[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 57 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E430-E431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO ESTABLISH AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL 
          AUTHORIZATION FOR THE GUAM CNMI VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 2017

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, today I re-introduce legislation to 
authorize and establish an Electronic System for Travel Authorization 
(ESTA) for the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, and direct revenue from 
the established system to fund CBP operations and staffing needs for 
ports of entry in Guam and the CNMI.
  The regional Guam-CNMI VWP recognizes Guam's unique location in Asia, 
and the need to be more competitive for tourists from other Asian 
nations. With Guam's primary source of economic revenue being tourism 
from Asia, my legislation would address several issues that have 
hampered our visitor industry and that continue to cost CBP millions of 
dollars annually in processing costs. The majority of foreign arrivals 
at Guam International Airport are those traveling under the Guam-CNMI 
VWP, and long immigration lines are a recurring issue due to limited 
staffing capacity when arrivals peak at Guam International Airport. At 
their peak, sometimes 1,200 passengers arrive when multiple flights 
arrive nearly simultaneously the wait times at immigration can be as 
long as two and a half hours.
  I recognize that there are complaints about long wait lines at other 
international ports of entry. However, the long wait-times have caused 
harm to Guam's reputation in our primary visitor markets of Japan and 
South Korea. In fact, Japan television shows and radio programs have 
mocked the long lines and wait times at Guam International Airport, 
which has negatively impacted Guam's standing as a family-friendly 
destination for our Asian allies. The flight from Japan or South Korea 
is a little over three hours and, sadly, some of these visitors have 
waited about as long, or at times longer, in line than it takes to 
travel from their home country to Guam. That is unacceptable and runs 
counter to the previous Administration's goal of improving the arrivals 
process for international travelers arriving in the United States, as 
outlined in a memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies 
on May 22, 2014. My legislation would work to address the problems that 
are occurring with long wait times at our respective ports of entry. 
Tourism is critical to the economies of the region, and we cannot let 
an antiquated visitor entry system and inadequate staffing harm our 
economy.
  Establishing an ESTA specific to the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program 
would help to address several issues faced by visitors arriving at Guam 
International Airport. First, the current process relies on a paper-
based system which is cumbersome and only adds to the delays when 
arriving. The bill would allow CBP to

[[Page E431]]

automate that process and, as a result, save an estimated $4 million 
annually that is used by CBP to process and file the paper forms. This 
is a commonsense reform that will save the federal government money and 
improve the customer experience at Guam International Airport and ports 
of entry in the CNMI.
  Admittedly, CBP has the authority to create an ESTA system for the 
Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. However, they do not have the authority 
to direct revenues collected from this automated process towards 
staffing at ports of entry in Guam and CNMI. As such, it is the 
consensus of tourism industry leaders and other stakeholders that there 
is an ultimate need for this legislation. I am informed that staffing 
has not increased in Guam since after the 9/11 attacks. The CBP 
staffing pattern was sufficient, but as the number of tourists grows on 
Guam the lines have also grown and the staffing has not kept up with 
demand. Making the visitor entry process into ports of entry in Guam 
and CNMI electronic is part of the solution, but additional staffing is 
still required especially since nearly 50 percent of our visitors are 
first-time visitors and cannot avail themselves of Automated Passport 
Control (APC) systems.
  I am proud of the innovative programming that brings people from all 
over the world to Guam. For example last year, Guam hosted the Festival 
of the Pacific Arts (FestPac) a quadrennial cultural event for island 
nations in the Pacific, which is the largest gathering for Pacific 
peoples to unite and strengthen our cultural ties. Over 12,000 
visitors, cultural performers, and native artists came to Guam to 
participate in FestPac, and I appreciated the commitment of former 
Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske to ensure there was adequate staffing 
at Guam International Airport. But that additional staffing was 
accomplished by approving extra overtime for employees which is a 
costly endeavor. Events like FestPac show the maturation and growth of 
Guam's tourism industry. Improving the processes and capabilities of 
our ports of entry to ensure a pleasant experience for our visitors is 
a top priority, and the solutions must be long-standing and 
sustainable. We cannot simply rely on overtime of employees to meet the 
current and emerging demands at our main international port of entry.
  An ESTA for the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program is an innovative, 
sustainable, common-sense, and cost-saving technological solution that 
would save the federal government millions, improve the visitor 
experience for our tourists, and increase resources to improve CBP 
capabilities by freeing up important personnel capacity to effectively 
monitor real threats to our national security. An electronic system for 
travel authorization would ultimately modernize and improve a Visa 
Waiver Program that continues to benefit the people of Guam and CNMI. 
My bill would help ensure that federal policy enhances economic 
opportunities and development in our region instead of being an 
impediment

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