Speech #1050119732

For example. Mr. Chairman. last year the first year that Argentina. was In the visa waiver program. tourism from that country to the United States Increased by 11.5 percent. I think that we can expect the same type of results if we move forward in the way that haes been suggested here. I am a bit perplexed about the argument of those who would oppose. including GretIee and Portugal. this visa waiver program. We do not Ilieve that citizens of those countries are a threat. to our public safety. certainly. we to not believe that they would Increase Illegal immigration. and we do not think there is any evidence of either of those events occurring. We can all agree that the number of people that have overstayed their visas otherwise might be a serious problem. and the Immigration and Naturalization Service has the suthority to IdontLify people who have done so. but refasing both Creece and lortugal entrance into tile visa waive. program. based on Inaccurate and outofdate infrimnation. strikes me as discriminatory. Untfair. and simply bad public policy. Mr. Chairman. I represent a large number of people of Greek and Portugueso origin from Lynn to Peabody. Massachusetts. to Newburyport. and Ipswich and Haverhill. and all the way through our district. people arc proud of their heritage. and many feel slighted iy this countrys exclusion of them from the visa waiver program merely Icause the number of people tin those countries who are refused a visa may be slightly nore (. han the current rgid 2 percent refusal rate. These people have worked hard. and tle countries have worked hard to bring those rates down and to decrease tile overstay rates. Mr.