I rise today to voice my full support for H.R. 4581, the Screening
and Vetting Passenger Exchange Act of 2017. This legislation directs
the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop best practices for
utilizing advanced passenger information, or API, and passenger names
record data, or PNR, for counterterrorism screening and vetting
operations. It also enables the Secretary to share those practices with our
allies, including countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program,
and to provide assistance in implementing these practices in those
countries. Having access to API, which is biographic information, and PNR data,
which is data about reservation and itinerary information, allows our
homeland security professionals to confirm the identities and travel
patterns of potential criminals and terrorists before they enter the
United States. Allowing our men and women on the front lines to fight against
terrorism, to work with Visa Waiver Program countries to make sure that
they rise to the same standards only increases the safety of our
Nation, the safety of all Americans traveling abroad, and the safety of
all people across the globe. This legislation is a step in the right
direction toward addressing further potential emerging threats. Mr.