Heritage panel urges visa reforms
June 7, 2007| By DeEtte Chatterton
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) today joined former homeland security officer Stewart Verdery and State Department official John Brennan in calling for swift Congressional adoption of an expanded and improved Visa Waiver Program.
Speaking at The Heritage Foundation, Sen. Voinovich offered praise for Heritage research efforts on behalf of visa reform. The Senator said that by adopting the proposed VWP reforms, the U.S. “can facilitate legitimate travel without sacrificing security.”
National security expert James Carafano led today’s panel discussion on the need to reform and expand the current Visa Waiver Program. And although the issue has been hotly debated, the panel was unanimous and clear: VWP reform is a vital step in improving national security, fighting terrorism and repairing damaged U.S. foreign relations.
Nathan Sales, a policy officer at the Department of Homeland Security, highlighted several major problems under the current visa waiver regime. In its current form, he said, the VWP allows for the screening of those traveling to the United States based on their country of origin and not on an individual basis. Anyone coming to the United States from a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program can then travel in the country without a visa for 90 days, and no information is kept about whether they leave the United States or if they pose a likely threat to national security.
Sales argued that many recent terrorists and terror suspects have come from “friendly nations” such as France and Great Britain, both of which are not subject to traveler screening because of their status under the Visa Waiver Program.
Reforms backed by conservative members of Congress and Bush administration policymakers alike would include seven new requirements, including increased information sharing and electronic passenger authorization for travelers from VWP nations. Another major change under the proposed reforms would require swift repatriation for any visitor who remains longer than 90 days or who commits any crime during their stay in the United States.
The Hungarian ambassador to the United States, András Simonyi, expressed his enthusiasm for the equity this policy brings to the VWP participant country selection process, and boasted that resolving this issue will be a major step in rebuilding strained U.S.-European relations.
DeEtte Chatterton is an intern at The Heritage Foundation.
