I did not sign the conference report. but I will vote for the bill today. The bill promises security and offers the hope of closing remaining loopholes in our laws by enacting the remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations. But while on one hand it increases security. on the other it undermines it through a dangerous expansion of the Visa Waiver Program. Whenever we allow a country to participate In the Visa Waiver Program. we take a risk of admitting foreign citizens without any State Department screening. I realize that the United States should be working toward close relationships with our allies In the war on terror. but it doesnt follow that we should turn a blind eye to those security risks involved with free access to those countries citizens. Richard Reid. the shoe bomber. and Zacharias Moussaoui. the 9/11 conspirator. both used this program to slip into our country without close scrutiny. And this bill continues that very troubling program. Currently. countries must undergo strict evaluation before being admitted into the program. The U.S. does not admit countries whose citizens have a high percentage of overstaying their visas. However. this bill gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the choice to ignore a countrys visa overstay. The president of 9/11 Families for a Secure America. Peter Gadiel. has said that 9/11 families have grave concerns about Congress expanding the Visa Waiver Program. As part of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act this year. I voted with 76 of my colleagues to eliminate that program altogether. Reluctantly. I will vote for the conference report today. and I urge my colleagues to pressure the Speaker to adopt a separate bill on the Visa Waiver Program so Americans can be better protected.
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