During Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) questioned Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the tourism sector strength ahead of the World Cup.
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00:00I think you've been truthful to that last sentence. It'll be my pleasure.
00:05Why not?
00:07Mr. Secretary, just a couple of wrap-up things. First, I've been involved in
00:15trying to make sure the United States is prepared for foreign visitors to our country,
00:20particularly with the FIFA and the soccer tournaments that are approaching quickly.
00:26The U.S. Olympics is in Los Angeles. We have great opportunity to showcase our country,
00:33and I want to make sure that the Department of Commerce is interested in pursuing opportunities
00:40to make sure that the visitors are eligible and able, those who are eligible to be here are here.
00:48We need help with the State Department in regard to visas. Communities need infrastructure support.
00:54But I just want to highlight that the tourism and travel industry is something that is important
01:00and should be very important to the Secretary of Commerce, and I'd love to hear your thoughts in that regard.
01:05It is. In ITA, we have a group dedicated to tourism, and I mean, this is a wow, right?
01:15We've got the club championship, right? The FIFA club championship, FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, and our 250th anniversary.
01:23I mean, this is, if there's ever a time for America to shine, it's right now.
01:30We've got to take out all the stops and make sure we are putting our best foot forward,
01:35and I'm happy to work with you. We've got to make sure the Department of Homeland Security
01:40and the State Department issue those visas, and we've got to make sure our infrastructure is there
01:45and the tourism experience is second to none, and I'm happy to work together with you on that purpose
01:51because this is just a great opportunity for America.
01:55Mr. Secretary, Senator Klobuchar and I co-chair the Senate Travel Tourism Caucus.
02:00I'm not exactly sure what the name of it is, but this is a highlight for us.
02:05Oh, I testify that I'm not good at names either. I know the content.
02:10I know the content.
02:11The title of the caucus, but we need to make certain that we are prepared,
02:18and those days are fast approaching, and I look forward to working with you to make sure that's the case.
02:22And working with ITA, President Trump appointed an interagency organization
02:27to coordinate activities within the administration, and I think that's very useful,
02:31and I hope that they're hard at work. You responded to, I'm going to see if I can get you to respond
02:38to a way that Senator Peters would not think you're saying no to a question that you might be saying yes to,
02:46and that is he and I, I've introduced legislation he's agreed to co-sponsor that would permanently designate
02:54the National Weather Service employees, that certain category of employees as essential
02:59and therefore not subject to a hiring freeze. They are essential under the law as I understand it today.
03:06If we don't do our job as a Congress and get an appropriation bill done and government shut down,
03:11they're still, they're still working. They're essential. And my understanding is that you're supportive of that legislation,
03:17and I'm trying to have you say that my understanding is correct.
03:23I am, of course, supportive of keeping our meteorologists and our hydrologists protected,
03:30but I do, I think it's important that we spend some time that you understand how inefficient we do things,
03:36and that if we did it more efficiently, then we may not need so many or be, you know,
03:42because we have them sort of put out in the field, they could be centralized.
03:47And I'd just like you to understand that, and we'll work together on that so you understand it,
03:50and we'll do that together. But I, of course, I'm supportive of your macro topic for sure.
03:57And I meant to preface my question to you by a lead-in that would have said,
04:02understanding that we need to utilize new technologies and update our National Weather Service,
04:09in the meantime, we need these people at work for sure.
04:13And then, perhaps finally, we worked with Ambassador Greer on an issue of Chinese-owned ships
04:22and fees for their dockage in the United States.
04:25Yes.
04:26And in, from a Kansas perspective, but from an American perspective,
04:29so many, so much agricultural produce is shipped abroad.
04:34Senator Murray indicated she's an export state, a trade state,
04:38Kansas airplanes, aviation, agriculture, and the concern that we were trying to address,
04:48and Ambassador Greer, I think, was very helpful in understanding of the circumstance.
04:53But, absolutely, we want to have American-built ships transporting our goods around the globe.
05:04First, we have to make some.
05:05We have to make some, and that's the problem.
05:07That'd be good.
05:08You've already hit on my point.
05:09In the meantime, we can't publish, we can't punish those agriculture producers and ag companies
05:16who export our ag products around the globe because they can't yet get an American ship.
05:23So, cart and horse, once again, would you commit to me that you'll be helpful to that cause
05:30in making sure that we don't damage agricultural exports while we take the steps necessary
05:36to, over hopefully a short period of time, move our country in the direction of manufacturing ships again?
05:45Be my pleasure.
05:47Mr. Secretary, it's my common practice to give the witness, I hate to do this because I don't,
05:52you might actually take advantage of it, which is the opportunity to correct,
05:58to set the record straight on something you said, wish you to expand upon.
06:03I just want to give you the last 60 seconds to say anything that you'd like to say
06:08to make certain we understand a point that you were trying to make.
06:11No, I just want to thank you for the respect, the demeanor, the way this whole hearing was arranged.
06:19I appreciate it.
06:20I appreciate both.
06:21And I want to say thank you.
06:23Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
06:25I do want to join my, on behalf of all of my colleagues and indicate that this committee,
06:32this subcommittee and the full committee needs information from the Department of Commerce.
06:37And particularly by law, you, the department is required to provide us with FY25 spend plan,
06:44which we need and want.
06:46And I would, I'm hoping that you'll commit that we will see it soon.
06:50And I'll ask you that question.
06:52And also, we, of course, are lacking the details of the president's budget.
06:58And the, we're hopeful that that is provided to us as quickly as possible.
07:03Can you commit to providing us with the spend plan and the budgetary information just as soon as the budget is finalized?
07:11Well, my understanding is we filed that which was required by the, by the CR with precision.
07:17But I'm, I'm happy to work with your office if there's more information you'd like or need.
07:21Well, let's go over it together and, and we'll try to sort that out.
07:24If you'd take the word spend plan back to your staff and ask if they could find, find where that is and give it to me,
07:32that'd be, that'd be a wonderful outcome.
07:34I hear you.
07:35All right.
07:36With that, we're going to conclude the hearing.
07:38And there's magic words I need to say.
07:44With no further questions, senators may submit additional questions for the subcommittee's official hearing record.