On Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly passed HR 158, which tightens the visa waiver program that has been exploited by would-be terrorists in recent years.
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The overwhelming vote in favor of the bill comes after the House easily voted to approve a multi-year highway bill and legislation to rewrite the No Child Left Behind education law.
It also would also require countries participating in the visa-free program to share information with US authorities about suspected terrorists. Instead of going to a US consulate or embassy, citizens of participating countries must provide detailed background information that is then screened against USA security systems. The visa waiver program has come under fire after it was determined that the individuals responsibe for last month’s Paris attacks were European nationals. “We know thousands of radicalized people with Western passports have traveled to Iraq and Syria to fight with terrorists groups like ISIS, and the House is taking decisive action to close security gaps these foreign fighters could exploit”. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) that would bar any individual who has traveled to Syria or Iraq in the past five years from entering the USA without a visa.
Congress should tread carefully when changing the visa waiver program because of “the tourism dollars that ride on that”, he said in an interview.
After passage from the House of Representatives, the Act needs its passage from Senate and approval from the President Barack Obama.
The House bill received backing from the White House but Republicans say that the U.S. Congress will also be looking into the K-1 fiancée visa, which was used by Tashfeen Malik to enter the country.
The legislation, passed with bipartisan support, cracks down on visa-free travel to the United States, and makes a series of other changes to the visa waiver program, according to The Associated Press.
Congressman Tim Walberg: “It is common sense to prioritize the safety of the American people and increase our defenses against the threat of terrorism”.
“House Democrats and House Republicans have no greater priority than keeping Americans safe”, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the second-ranking House Democrat, said while urging support for the measure.
The bill also requires countries to report lost or stolen passports to the United States within 24 hours of receiving notification of that that loss or theft. The Homeland Security Department has already announced a review of that program.
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Requires new and modernized passport issuances from VWP countries which include biometric information.
