Dear Members and Friends of the Polish American Community:

June 2011 - First and foremost, we would like to thank all those that have supported our appeal thus far by taking action and contacting their
representatives in Washington D.C. to communicate their desire to see Poland included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). It is thanks to their
efforts that progress has been made, and it is because of these and similar efforts that we will ultimately succeed.

However, the fight is far from over and strong and unified efforts by our community need to continue. We strongly urge everyone who has not yet
contact their Representatives and Senators and voice their opinion on the matter to do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It is only as a united community with a single voice that we will be heard and respected.

The Polish American Congress has been for years working hard on the federal and state levels of government in the matter of securing the admission of Poland to the VWP. As a result, our efforts have attracted key members of the Illinois Congressional delegation - notably, Senator Mark Kirk (R) and Congressman Mike Quigley (D) - to spearhead a bipartisan legislation to include Poland in the Program and to introduce two corresponding bills, sharing the same title of: "Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2011", in March 2011 in both chambers of the U.S. Congress.
The two bills include H.R. 959 sponsored by Rep. Quigley in the U.S. House of Representatives, and S. 497 sponsored by Sen. Mikulski (D-MD) in the Senate. Both bills were then forwarded to the respective committees on the Judiciary.

The aim of the bill is to update and modernize the VWP requirements by setting the overstay rate (rather than the refusal rate, as it is practiced
now) as the main criterion for country's eligibility and membership in the Program.

This development creates a golden opportunity for all members of American Polonia as well as friends of our community to work on, especially with
their respective Congressional delegations in ensuring a passage of the bill. We must not allow our golden opportunity to become a lost opportunity.
Only through concerted and energetic political action on the part of all members of our Community can the golden opportunity translate into success.

To this end, a strong effort is urgently needed to saturate, by phone, letters and the Internet, the Congressional delegations of all states.
In particular, we ask you to:
1. Concentrate on those Representatives and Senators from your state who also serve on the Committee of the Judiciary (lists provided below) and urge them to support the bill and ensure that legislation's successful referral "out of Committee" for a vote on the floor of both houses.
2. If your Representative and/or Senators are not in the Committee to which the bill was referred, please urge them strongly to support the bill
by becoming its co-sponsor (if they are not already), AND
3. Urge your Representatives and Senators to vote for the passage of the bill when it comes for a vote.
4. Sign the Polish American Congress's online petition to show your support for the passage of the bill. The petition is available at lobbyingforum.com


BILL IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

H.R.959: Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2011
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL] (introduced 3/8/2011)
Cosponsors (As of June 20, 2011)
Representative Dan Benishek [R-MI, 1st]
Representative Shelley Berkley [D-NV, 1st]
Representative Robert J. Dold [R-IL, 10th]
Representative Michćl Grimm [R-NY, 13th]
Representative Brian Higgins [D-NY, 27th]
Representative Duncan D. Hunter [R-CA, 52nd]
Representative Marcy Kaptur [D-OH, 9th]
Representative Daniel Lipinski [D-IL, 3rd]
Representative Christopher Murphy [D-CT, 5th]
Representative Grace Napolitano [D-CA, 38th]
Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. [D-NJ, 8th]
Representative Jared Polis [D-CO, 2nd]
Representative Steven R. Rothman [D-NJ, 9th]
Representative Janice D. Schakowsky [D-IL, 9th]
Representative John Shimkus [R-IL, 19th]

Latest Action: 3/21/2011, Referred to the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

Members of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement:
Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), 24th, Chairman Phone: (202) 225-5811
Rep. Steve King (R-IA), 5th, Vice-Chairman Phone: (202) 225-4426
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), 3rd Phone: (202) 225-5716
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), 16th Phone: (202) 225-3072
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), 35th Phone: (202) 225-2201
Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), 12th Phone: (202) 225-1252
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), 4th Phone: (202) 225-6030
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), 1st Phone: (202) 225-3035
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), 2nd Phone: (202) 225-6565
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), 18th Phone: (202) 225-3816
Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (D-Puerto Rico), Resident Commissioner Phone: (202)
225-2615
Rep. Lamar S. Smith (R-TX), 21st, Ex Officio Phone: (202) 225-4236
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), 14th, Ex Officio Phone: (202) 225-5126

Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Rep. Michćl Rogers (R-MI), 8th, Chairman Phone: (202) 225-5820
Rep. Mac Thornberry, (R-TX), 13th Phone: (202) 225-3706
Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC), 9th Phone: (202) 225-1976
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), 1st Phone: (202) 225-4136
Rep. K. Michćl Conaway (R-TX), 11th Phone: (202) 225-3605
Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), 3rd Phone: (202) 225-7896
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), 2nd Phone: (202) 225-6572
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), 21st Phone: (202) 225-2523
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), 3rd Phone: (202) 225-5901
Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL), 16th Phone: (202) 225-5792
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), 6th Phone: (202) 225-2331
Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), 3rd Phone: (202) 225-3252
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), 2nd, Ranking Member Phone: (202)
225-3061
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), 1st Phone: (202) 225-3311
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), 9th Phone: (202) 225-2111
Rep. James Langevin (D-RI), 2nd Phone: (202) 225-2735
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), 29th Phone: (202) 225-4176
Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), 2nd Phone: (202) 225-2701
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), 4th Phone: (202) 225-8203
Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY), 6th Phone: (202) 225-4706
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), 8th, Ex Officio Phone: (202) 225-6205
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), 8th, Ex Officio Phone: (202) 225-4965

BILL IN THE U.S. SENATE:

S.497: Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2011
Sponsor: Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski [D-MD] (introduced 3/7/2011)
Cosponsors (As of June 20, 2011)
Sen Mark Steven Kirk [R-IL]
Latest Action: 3/7/2011, Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary:
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Chairman Phone: (202) 224-4242
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member Phone: (202) 224-3744
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) Phone: (202) 224-4521
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Phone: (202) 224-4124
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Phone: (202) 224-3841
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Phone: (202) 224-2823
Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-DE) Phone: (202) 224-5042
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) Phone: (202) 224-2152
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Phone: (202) 224-3244
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) Phone: (202) 224-5641
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Phone: (202) 224-6542
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) Phone: (202) 224-5754
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Phone: (202) 224-2921
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Phone: (202) 224-5972
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) Phone: (202) 224-2934
Sen. Michćl S. Lee (R-UT) Phone: (202) 224-5444
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) Phone: (202) 224-5251
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) Phone: (202) 224-5653

Please note: According to a new calendar of the U.S. Congress, all legislators are scheduled to spend time on regular basis in their respective
districts and states. During those dates you can contact your Representative and Senators at their state offices. The dates are as follows:
U.S. House of Representatives: June 27th - July 5th, July 18th - 22nd, and July29th U.S. Senate: July 4th - 8th.

It is absolutely crucial that you contact both your Representative AND your Senators to express your support for the bill. Also, please make sure to
express your gratitude to those Legislators who already took action.
They would like to hear from you and will appreciate your support.

Finally, please make sure to encourage your family and friends as well as friends of Polonia to do the same and also contact their representatives
in Washington in support of Poland's membership in the Visa Waiver Program.

Together we can finally make it happen but we need to generate the greatest response from voters as possible.

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION:
About the bill: thomas.loc.gov and enter bill number: H.R.959 or S.497
About your Representatives: www.house.gov or by calling (202) 224-3121
About your Senators: www.senate.gov or by calling (202) 224-3121

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_________
Polish American Congress
1612 K Street NW, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20006
Tel.: (202) 296-6955
Fax: (202) 835-1565
Web: www.PAC1944.org
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Source: Polish American Congress