[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H1483-H1484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                EXTENDING THE VISA WAIVER PILOT PROGRAM

  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 391 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

[[Page H1484]]

                              H. Res. 391

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 1(b) of rule 
     XXIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 2578) to amend the Immigration and Nationality 
     Act to extend the visa waiver pilot program, and to provide 
     for the collection of data with respect to the number of non-
     immigrants who remain in the United States after the 
     expiration of the period of stay authorized by the Attorney 
     General. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed 
     with. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall 
     not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the 
     chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the 
     Judiciary. After general debate the bill shall be considered 
     for amendment under the five-minute rule. The bill shall be 
     considered as read. No amendment to the bill shall be in 
     order unless printed in the portion of the Congressional 
     Record designated for that purpose in clause 6 of rule XXIII. 
     The chairman of the Committee of the Whole may: (1) postpone 
     until a time during further consideration in the Committee of 
     the Whole a request for a recorded vote on any amendment; and 
     (2) reduce to five minutes the minimum time for electronic 
     voting on any postponed question that follows another 
     electronic vote without intervening business, provided that 
     the minimum time for electronic voting on the first in any 
     series of questions shall be 15 minutes. At the conclusion of 
     consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall 
     rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as 
     may have been adopted. The previous question shall be 
     considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to 
     final passage without intervening motion except one motion to 
     recommit with or without instructions.
       Sec. 2. After passage of H.R. 2578, it shall be in order to 
     consider in the House S. 1178. It shall be in order to move 
     that the House strike all after the enacting clause of the 
     Senate bill and insert in lieu thereof the provisions of H.R. 
     2578 as passed by the House.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. 
Myrick) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), pending 
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration 
of this resolution, all time is yielded for the purpose of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Committee on Rules met and granted a 
modified open rule to H.R. 2587, which provides for 1 hour of general 
debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  The rule also provides that no amendment to the bill will be in order 
unless it has been preprinted in the Congressional Record.
  The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce voting 
time to 5 minutes on the postponed question if a vote follows a 15-
minute vote.
  The rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions.
  Finally, the rule provides that after passage of the House bill, it 
will be in order to insert the House-passed language into the Senate 
bill number.
  Since 1986, the visa waiver pilot program has allowed tourists from 
our closest allies to enter the United States for up to 90 days without 
a visa. In order to participate in the program, a tourist must first 
purchase a round trip ticket, must not pose a safety threat to United 
States citizens, and must abide by all of the waiver program's rules 
and regulations.
  H.R. 2578 would extend the visa waiver pilot program through 
September 30, 1999, and will require the Attorney General to collect 
data on nonimmigrant aliens who unlawfully remain in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, the visa waiver pilot program enjoys broad, bipartisan 
support. In fact, the program has been so successful that under today's 
open rule we will consider amendments to extend the program to 
countries such as Greece, Portugal, and South Korea.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this open rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from North 
Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) for yielding me the time. This rule will allow a 
debate on H.R. 2578, which is a bill to extend the visa waiver pilot 
program. As my colleague has described, this rule provides 1 hour of 
general debate, to be equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. Under 
this rule, amendments will be allowed under the 5-minute rule, which is 
the normal amending process in the House, provided that amendments have 
been previously printed in the Congressional Record.
  The bill extends for 2 years the visa waiver pilot program started in 
1988 and said to expire April 30, 1998. Under the program, tourists and 
business travelers from some countries can come to the United States 
for up to 90 days without a visa.

                              {time}  1430

  The program is intended primarily to assist the U.S. terrorism 
industry. The bill is fairly easy to understand. The Committee on the 
Judiciary approved it by voice vote. I would urge a vote on the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cunningham).
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank both sides of the aisle for 
bringing the legislation forward. I know that in the case of Greece, 
Greece has been our ally for a long time. I recently went with the 
Chairman on my first trip ever in 7 years to Greece. I know the 
problems associated with an ally of ours, just the fact of trying to 
get a visa. Since my wife is Portuguese, of course I support that as 
well.
  I would like to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. 
Myrick) and the Members on the other side of the aisle for the 
legislation. It is good legislation and a long time overdue.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Chambliss). Pursuant to House Resolution 
391 and rule XXIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of 
the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the 
bill, H.R. 2578.

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