WASHINGTON—American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Chip Rogers released the below statement following House and Senate passage of the FY2023 omnibus appropriations bill:
“The FY23 omnibus appropriations bill contains a number of important wins for AHLA members, including the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act, or TourBus—a major focus of AHLA’s lobbying efforts in 2022. Critical TourBus components include promoting America as a destination for international travelers, establishing a new top tourism position at the Commerce Department, and the development of a strategic approach to increase travel nationwide. To help hoteliers continue to deal with labor shortages, the bill maintains the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to double the yearly allocation of H-2B visas. AHLA will continue to impress upon lawmakers the critical importance of significantly increasing the cap on these visas to help hotels meet staffing needs. The lodging industry looks forward to working with lawmakers and the Biden Administration to help hoteliers grow their businesses and create jobs when the 118th Congress convenes in January,” said Rogers.
