Floor Statements
Statement on H.R. 1312, the Arts Require Timely Service Act
Washington, DC,
March 31, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1312, the Arts Require Timely Service Act, or the ARTS Act, and I thank Congressman BERMAN and Chairman Conyers for their leadership on this important issue.
Under immigration law, foreign artists or groups must obtain a visa in order to perform in America. However, over the last few years, this process has been severely delayed, leading some nonprofits to stop planning events that include foreign artists altogether. These delays not only impact the immediate availability of foreign artists to perform alongside American artists, but also threaten to impede the ability of U.S. artists to perform abroad. The ARTS Act would address these delays by requiring the Government to expedite--without any additional fees--visas for foreign artists that are not processed within 30 days of filing, if the visa petition is filed on behalf of a qualified nonprofit organization. The ARTS Act will help end the delays and uncertainties in the processing of visa petitions for foreign guest artists coming to the United States. America is a great land of opportunity for artists, and in my district, this is particularly true. New York City prides itself as being an international center for the arts, yet the current system is failing it. It is becoming increasingly difficult for too many foreign artists to come to America to perform. Foreign artists bring to America their own unique artistic abilities, and every time they are essentially prevented from performing in America, we do a disservice to the arts and to ourselves. |