last year, Klobuchar and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), introduced legislation that was later signed into law to eliminate redundant baggage screening for travelers arriving from airports that have established a preclearance agreement with the United States In addition, Klobuchar introduced the bipartisan Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act with Senator Blunt and 20 other senators which would boost international tourism to the United States by expediting the processing of business and tourist visas, speeding up the time it takes to receive a visa interview, and exploring expanded visa operations in major tourism markets. Klobuchar has also introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Blunt that would allow the State Department the flexibility to streamline and expand their visa processing services without compromising national security. Senator Klobuchar was also a leader in passing the Travel Promotion Act of 2010 into law, which would help attract help attract an estimated 1.6 million new international visitors and add $4 billion to the U.S. economy each year, at no cost to taxpayers.
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