PRINTER'S NO. 230
No. 25 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY WOZNIAK, KITCHEN, MUSTO, TARTAGLIONE, O'PAKE,
LAVALLE, COSTA, LOGAN, KASUNIC, RAFFERTY, WONDERLING AND
STACK, FEBRUARY 9, 2005
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, FEBRUARY 9, 2005
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the President and Congress of the United States to make
2 the Republic of Poland eligible for the United States
3 Department of State Visa Waiver Program.
4 WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland is a free, democratic and
5 independent nation; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1999 the United States and the Republic of Poland
7 became formal allies when Poland was granted membership in the
8 North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and
9 WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland has proven to be an
10 indispensable ally in the global campaign against terrorism; and
11 WHEREAS, The Republic of Poland has actively participated in
12 Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Iraqi reconstruction, shedding
13 blood along with American soldiers; and
14 WHEREAS, The President of the United States and other high-
15 ranking officials have described the Republic of Poland as "one
16 of our closest friends"; and
17 WHEREAS, On April 15, 1991, the Republic of Poland
18 unilaterally repealed the visa obligation to United States
1 citizens traveling to Poland; and
2 WHEREAS, The United States Department of State Visa Waiver
3 Program currently allows approximately 23 million citizens from
4 27 countries to travel to the United States for tourism or
5 business for up to 90 days without having to obtain visas for
6 entry; and
7 WHEREAS, The countries that currently participate in the Visa
8 Waiver Program include Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
9 Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland,
10 Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the
11 Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino,
12 Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United
13 Kingdom; and
14 WHEREAS, It is appropriate that the Republic of Poland be
15 made eligible for the United States Department of State Visa
16 Waiver Program; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18 urge the President and Congress of the United States to make the
19 Republic of Poland eligible for the United States Department of
20 State Visa Waiver Program; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
22 the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
23 each house of Congress, to all members of the Pennsylvania
24 Congressional Delegation and to Przemyslaw Grudzinski,
25 Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States.
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