Speech #1050119661

Today I want to speak about an amendment that I have printed in the Ri c0tu which I will explain In the course of general debate now anti withdraw later on. I want to take ilhe time to explain exactly what I am trying to to. Guam has a Guamonly Visa Waiver Program which Is separate from this general Visa Waiver Program. In our Guamonly Visa Waiver Program. visltors are allowed to come from countries like Japan. Korea. anti Taiwan for 15 days. and there are 14 other countries ott that list. Oto of the Issues that always affects te people of Guam. which has a large number of Philippine Americans. is how to deal with family events. and what we have been proposing and what we have been working towards with a locally organized task force for tle past 4 years Is to set up a pilot project within the scope of this Guamonly Visa Waiver Program. to run a pilot project for I year. allowing 10) citizens of the Philipplnes to cone lit under a Visa Waiver Program per month and to determine subsequent to that whether such a program can be realistically enforced on a inogerterm basis. blti has been done through a lot of discussions. and my own efforts in personally observing and discussing the process with officials in the U.S. embassy In Manila and trying to work through with local INS officials on Guam. The program that I envision. the pilot project that is mentioned In the amendment. envisions a familybased program in which citizens would be allowed to come for special family events. The prograi that we are outlining htere says that no program will be in effect until a memorandum of understanding !s bigned between the U.S. Attorney General and the Government. of Guam to make sure that ite pilot project is conducted In a fair. efficient and uffuctivc. manner. and at tle sane Lime. it. also posits that If we get a 20 percentt failure rate on any month. that the pilot project immediately come to a halt. So that is the basic outline of the project that we have. Some or hie questions that have been raied Itrtian to whether title will be a cotdul. for illegal Immigration. I want to assure the Member of this House that the Guamonly Visa Waiver Progrant Is In force by INS not only as people come into Guam. but as people leave Guam and go to Honolulu. I dare say I am probably the only Member of Congress who has to show a passport to go from lilm home district to Washington. D.C. That Is how stringent the process is. Maybe we ought to introduce legislation to exempt me from this burden. but it is accurate iLo say that the anomaly of the situation Is such tltat there In a doublecheck. So Guamonly visas are exactly that. They are only meant for Guam. they are meant for 15 days. It is not the 90 days that is in the general Visa Waiver Program. We feel very strongly and we believe that If ttis program were familybased. based on sponsorship. based on a lntited number. we would be able to obtain botter data. Tie visa refusal rate in the U.S. embassy in Manila is a general refusal rate. It does not track Guam visitors an a separate category. We think that title Is a fair response to the problem. We think It Is an honorable response. and we hope that. we will he allowed to proceed with such a pilot project. In recognition of the chairmans concerns about this. and the fact that perips it caught him a little unaware in the process of bringing up the general visa waiver program. I will not proceed with the amendment later on today. but. I would like to ask the chatrman if lie would be willing to work with me over the next couple of weeks to see what we can do to make progress towards this pilot project.