Spending Money on What?

From today's Inquirer -- in the list of congressional votes:

Travel to America. Voting 78-18, the Senate sent President Obama a bill (HR 1299) that would establish a federal corporation to increase foreign travel to the United States. The Corporation for Travel Promotion would be funded initially by about $100 million in assessments on the U.S. hospitality industry and another $100 million in special visa fees collected by the Department of Homeland Security.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Carper, Casey, Kaufman, Menendez, and Specter.

Not voting: Lautenberg.

This makes little sense to me at a time when we are trying to save money, or at least slow down spending.. In investigating further, HR 1299 as listed on www.thomas.gov is a bill regarding DC police (introduced by our own Bob Brady). However, there is an H.R.2935 Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which involves setting up a Corporation for Travel Promotion, with Joe Sestak, Mike Doyle, Joe Pitts and Todd Russell Platts as co-sponsors, but it is listed as having been referred to committee and not moving from there. The Senate version, S.1023 Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by Senate), with the latest action listed as 9/10/2009 held at the desk. Both. Senators Casey and Specter were co-sponsors. I'm not sure what this means, whether Thomas isn't updated or there is another version of the bill.

In any event, I don't think it's a good use of funds at this point.