CHICAGO – This morning, Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05) met with Poland’s President Bronislaw Komorowski during the President’s visit in Chicago for the NATO summit. Rep. Quigley and President Komorowski, along with Poland’s Ambassador Robert Kupiecki and Consul General Zygmunt Matynia, discussed Poland’s relationship with the United States and Quigley’s commitment to his Polish-American constituents.
“It was an honor and privilege to meet with President Komorowski in my hometown of Chicago,” said Quigley. “Since taking office, I have been committed to the issues affecting Polish American constituents in my district, including the issue of visa free travel for Poland. Outdated visa procedures do not reflect the strong diplomatic ties between our two nations, and I will continue to work steadfastly to realize our common goal.”
Rep. Mike Quigley (center) shares a laugh with Ambassador Kupiecki (left) and President Komorowski (right) at a private meeting the Polish Consulate in Chicago on Tuesday morning.
Quigley shared with President Komorowski his most recent efforts to include Poland in the Department of State’s Visa Waiver Program. Last week, Quigley introduced the Jobs Originating through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act, a bipartisan and bicameral effort to create jobs, increase national security, and reform outdated visa laws by modifying the Visa Waiver Program to include important U.S. allies like Poland, who have been denied visa-free travel because of an outdated regime.
The JOLT Act shares its goals with a standalone bill Rep. Quigley and Senator Mark Kirk (IL) introduced last year and which President Obama endorsed during his inaugural visit to Poland.
Rep. Quigley has been a staunch advocate for expanding the Visa Waiver Program and testified before Congress in 2011 on the benefits of including Poland and other diplomatic partners. In January 2012, Congressman Quigley traveled to Poland to discuss ways to further enhance the U.S.-Polish partnership. Quigley’s 5th Congressional District in Illinois is home to one of the highest concentrations of Polish Americans in the United States and outside of Poland.