WWMT: Bill passes House to tighten visa waiver program
December 10, 2015
Lawmakers are working to tighten up the rules for travel to the U.S. in the wake of the Paris and San Bernardino attacks.
The House voted through legislation Tuesday that would overhaul the federal visa waiver program.
The bill passed overwhelmingly, with a vote of 407 to 19.
It would institute a series of changes, specifically directed at people traveling from countries that are deemed "terror hotspots."
The current visa waiver program allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the US for 90 days or less without getting a visa.
The changes would require those countries to issue e-passports with biometric chips, check travelers against Interpol databases and share counterterror information with the US.
Anyone who lives in or has been to Iraq or Syria in the last five years would need to get a visa.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says, "The biggest fear that I have and so many in this conference on both sides of the aisle is that you have more than 5,000 individuals that have Western passports in this program that have gone to Iraq or Syria in the last five years. Those are gaps that we need to fix."
West Michigan lawmakers are now responding to the legislation.
Congressman Fred Upton: "This bill strengthens the security of our visa waiver program so that we protect our national security and enhance our safety. I applaud the passage of this thoughtful, bipartisan piece of legislation."
Congressman Tim Walberg: "It is common sense to prioritize the safety of the American people and increase our defenses against the threat of terrorism. The Visa Waiver Program is another area where vulnerabilities need to be strengthened. By putting tougher security measures in place to address the program's weaknesses, we can better understand who is entering our country and keep foreign terrorists from reaching our homeland."
Lawmakers are also looking at the fiancé visa program that allowed Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino shooters, into the country.
The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing that program as well.
Click here for the original report from WWMT.
The House voted through legislation Tuesday that would overhaul the federal visa waiver program.
The bill passed overwhelmingly, with a vote of 407 to 19.
It would institute a series of changes, specifically directed at people traveling from countries that are deemed "terror hotspots."
The current visa waiver program allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the US for 90 days or less without getting a visa.
The changes would require those countries to issue e-passports with biometric chips, check travelers against Interpol databases and share counterterror information with the US.
Anyone who lives in or has been to Iraq or Syria in the last five years would need to get a visa.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says, "The biggest fear that I have and so many in this conference on both sides of the aisle is that you have more than 5,000 individuals that have Western passports in this program that have gone to Iraq or Syria in the last five years. Those are gaps that we need to fix."
West Michigan lawmakers are now responding to the legislation.
Congressman Fred Upton: "This bill strengthens the security of our visa waiver program so that we protect our national security and enhance our safety. I applaud the passage of this thoughtful, bipartisan piece of legislation."
Congressman Tim Walberg: "It is common sense to prioritize the safety of the American people and increase our defenses against the threat of terrorism. The Visa Waiver Program is another area where vulnerabilities need to be strengthened. By putting tougher security measures in place to address the program's weaknesses, we can better understand who is entering our country and keep foreign terrorists from reaching our homeland."
Lawmakers are also looking at the fiancé visa program that allowed Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino shooters, into the country.
The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing that program as well.
Click here for the original report from WWMT.