CONTACT: Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 138
Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 133
Alexandria, VA (June 24, 2008) –The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the voice of the business travel industry, praised the advancement in the U.S. House of Representatives of a proposal to provide $10 million to fund the Global Entry international registered traveler program. In a markup meeting held today, the House Committee on Appropriations approved a Homeland Security Appropriations bill that includes the Global Entry funding.
Global Entry is designed to meet one of NBTA’s major public affairs priorities: providing frequent low-risk business travelers with a mechanism to speed their processing through U.S. immigration checkpoints. Enrolled participants will be able to confirm their identity via a biometric check at kiosks, rather than waiting in line for an interview with a CBP inspector. DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) earlier this year announced a plan for a Global Entry pilot program at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). NBTA has advocated rapid expansion of the program from the pilot stage to national rollout.
“NBTA congratulates the House Committee on Appropriations for its leadership in advancing the work already done by the Department of Homeland Security to make Global Entry a reality,” said NBTA President & CEO, Kevin Maguire, CCTE. “Global Entry will promote the flow of international commerce by giving frequent business travelers a much-needed quick and secure means to enter the United States. Other travelers will see reduced wait times, as well, because of the efficiencies created by Global Entry. We encourage the full House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure the Global Entry provisions of this bill are delivered to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel organization. U.S.-based NBTA and its regional subsidiaries – NBTA Asia Pacific, NBTA Canada and NBTA Mexico – serve more than 3,200 members in 30 nations around the globe. NBTA has 41 U.S. Chapters with more than 5,000 members. NBTA members are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, who collectively manage and direct more than US$170 billion of global business travel expenditures annually. The association provides industry-leading networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. For more information, visit www.nbta.org.
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