Speech #1090099011

Mr. Chairman. I believe that the Border Protection. Antiterterrorism. and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 needs to address a loophole In our immigration system. I have introduced this amendment which suspends. not cancels. but suspends temporarily the Visa Waiver Program until the machinereadable and tamperresistant biometric identification system mandated by the PATRIOT Act to be the cornerstone of the entryexit system is fully operational. Until we have the technical and human resources to secure our points of entry. we cannot afford to allow visitors to come to the United States without prescreening them prior to arrival. Despite the fact that the United Kingdom is one of our Nations closest friends and allies. the London subway bombings earlier this year were executed in large part by British citizens with known ties to terrorism. We know that terrorists like Zacharias Moussaui and Richard Reid exploited the Visa Waiver Program to travel to the United States. Do we want individuals like these to fly to America unchecked and to attack our subway system in the name of terrorist groups like al Qaeda under the cloak of the Visa Waiver Program? Do we want French citizens with Islamofascist mindsets to get a free pass through Customs? If not. we need to suspend this program until we are equipped to check the criminal and terrorist backgrounds of every visitor who arrives at a point of entry and to confirm the identity of each visitor using biometric identifiers. The success and failure of the Visa Waiver Program can trace its roots back to 1986 when it was passed as part of the Immigration Reform Control Act. As many of my colleagues know. what we left undone in 1986 is in large part why we need to consider a new immigration reform law in 2005 that is consistent with the recent reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. The Visa Waiver Program was only designed to be a temporary program for a small and select group of nations. Today. 27 countries are eligible under visa waivers. opening the door widely. widely. Mr. Chairman. for an unscreened terrorist to attack the United States. Yesterday. the United States USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005 passed by a vote of 251174. a strong endorsement for securing our Nation against terrorism. The PATRIOT Act acknowledges the problem of the Visa Waiver Program. and I have introduced this amendment to suspend the program until the solution made possible by the PATRIOT Act can realistically take effect. This is an issue that extends beyond apprehending illegal immigrants and actually works to secure our points of entry from those who desire to attack our Nation. Mr. Chairman.