Whether Bush's promises to Poland are kept depends on the US Congress.
The Bush administration has made a habit of praising Poland recently, culminating in glowing remarks from US Secretarty of State, Condoleezza Rice, during her visit to Warsaw two weeks ago. So, as President Kwasniewski traveled to the US to meet his counterpart last Wednesday, hopes were high that a plan, nicknamed the Road Map by Prime Minister Marek Belka, along with a bill recently introduced in Congress, would bring about an end to visa requirements for Poles visiting the States.
At the meeting, Bush lent his support to the plan. "I adopt the principles and accept the recommendations of the Road Map, and that will become the basis for legislation," he told Kwasniewski.
However, it is not the President that decides who can enter the US visa-free, but Congress. Many there have expressed concerns that enlarging the Visa Waiver Program could make it easier for terrorists to enter the country.
"We've got a way forward to answer the questions of a lot of the members of the United States Congress to get this issue solved," said Bush.
He also raised hopes that Poland would be receiving more military aid from the US, as compensation for offset programs that have not materialized.
Bush vowed that he would request a near 54 percent increase in military funding for Poland from the current $65 (203 zl) million to $100 (312 zl) million. His promise, however, came with a disappointing qualifier.
"I don't get to write the checks in the American system; the government, the Congress, does that."
With a record budget deficit squeezing the US economy, and fiscal responsibility in fashion, many doubt whether there is enough support in Congress to grant that request.
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