Among the cuts in President Donald Trump's proposed budget, which is being delivered to Congress this week: funding for Brand USA, a public-private organization dedicated to marketing the United States as a tourism destination.
Eliminating that program, the president's plan would shift revenue toward Customs and Border Protection instead.
The proposal would have to be approved by Congress, where authority for setting the federal budget ultimately lies. In the meantime, several lawmakers and travel industry leaders have stated their disapproval.
In a statement, Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association said, "With international visitation being the country's No. 2 export supporting 15 million American jobs, we're struggling to understand how cutting Brand USA squares with this administration's stated priorities."
It certainly seems like the U.S. could use all the tourism-boosting help it can get, what with Trump's anti-travel policies and rhetoric, including a ban on visitors from several Muslim-majority nations and calls to crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Cutting Brand USA to pay for more border protection sends a clear message that the administration prioritizes keeping people out of the country over welcoming them in.
