{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-klobuchar-introduce-bill-to-drive-tourism-growth-across-nation-in-wake-of-coronavirus-pandemic", "Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Drive Tourism Growth Across Nation in Wake of Coronavirus Pandemic", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Yesterday, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and\r\nAmy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus,\r\nintroduced legislation that will help improve tourism across the country by\r\nstudying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism\r\nindustry and identifying policy recommendations to assist the hard-hit\r\nindustry. The Protecting Tourism in the United States Act directs the U.S.\r\nDepartment of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Travel and\r\nTourism Advisory Board and the heads of other relevant federal agencies, to\r\nstudy the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different sectors of the travel\r\nand tourism industry. The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to consult\r\nwith representatives from a range of travel and tourism sectors and provide\r\npolicy recommendations for promoting and assisting the travel and tourism\r\nindustry. To facilitate action on policies that provide immediate relief to the\r\nindustry, the bill requires completion of an interim study within three months\r\nof the bill being enacted. The House companion legislation, led by U.S.\r\nRepresentatives Kathy Castor (Fla.) and Fred Upton (Mich.), passed the House\r\nEnergy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce in\r\nSeptember. The coronavirus pandemic has been particularly devastating\r\nfor hardworking Missourians whose livelihoods depend on the travel, tourism,\r\nand hospitality industries, said Blunt. Having a full understanding of the\r\npandemic's impact on jobs and the economy will help us ensure we have the right\r\npolicies in place to support a full recovery in this critical sector. It's\r\nespecially important for a state like ours with all of our incredible parks,\r\nattractions, restaurants, and hotels that make Missouri a top travel destination. From Lake Superior to the Mall of America, Minnesota is\r\nhome to exceptional tourist destinationsbut as travel has been limited during\r\nthe coronavirus pandemic, the tourism industry has been hit particularly hard,\r\nsaid Klobuchar. This bipartisan legislation will help support the travel and\r\ntourism industry, which will boost local economies throughout Minnesota and\r\nacross the country.  As members of the Senate Commerce Committee and co-chairs of\r\nthe Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, Blunt and Klobuchar have long championed\r\nefforts to support tourism in the U.S. as a way to drive economic growth. In July, Blunt and Klobuchar, along with U.S. Senators\r\nCatherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Kevin Cramer (N.D.), introduced bipartisan\r\nlegislation to provide economic support for organizations involved in promoting\r\nand hosting tourism, travel, or other special events. The Sustaining Tourism\r\nEnterprises During the COVID19 Pandemic (STEP) Act would modify existing\r\nEconomic Development Administration grant programs to provide direct support to\r\nthe hard-hit tourism and travel industry to promote economic recovery and help\r\nincrease public confidence as these industries look to reopen safely in the\r\nfuture. Last year, Blunt and Klobuchar helped secure the\r\nreauthorization of Brand USA through 2027. Brand USA is a public-private\r\npartnership that enhances tourism and job creation across the country. The\r\nprogram, which was established under the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act of\r\n2009, brings in millions of additional international visitors to the U.S. each\r\nyear at zero cost to taxpayers.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-klobuchar-introduce-bill-to-drive-tourism-growth-across-nation-in-wake-of-coronavirus-pandemic"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.744717825204134, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}