[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 182 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1791-E1792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




VISA WAIVER PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT AND TERRORIST TRAVEL PREVENTION ACT OF 
                                  2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 8, 2015

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, today while I rise in support of H.R. 
158 the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015, I must also note 
my reservations about some of the provisions in this bill.
  President Obama in an address to the American people from the Oval 
Office specifically asked Congress to pass legislation to address any 
weaknesses within our visa waiver program (VWP) and for a ``stronger 
screening for travelers to the U.S. without a visa to check if they 
have travelled to warzones.''
  After the terror attacks in Paris, France and San Bernandino, 
California we must ensure

[[Page E1792]]

that a law created to encourage travel and cultural exchange is not 
exploited by those who would do us harm. We must scrutinize and 
strengthen our VWP and many of the provisions in this bill do just 
that. I support the provisions in this bill that encourage our allies 
to share biometric data, improve data sharing on criminal and security 
concerns and stronger vetting systems This bi-partisan effort is a 
significant improvement over H.R. 4038, a bill which did nothing but 
target innocent refugees and exploited xenophobic and unsubstantiated 
fears.
  While I support the overall thrust of this bill, I do have some 
reservations. I am concerned that there are not exceptions for 
journalists, ministers or aid workers who provide vital services to a 
needy population. The exclusion for law enforcement or military 
personnel should be extended to include people who visit Syria, Sudan, 
or Iraq for completely innocent and humanitarian reasons. We should 
continue to scrutinize the VWF so that we do not unnecessarily target 
innocent travelers.
  I hope our colleagues in the Senate take these reservations into 
account when they consider this bill.

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