[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 1, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          VISA WAIVER PROGRAM ENHANCED SECURITY AND REFORM ACT

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, Senator Kirk and I have introduced the 
Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act.
  This is a piece of legislation near to my heart. For those who have 
known me, they have known I have fought long and hard for Poland to 
become free and independent. I think about the dark days of martial law 
in Poland, when we worked to support the solidarity movement in Poland 
and remove the yoke of communism. And after Poland emerged from the 
Iron Curtain, I worked with many of my colleagues to secure Polish 
democracy and bring them into NATO, securing their future in Western 
Institutions.
  This legislation would help provide Poland a path to entry into the 
visa waiver program. It would eliminate the need for Polish citizens to 
obtain a visa to travel to America. As the granddaughter of a woman who 
came to America from Poland over 100 years ago, it would warm my heart 
to know a grandmother from Gdansk would no longer need a visa to visit 
her grandchildren in Baltimore.
  This legislation does much more than just strengthen our relationship 
with Poland. It is a jobs bill. The visa waiver program makes America 
open for business for more tourists from allied countries. This can 
have a profound impact. South Korea entered the VWP in early 2009. In 
2010, there was an increase of 49 percent in arrivals to the United 
States from South Korea, which created $789 million in new spending and 
supported 4,800 new jobs.
  If Poland becomes eligible for the visa waiver program and has a 
similar increase in visitors, it would create $181 million in new 
spending and 1,500 new jobs. It's good for business and good for the 
economy.
  Finally, it would strengthen America's national security by improving 
how we protect our borders. To participate in the visa waiver program, 
countries must agree to stronger passport controls, border security, 
and cooperation with American law enforcement--making it harder for 
terrorists to use these countries as entry points to the United States.
  This legislation reinforces the program as an important component of 
national security by placing member countries on probation if any of 
the VWP requirements are not met and requiring a country's removal if 
it does not fulfill its requirements within two years.
  The legislation also reinstates the Secretary of Homeland Security's 
Waiver Authority and a new cap on visa refusal rates will be set at no 
more than 10 percent, allowing the Secretary to recognize those nations 
that have met U.S. concerns on passport security, law enforcement 
cooperation, and border security. By admitting countries that have 
greater security standards for their travelers, the State Department 
can focus its limited consular resources on higher risk nations.
  Poland has long been a friend to the United States, sending two of 
its finest heroes, Kosciusko and Pulaski, to fight in the Revolutionary 
War for America's freedom. In recent years, Poland has stood besides 
the United States in the aftermath of September 11, sending troops to 
fight alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Poland has overcome a melancholy history to become a vibrant and 
growing democracy. This legislation helps cement that relationship 
while improving America's security and creating new jobs. I look 
forward to working with my colleagues to secure its passage.

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