Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that BridgeUSA exchange programs are vital to the economy and national interests of the United States, and that Congress should prioritize robust support to ensure equitable opportunities for Americans and people from other countries.

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 481 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that BridgeUSA ex- change programs are vital to the economy and national interests of the United States, and that Congress should prioritize robust support to ensure equitable opportunities for Americans and people from other countries. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 7, 2023 Mr. MOORE of Utah (for himself, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. GALLAGHER, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that BridgeUSA exchange programs are vital to the economy and national interests of the United States, and that Congress should prioritize robust support to ensure equi- table opportunities for Americans and people from other countries. Whereas BridgeUSA (formerly the J–1 Exchange Visitor Program) was created alongside the Peace Corps and United States Agency for International Development dur- ing the Cold War to promote the diplomatic and foreign affairs goals of the United States, goals the Department of State still advances in administering BridgeUSA as Federal cultural exchange programs to this day; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR481.IH HR481 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 481 IH Whereas roughly 300,000 participants from more than 200 countries and territories visit the United States on a J– 1 cultural exchange visa each year; Whereas the work component of certain BridgeUSA pro- grams, the largest public diplomacy program offered by the United States, makes travel to the United States pos- sible for a broad and diverse group of international stu- dents and young people; Whereas 91 percent of Summer Work Travel (SWT) Pro- gram participants report cultural exchange as their top reason for participating in the Program; Whereas 84 percent of Camp Counselors report having a more positive view of America after working at a camp; Whereas 76 percent of SWT Program participants reported a positive change in views regarding the United States; Whereas 50 percent of employers stated that the absence of the SWT Program participants would have a negative im- pact on revenues; Whereas 39 percent of employers said they would have to re- duce hours of operation without the SWT Program; Whereas annually the ski industry embraces more than 8,000 SWT participants from the Southern Hemisphere who provide a richer cultural experience for their coworkers and guests, while learning important skills about the recreation and hospitality business and at the same time generating significant economic impacts, spending, and taxes in communities where they are located; Whereas there are similar cultural and economic benefits among participants from the Northern Hemisphere who are placed in small rural communities that attract large VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR481.IH HR481 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 481 IH crowds in the summer at national parks, amusement parks, attractions, and resorts across the country; Whereas 91 percent of host camps believe their organization would be negatively impacted by the absence of inter- national Camp Counselors; Whereas 78 percent of host camps indicated that camp serv- ices and activities would be reduced in the absence of international Camp Counselors; Whereas while the number of BridgeUSA participants de- creased dramatically in 2020 and 2021 due to the pan- demic and travel restrictions, participation levels are rap- idly increasing back to prepandemic numbers to meet sig- nificant demand for the programs; Whereas BridgeUSA work-based public diplomacy programs typically contribute over half a billion dollars to the United States economy annually; and Whereas Congress supports the Department of State’s ongo- ing commitment to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students and exchange visitors, and continued atten- tion to strengthening cultural exchange and the experi- ence of all participants: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that— 2 (1) BridgeUSA programs are vital to the econ- 3 omy and national interests of the United States; 4 (2) BridgeUSA should continue with robust 5 support from the Department of State to further 6 those national interests; 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR481.IH HR481 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 481 IH (3) the processing of J–1 BridgeUSA visas 1 should be prioritized at United States Embassies 2 and consulates to ensure the program’s public diplo- 3 macy goals are met; and 4 (4) Congress and implementing partners should 5 be consulted on any major changes to BridgeUSA 6 programs given the significant national security and 7 economic impacts of the program. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR481.IH HR481 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS