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Westerman Votes for Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act

December 8, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) voted Tuesday (Dec. 8) for H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement & Terrorist Travel Prevention Act. Westerman issued the following statement after the vote:

"This week, I voted with my House colleagues for the Visa Waiver Program Improvement & Terrorist Travel Prevention Act," Westerman said. "This bill will close gaps in the visa waiver program, which allows individuals from more than 30 countries to visit the U.S. with only a passport. It adds additional layers of protection to stop Islamic radicals that often fight with ISIS from entering America from friendly nations. This is just the latest effort the House has taken to keep Americans safe at home. Living in a free and open society carries certain risks. I am committed to limiting those risks to our security while protecting the personal liberties upon which our nation was founded."

Items included in H.R. 158:

  • Denying VWP status to individuals who have connections to terrorist hotspots;
  • Demanding strong intelligence and law enforcement information sharing;
  • Enhancing screening of all travelers in VWP countries;
  • Preventing extremists from using fraudulent documents to evade detection;
  • Increasing threat monitoring of VWP countries; and
  • Taking steps to ensure VWP travelers do not falsify their background information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
.pdf: Background: Visa Waiver Program and Existing Security Gaps
.ppt: Visa Waiver Program Powerpoint

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Issues:Security