{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=8726b2b5-e5c0-42cd-8743-52880d11638e", "Congress Passes Senator Blunts Bipartisan Bill To Boost Jobs, Support Travel & Tourism", "2014-12-14", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congress approved legislation last night introduced by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) to help boost jobs by supporting international tourism to the United States. The \u201cTravel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act\u201d was included in the bipartisan omnibus agreement, which was approved by the U.S. Senate yesterday and is heading to President Barack Obama\u2019s desk. Blunt previously introduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bill reauthorizes Brand USA, a public-private partnership that enhances tourism in Missouri and nationwide. In 2013, Brand USA generated 1.1 million additional international visitors who spent an estimated $3.4 billion,\u00a0strengthening local businesses and stimulating economic growth.\r\n\u00a0\u201cTravel and tourism are important to jobs in Missouri and nationwide, and Brand USA has produced great results attracting more visitors to the United States,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cI introduced this bill several times in the House, and I\u2019m pleased that Senator Klobuchar and I were able to get a five-year extension included in the omnibus so we can continue to promote increased international travel to the U.S. and bring revenue and jobs to communities across the nation.\u201d\u00a0\r\nAdditional Background Information:  In April 2014, Klobuchar and Blunt introduced the bipartisan \u201cTravel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act\u201d to reauthorize Brand USA through 2020. The House companion bill was introduced by U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (Fla.) and Peter Welch (Vt.).  Brand USA is funded by international visitors and private contributions \u2013 not U.S. taxpayers. Half of its budget comes from the private sector through cash and in-kind contributions. The rest of the budget \u2013 up to a maximum of $100 million \u2013 is funded by a nominal fee assessed on visa-free international visitors screened by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s (DHS) Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Brand USA can only collect up to $100 million from ESTA fees paid by foreign travelers visiting the U.S., and amounts collected in excess of the cap are returned to the U.S. Treasury to help reduce the deficit. The\u00a0legislation\u00a0has 40 additional co-sponsors in the Senate.\r\n# # #", 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": ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=8726b2b5-e5c0-42cd-8743-52880d11638e"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.701420173048973, "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"}